VILLAGE OF VERNON HILLS, IL

TRAFFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Meeting Minutes

May 16, 2001

 

With a quorum being in attendance the meeting of the Traffic Advisory Committee (TAC) was called to order at 7:12 PM CDT. In attendance were:

 

Larry LaLuzerne, Chairman

Jeff Hauptman, Member

Susan Oster, Member

James Schultz, Member / Acting Secretary

Cindy Hebda, Village Trustee, Member Ex-Officio

Mike Allison, Village Manager, Member Ex-Officio

Mark Fleischhauer, Chief of Police, Member Ex-Officio

Ed Laudenslager, Director of Public Works, Member Ex-Officio

 

Absent:

Anthony Ugaste, Member

Thom Koch, Village Trustee, Member Ex-Officio

 

X/copies:

Mike Allison, Village Manager

Evan Teich, Assistant Village Manager

 

Guests:

Name                                      Address                    Years at Address

Mr. Jim Gleason                     18 Edgewood                             11 years

Mr. Wahdwani                  19 Edgewood                             26 years

Mr. Tom Gitzinger                    17 Bedford                                  26 years

Mr. Mike Tanzillo                      313 Ontwensia                 26 years

Mr. Marv Small               205 Crabtree                                8 years

Mrs. Lisa Warner                       16 Greenvale                            

Mr. Ken Ryberg                       10 Edgewood                             26 years

Mr. Larry Richards                    22 Warrington                                                                            

Mrs. Lynn Brandl                        311 Ontwensia    

Mrs. Jan Tanzillo                      313 Ontwensia                 26 years

Mrs. Doris Small               205 Crabtree                                8 years

Mr. Dave Valentino                    309 Onwentsia                 7 years

Mr. Dean Frattel             5 Bedford                                 

Ms Kathy Rudyr              301 Onwentsia    

 

I.                    Minutes

 

            The minutes of the April 16, 2001 minutes were reviewed.

 

Motion: Adopt April 16, 2001 minutes as presented; 

By Ms. Oster; Seconded Mr. Schultz

Vote:             Mr. LaLuzerne – Yes; Ms. Oster - Yes;   Mr. Hauptman – Yes;   

Mr. Schultz – Yes; Mr. Ugaste – Not Present;     Motion adopted   4   to  0.

 

II.                  Old Business

1)                  The minutes of the November 2000 meeting were not available for review.

 

 

III.                New Business

1)                  South Deerpath Park (Onwentsia Rd, et al) Park District sports programs parking conflict.

·         Issue

Local Citizens have had an ongoing dialog with the Vernon Hills Police Traffic Enforcement Division and the Village Managers office concerning the parking of sports program participants on this neighborhood side street.

·         Details / Concerns

Chairman LaLuzerne invited the public in attendance to comment directly on the issue at hand. The common elements expressed by the residents as they addressed this committee were:

·         Baseball and Soccer activities are growing, which is increasing the breadth and depth of the parking concerns.

·         Side street parking in this neighborhood on Weeknights, Saturdays and most Sundays during Baseball / Soccer seasons is taken over by park users. This is creating a situation where:

·         Multiple car households have no staging area to park autos in order to gain access to garaged vehicles, especially homes on Cul-de-sac’s.

·         Visitors are forced to park several blocks away.

·         Potential delays in getting emergency vehicles into remote areas of this neighborhood are likely.

·         Deerpath Park, Cherokee Rd parking lot is “ALWAYS” 40 to 50% empty (60+ car spaces available).

·         Street parkers are acting in a hostile and un-neighborly fashion toward local residents.

·         Socializing in a loud fashion after games on quiet residential streets.

·         Trespassing on private driveways to accomplish 3 point turns.

·         Littering the yards of the residents.

·         Occasionally blocking driveways.

·         Trespassing through yards to gain access to the park.

·         Blocking ease of access to mail boxes for Saturday postal delivery.

·         Demanding that homeowners not water lawns or wash their cars for a chance that auto’s parked close by on the street will get water spotted.

·         Exhibiting poor driving habits, especially when arriving late.

·         Park District is unable or unwilling to provide relief (No Park District representative were present at the Meeting). Attendees were advised that Park District is a separate governmental agency whose regular open meetings are held on alternating Thursdays at 6PM in the Sullivan Center. 

·         Children’s safety issue;

·         The parking and traffic load on these residential streets is creating an unsafe condition, where due to blind spots pedestrians are at risk.

·         Unsupervised children (sporting event participants) are awaiting pick-up on the street from absentee parents, are perpetrating mischievous acts at the expense of local homeowners and/or their property.

·         Inappropriate use of the bike trail:

·         Little League and High School coaches have driven automobiles on the bike trial to minimize walking distance with equipment.

·         Pizza delivery truck has utilized the bike path to make deliveries to the fields. 

·         Concern was expressed that permit parking may in fact just force street parkers to the neighborhood north of Willow Lake.

 

 

 

·         Proposed Solutions

The common ideas for solutions were:

·         Implement seasonal parking by permit only. Only residents would be allowed to obtain permits. One permit for each registered automobile and up to six (+/-) guest permit tags.

·         Increase police presence / enforcement of existing traffic laws

·         Have Police or Park District Authority direct traffic into Cherokee Rd Parking lot and only use street parking for overflow.

·         Existing parking restriction signs to be updated to include Sundays, not just weekday evenings and Saturday.

·         Add directional signage to facilitate use of Cherokee Rd Parking Lot

 

·         Motion:

·         Recommend that Village of Vernon Hills Police Department develop a survey to ascertain the community’s thoughts concerning the implementation of a street parking by permit only program in this neighborhood. The areas to be surveyed include:

·         Spring Ln

·         Melody Ln

·         Crabtree Ln

·         Castlegate Ct

·         Edgewood Rd

·         Bedford Rd

·         Onwentsia Rd

 

·         Knollwood Ln

·         Cherokee Rd

·         Harbor Ct

 

 

·            Recommend that Village of Vernon Hills Police Department work in conjunction with Vernon Hills Park District staff to distribute a letter to all athletic event street parkers as to:

·         What constitutes good neighborliness,

·         Advisement that requests have been made to implement permit parking only restrictions,

·         Abundant parking availability at the Cherokee Rd Parking Lot

 

Motion Made by Mr. Schultz; Seconded Ms. Oster

Vote:             Mr. LaLuzerne – Yes;  Ms. Oster - Yes;   Mr. Hauptman – Yes;   

Mr. Schultz – Yes;  Mr. Ugaste – Not Present;     Motion adopted   4   to  0.

 

·         Motion:

Recommend that Village of Vernon Hills Police Department and the Department of Public Works, with consent of the Village Board of Trustees, update the existing no parking zone signage on Edgewood Road and Onwentsia Road. This change will be to extend the parking ban to Sunday in accordance with the Traffic Advisory Committee and Village Board actions of July 1995.

 

Motion Made by Mr. Hauptman ; Seconded Ms. Oster

Vote:             Mr. LaLuzerne – Yes;  Ms. Oster - Yes;   Mr. Hauptman – Yes;   

Mr. Schultz – Yes;  Mr. Ugaste – Not Present;    Motion adopted   4   to  0.

 

A motion to adjourn was made by Mr. Schultz and seconded by Ms. Oster. Motion adopted by acclimation. The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 PM.

 

The above constitutes the authors understandings of the proceedings

James E. Schultz

James E. Schultz

Acting Secretary

Traffic Advisory Committee

Vernon Hills, IL