Kendall County Times

The Joliet City Council continued to deal with the parking situation on one of their city streets at their March 21 meeting, including voting on an ordinance that would create a residential parking-only rule for the 800 block of Cora street.

This comes as residents from the 800 block of Cora Street in Joliet have been coming to the city council for several months now, asking the city to do something about the parking and traffic situation near their homes. Residents are upset with the increased traffic flow from the Carnitas Don Jose y Supermercado located on Ruby Street at the end of the block. 

While the store has been around for four years now, and a ban on non-residential parking on Cora street has been proposed, this solution would leave the store scrambling for alternative parking for their customers with no additional parking spaces put in or planned for at the store. According to residents up the street, however,  the one-side-only parking rule is completely filled with store traffic that also starts lining up the other side of the street illegally, causing major congestion and an inability of residents to park anywhere on their block.

"I don't know what the answer is to this," Joliet City Councilwoman Jan Quillman said during the meeting. This is just— it's just a mess. And we're trying to come to some solutions and we haven't been able to come up with anything except the no parking because, you know, the residents have been there first.  So we need to tend to them, but we also need to help the business." (47:40)

The residential parking-only rule would require residents to display parking passes on their cars and ticket anyone who parks there without one. While the city initially gave the business owner some time to try and figure out additional parking for his customers, none has been identified so far. Council members said they understand that this will push much of the grocery store business parking to other areas further out, adding they are still very happy with the business and its success. The current situation, however, cannot continue as it is. 

Among comments, several councilmembers said they felt this new rule wouldn't change anything as people already disrespect the parking rules in this area. (43:00). However, because residents had asked the council to do this for them, they agreed would go ahead and try the ordinance, but are willing to revisit and change the rule if it does not make the desired improvements or new parking areas for customers doesn't arise. (4:00, 52:00)