The area of 123rd Street and 71st Court could be made into a municipal parking lot if Palos Heights council members vote for it on Sept. 20. (Photos by Jeff Vorva)
Palos Heights council delays vote on new parking lot
By Jeff Vorva
More than 40 people crammed the City Hall chambers at Tuesday’s Palos Heights City Council meeting and many of them were hoping for a “no” vote in regard to a zoning change.
Up for a vote was a zoning change from residential to business for purposes of constructing a special use municipal parking lot at 12303 S. 171st Court.
Four people from the neighborhood spoke out against the proposed parking lot and, after a discussion among council members, they delayed voting on the plan until the Sept. 20 meeting.
Residents complained the parking lot would bring unwanted noise, lighting, safety issues and drive property values down. Some said that council members had business interests in mind over the residents and more than one challenged the council saying, “Would you want this in your back yard?”
Even the line, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot” from Joni Mitchell’s classic hit “Big Yellow Taxi,” was quoted.
Dr. Jim Draguesku said his daughter and family recently moved into the neighborhood and was not expecting a parking lot in the area.
“The dream of every parent is to have their children come back to the community they were raised in,” he said. “This dream is being altered or damaged by this proposal. This parking lot will be directly behind their home. Our dream is being shattered by this.”
Not all council members spoke, but there was a difference of opinion with the few who did speak. Those in favor said that extra parking in the downtown area is something that has been needed for decades.
“This isn’t something we want,” Alderman Jeffrey Key said. “It’s something we need.”
The council also put off a vote on changes pertaining to the duties and changes of the Recreation Advisory Board. That is also scheduled to be voted on during the Sept. 20 meeting.
At the Aug. 16 meeting, it was brought up that some of the changes included reducing meetings from once a month to three times a year. Two members spoke at that meeting saying this move weakens the board.
Flag for McGovern
Alderman Jack Clifford presented fellow alderman and fellow Marine Jerry McGovern with an honorary flag to kick off Tuesday’s meeting.
Moraine Valley Community College will be the site of a Field of Honor event starting Saturday and hundreds of flags will be on display honoring veterans.
Palos Heights Alderman Jerry McGovern was presented with an honorary flag during Tuesday’s city council meeting.
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Why is the Palos Heights City Council using our tax dollars to buy residential property and then turning around to change the zoning from residential to business for the purpose of making another municipal lot.
We already have a Municipal Parking Lot on Harlem that they built for the businesses a number of years ago. Most days and nights it sits underutilized. I live at 122nd and 71st Court and easily see how full that lot gets. Unless The Roof Top Tap is having special event, it never looks like it’s more than half full and that usually later in the evening. It is rare that the lot is completely full.
If a certain business on Harlem such as Capris is having parking problems then the City should tell them to have their patrons use the existing municipal lot, it can’t be more than 200 feet from their entrance.
It’s time for our elected officials to concern themselves with the needs of the residents and quit catering to these businesses all the time