ADDRESSING PARKING ISSUES

January 7, 2000

Chicago Sun Times

Residential parking zone proposed for Truman area

Spielman, Fran

Truman College would be surrounded by a giant residential permit- parking zone, one of the largest in the city, under a crackdown proposed Thursday to ease an Uptown parking shortage.

Ald. Helen Shiller (46th) made the proposal after persuading a City Council committee to approve zoning for a new state office that, residents contend, will make the parking crisis much worse.

The state Human Services Department wants to build an office at 1217 W. Wilson with only 28 parking spaces. That's not enough to accommodate the 120 employees and as many as 225 people expected to show up at the door each day, neighbors argue. Shiller pushed through the zoning change over their angry objections, arguing that Uptown needs job training and other services to move people from welfare to work.

To solve the parking crunch, Shiller said she is prepared to introduce a residential permit-parking zone at Wednesday's City Council meeting that will surround the 12-acre Truman College campus and provide a "buffer zone" of roughly two blocks on all sides.

The college is at 1145 W. Wilson. The campus is roughly bounded by Wilson, Broadway, Sunnyside and an alley west of Racine.

"It would be nice, even during the middle of the day, to be able to go shopping and come home and unload my groceries within three blocks and not have to park illegally in front of a fire hydrant," said area resident Frank Wiltse, welcoming the permit-parking solution.

Chicago has 650 residential permit parking zones. Under restrictions approved by the City Council in 1998, 65 percent of all city sticker owners in the area must approve before new zones are created.

Copyright Chicago Sun Times Jan 7, 2000