Hope for open minds from city on zoo parking

I’m hoping the Wheaton City Council is not as shortsighted as the Wheaton Park District when it comes to a vote on permitting the east side parking lot on Gary Avenue to accommodate overflow parking at Cosley Zoo.

The park district downsized the number of spaces needed twice. They have abandoned the main reason for additional parking, a master plan for an expanded zoo. They have changed the number of days that overflow parking is needed several times. Yes, the current lot is crowded on weekends, but only nice weekends. It gets crowded when pumpkins and Christmas trees are available, and the evenings between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, when the zoo is lit with holiday lights. But, the rest of the year, that lot is nearly empty.

I wrote to the director of Wheaton Park District with suggestions for additional parking on overflow days. I suggested the district purchase a couple of decorated electric shuttle buses that could go between the Sandburg Elementary School parking lot and Cosley Zoo on weekends and evenings. We know that 80% of the visitors to the zoo are coming from outside the district. Have a decorated electric shuttle between the Metra station and the zoo to encourage mass transit rather than more auto traffic. I suggested a parking garage on current parking space that could be decorated with zoo animals, have electric charging stations inside and a rooftop garden and/or solar panels. They could require reserved times on days they know will be busy.

The future of the city, county, state, country and the world is not with more cars, because cars are killing the environment. In a battle between green space and parking lots, green space should win every time.

Diane Niesman

Wheaton