Oak Park OKs More Free Parking for Holiday Shoppers

Oak Park Village Board members on Monday approved a resolution that will make it a little easier to park in the downtown Oak Park districts on weekends during the holiday shopping season. 

The approved ordinance amendment allows for up to two hours of free metered parking on weekends during the holiday shopping season in the downtown districts and south Oak Park, beginning the day after Thanksgiving, and running every Saturday until Dec. 25. 

The average daily revenue in the Avenue, Holley Court and Lake and Forest garages is $2,778—resulting in a loss of about $16,668 in parking revenue each year.

The new ordinance would mean a $17,769 revenue loss for the village and an additional cost of $10,000 for a meter bag program, according to the agenda document. The village also spends $3,000 to promote the free parking days during the holiday season. 

Overnight parking restrictions will remain in effect during the holiday season in overnight permit areas, including Village-owned lots, on-street enclaves and on-street overnight parking zones. Read more about parking in Oak Park here.

The board also approved a recommendation to reduce the 1-hour time limit outside the businesses at 321-329 Chicago Ave.—where Domino's Pizza, Jimmy's Cleaners, Nail Spa and the Cat Practice are located—to a 15-minute restriction. from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the week. 

The owner of the 321-329 Chicago Ave. building proposed the replacement, which also extends the limitation from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the week, because patrons of the Nail Spa, a new tenant, "monopolize" the parking spaces for extended periods throughout the day, according to the agenda document.