Elgin council looks to nix big truck parking at home

Elgin residents who park their big work trucks at home overnight may have to start looking for other options.

The city council tonight is expected to discuss several changes to the city's zoning ordinance, including one that would prevent residents from parking large vehicles at home or on the street.

City officials say the parking ban is in response to complaints they've received from residents over the years.

"It's time to put some kind of control on it," City Manager Femi Folarin said.

The proposed parking ban wouldn't affect people who drive, say, big vans or pickup trucks, council member Bob Gilliam said.

"What's been happening, a guy drives a cement truck, he'll park at it his house," Gilliam said. "We get a lot of complaints from neighbors about people bringing home their trucks. They're just too big."

Another change under review by the city council tonight would reduce the number of parking spaces at "big-box" retail stores.

Right now, the retailers are required to have one parking spot per 250 square feet of building space.

"This has required large retail establishments to provide very large parking lots, creating the 'sea of asphalt' character around them," city officials wrote in an internal memo. "The maximum demand for parking is realized only on the two major shopping days in a year, resulting in the lots remaining empty for the rest of the year."

Other zoning ordinance changes under consideration tonight include better oversight of residential construction projects in older neighborhoods and new sign guidelines for automobile dealerships along Route 19.

"The proposed 'housekeeping' amendments … are intended to raise the bar on the quality of the city's business districts and residential neighborhoods," the city's internal memo said.

The city council meeting begins at 6 p.m. at city hall, 150 Dexter Court.