Village Mulling $1 Million Parking Addition to Oakland Avenue Development

Village officials decided Friday to mull over adding a $1 million deck to a proposed parking structure as part of the retail/apartment development planned for the Sendik’s parking lot for another week.

The current plan calls for a one-level parking garage to be constructed in the parking lot behind off North Bartlett Avenue, and another in the grocer’s parking lot, adding up to 149 parking stalls. But after examining a parking study, officials believe another level might be necessary to accommodate parking for the . The Mandel Group is the developer of the project that includes a new home for , 4081 N. Oakland Ave.

The study prepared by Ayres Associates found the busiest time of the week for the parking area occurs on Saturday and Sundays, for a two-hour period around noon. The study uses data from the Institute of Traffic Engineers to determine what parking looks like at the busiest time of the year. The study’s findings include parking needs for 84 apartment units, Walgreens and Sendik’s customers, other nearby residents and shops and neighborhood and future development parking.

During these peak hours, the 149 spots wouldn’t be enough. According to the study, 172 parking spots would be needed to provide adequate parking at peak times on Saturday and 158 on Sunday.

“You really want a 15 percent buffer,” Mandel COO Robert Monnat said.

Monnat said the parking deck addition could accommodate for future business growth in the area.

Adding traffic from , 4048 N. Bartlett Ave., which sits adjacent to the grocer’s parking lot, would increase peak-time parking to 183 on Saturday and 199 on Sunday.

Officials say adding another level to the parking structure would bring the available parking to 204 spots with no more than 84 percent of parking being used during peak hours.

Officials would pay for the $1 million addition through $700,000 in revenue from the village’s special tax district No. 1 and $300,000 through parking utilities. Parking utilities are funds collected from fees at village-owned lots.

Shorewood Community Development Authority member Andrea Roschke said the village shouldn’t be spending $1 million on additional parking when there will be additional parking on the street.

The study didn’t include street parking and Village Manager Chris Swartz said he anticipates around 50 additional parking spots on neighboring streets.

However, Trustee Ellen Eckman said the project’s current plan wouldn’t provide ample parking as it stands and pushed to have the CDA take action on the structure.

“We have always said when a project comes in, it has to take care of its own parking,” Eckman said.

The developer said the project would move along regardless of the village’s decision on the additional parking but Walgreens’ spokesperson Jeffrey Metz said no village action will likely result in strict parking guidelines.

Metz added he hopes to see parking spots dedicated to Walgreens and Sendik’s and others with time limits so parkers can’t abuse the structure.

Monnat said Mandel would have parking attendants on site, ensuring parking privileges aren’t being abused.