🚗 Parking Pandemonium in North Oakland: Renters Last Again?

I recently dug up a 1981 “Parking Assessment District” report from Shorewood — and what I found is eye-opening. Even back then, the village knew it had a serious parking problem for renters and businesses at the north end of Oakland.

➡️ In response, the board created a special assessment district to raise funds for more parking. Property owners along Oakland paid higher taxes so the village could buy 4444 and 4450 N. Oakland — where a public parking lot was built.

Here’s what the 1981 report said:

• 🅿️ 217 off-street parking spots existed
• 🚘 Village code required 546
• ⚠️ “20% of all accidents involve curb parking,” it warned, urging more off-street parking for safety

The Citizens Planning Task Force agreed: we needed more off-street parking.

Fast-forward to today. I walked those same blocks this week with a clipboard to see what’s changed. Here’s what I found:

• 🏢 284 apartment & condo units
• 🏪 50 businesses
• 🅿️ 184 off-street parking spots
• 🚫 The 5 largest apartment buildings — with 93 total units — offer no off-street parking at all

That’s 15% fewer off-street parking spaces and 25% more housing units than 40 years ago.

And now, the trustees plan to close the public lot at 4450 N. Oakland — the very lot built to solve this issue in the first place.
This decision will make parking even harder for renters, business owners, and visitors alike. Over 50 local businesses will feel the impact.

💬 The kicker? That parking lot was originally paid for by 17 nearby property owners over a 20-year assessment.

👉 Are we making Shorewood more livable for everyone, or only for a few?