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Condo association urges Downers Grove to remove loading‑zone spaces, citing sightline hazards
Summary
Kathleen Owens, president of the Marquis on Maple Condominium Association, asked the Village Council to remove three of five loading/parking spaces on Maple Avenue adjacent to the association driveway, citing a Kimley‑Horn engineering review that found the spaces obstruct driver sightlines and do not meet AASHTO standards.
Kathleen Owens, president of the Marquis on Maple Condominium Association, told the Village Council the five on‑street loading spaces east of her building’s driveway routinely block drivers’ views and create a safety hazard for residents exiting 940 Maple Avenue. "Drivers exiting the Marquis parking lot cannot consistently see westbound traffic on Maple Avenue because vehicles parked in the loading zone obstruct critical sight lines," Owens said during public comment.
The association presented an independent engineering review by Kimley‑Horn that assessed sight triangles against American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standards. Owens said the Kimley‑Horn analysis concluded the five loading‑zone spaces are located within the driveway sight triangle and that "achieving full unobstructed sightlines per AASHTO standards would require displacement of all five spaces in the loading zone," though the report also said sightlines would improve incrementally if fewer spaces remained.
Owens traced the issue to the planning record for the Dash apartment development, saying the developer and the village relied on a KLOA traffic impact study that did not analyze sightlines for vehicles exiting the adjacent Marquee driveway. She told the council the association had asked the village traffic manager to review on multiple occasions and received notice in 2025 that staff visits found conditions operating "as intended," with no written documentation supporting that conclusion. After legal review, the association retained Kimley‑Horn to perform two independent reviews: a sightline analysis and a review of the original KLOA study. Owens said the reviews corroborated residents' concerns and recommended removal or relocation of spaces to improve safety.
Owens asked the council to review the Kimley‑Horn findings and consider removing three of the five loading/parking spaces immediately east of the driveway. She said she would provide the council with the studies and supporting documentation for staff review.
The council did not take action during the meeting; Owens' materials were offered to staff for formal review. The next steps would be a staff evaluation of the engineering reports and, if warranted, a traffic or parking amendment processed through village procedures.
