After reading through the new parking study, Bobbi Baehne walked over to The Vixen to check one thing.

McHenry‘s 1st Ward alderwoman was sure there were two-hour parking spots just outside the downtown venue, but discovered they are, in fact, four-hour spots.

“I am fully in support of making four-hour spots into two-hour spots on Green Street,” Baehne said, adding the shorter period of time “does not deter anyone” from spending an evening out there.

Reducing the time allotted for premium, on-street parking spots – and faster turnover – on Green Street and Riverside Drive is among the recommendations included in McHenry’s parking study.

Approved by the McHenry City Council in January, the final $58,500 study by Chicago-based firm Kimley-Horn is set for discussion at Monday’s council meeting. The study was paid for using tax increment financing district funds.

Other suggestions in the study include:

• Enhancing wayfinding map signage and permit parking signs to encourage walking and “provide clarity about parking options” in downtown.
• Two-hour parking time limits during the hours of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. for prime on-street parking spots on Green Street and Riverside Drive.
• Look into purchasing private parking spots in the downtown areas.
• Exploring low-cost opportunities for additional parking in the downtown areas to address potential future parking needs.

The study also notes that McHenry has sufficient parking for its current demand, but with a caveat: During peak periods, visitors may not be able to park on the same block as their destination, instead needing to park one or two blocks away and walk to their destinations.

Across the three areas studied – Riverside Drive, Green Street and Main Street – McHenry has 1,101 public parking spaces, both on-street and off-street, according to the report.

On four days, May through August, drones were used to collect parking data. For Riverside Drive, peak parking use was August 2. On that day, 78% of the available parking spaces were used between 6 and 9 p.m.

For Green and Main streets the highest parking use was May 2, when 72% of slots were used on Green and 87% of the spots were used on Main.

The Vixen hosted events all the days Kimley-Horn collected data with the drones, according to the report.

It also noted that on Main Street and its associated parking lots there are higher peaks at noon than the other two downtown zones, and that the Metra parking lot is underutilized. That lot “should not be dismissed as an opportunity to accommodate growth in future parking demand,” according to the study.

Overall, while there is a perception among residents that there is not enough parking, the reality may be that there is “limited walking tolerance” among those parking in the downtown areas, according to the report.

The report also looks at future parking needs for Green Street. The city-owned lot there is set for redevelopment and currently provides 249 parking spaces. Those spots would need to be included in any future development plans, according to the study.

Based on past residential and commercial concepts for that area, the study suggests a total of 411 spaces would be needed for that area. The study does not recommend construction of a parking garage unless it’s part of new private development.

The study is good news “as we consider future plans. We know what we need to ask for from developers to maintain the status quo” for parking, Baehne said. Her ward includes the Main Street and Green Street areas, but was not on the council when the study was approved.

She also sees lots that are not fully utilized, including the lots behind The Vixen off of Venice Avenue and Court Street, or where spaces are open at night when other businesses are closed.

“That is part of the problem, that people do not know it is there,” Baehne said.