Parking rules make Sleepy Hollow safe

This is a reply to Gary Christenson of Elgin about Sleepy Hollow. You wanted to know who would want to live here. I do and have for almost 30 years. It's all about the activities that you mentioned in the first two-thirds of your letter. The rest, about professionalizing the police department, is a little off. By that, do you mean not enforcing parking restrictions at events? Or as others report about speeding tickets, not enforcing speed limits?

There is a reason for those rules. When you come into our village to attend one of these events, did you notice the high number of kids? Or the high number of people walking on the side of the street? The whole idea of these rules is to protect the residents and visitors from being roadkill. Blocking one side of the street with cars makes it hard for drivers and walkers to coexist on the same pavement. Blocking both sides makes it dangerous for all, especially for the pedestrian.

The same is true for speeders. Our residents and visitors have only the streets to use along with the cars. We like the lack of pavement that curbs and sidewalks create. Most of us feel the speed limits are reasonable when driving winding, hilly streets. Walkers and bicycles are challenged enough. Also, our narrow streets make it difficult for police and rescue people to reach someone if the street is blocked with parked cars.

With regard to evenly enforcing parking, I heard our police chief explain it at a village meeting a while back. They usually don't bother people who have worked on the drive and have to park on the side of the street. For parties and such, they prefer no parking signs on one side; but if everyone is far enough off and on one side, I've never seen a problem. They do reserve the right to make a judgment call as to the access of emergency vehicles. Also, as far as I know, at every street entrance to the village, there is a sign saying No Parking (with a tow truck) on streets.

So, continue to come to our events. It's what small-town living is all about, but follow our rules of our streets and you'll have a good time. This way our professional police can walk around and enjoy themselves, too, knowing the streets are safe for all and easily accessible, should anyone need help.

Steve Ondera

Sleepy Hollow