[BCNnet] article on private parking lot toll on fishermen, birders

Thu, 21 Aug 2003 22:00:48 EDT

--part1_131.22f2a1ed.2c76d350_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Just so everyone's clear - there still will be free parking, as far as I can 
tell, in the lot north of the Sanctuary and east of the tennis courts. Most 
birders beat the golfers to the parking places and it's just as short a walk 
from the north lot to the Sanctuary fence as it was from the southwest lot that 
now is guarded by an empty toll booth. I cannot believe that it could possibly 
take anyone 22 minutes to walk to Belmont Harbor from the east lot unless the 
reporter was measuring from the far northeast corner of the lot to the far 
southernmost point of Belmont Harbor.

Does anyone actually know what the hours for paid parking will be? Does 
anyone know what months of the year the parking fee will be charged in? There's a 
toll booth at the entrance to Cannon south of Fullerton, but parking fees are 
only charged during high summer. The rest of the time, the gate is up and 
parking is free. Ditto the boat owners lot east of Peggy Notebaert Museum on 
Cannon.

I agree that paying for parking beyond maybe a quarter an hour in a meter 
really does stink those who must drive and not pedal their mountain bikes to lake 
front birding spots, but there is a free option at the Santuary. And I'm 
happy to lend my handlebars to almost any birder who needs a lift over to the 
Santuary.

Christine Williamson
Chicago/Cook
birdchris@aol.com

--part1_131.22f2a1ed.2c76d350_boundary
Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<HTML>Just so everyone's clear - there still will be free pa=
rking, as far as I can tell, in the lot north of the Sanctuary and east of t=
he tennis courts. Most birders beat the golfers to the parking places and it=
's just as short a walk from the north lot to the Sanctuary fence as it was=20=
from the southwest lot that now is guarded by an empty toll booth. I cannot=20=
believe that it could possibly take anyone 22 minutes to walk to Belmont Har=
bor from the east lot unless the reporter was measuring from the far northea=
st corner of the lot to the far southernmost point of Belmont Harbor. 
 
Does anyone actually know what the hours for paid parking will be? Does anyo=
ne know what months of the year the parking fee will be charged in? There's=20=
a toll booth at the entrance to Cannon south of Fullerton, but parking fees=20=
are only charged during high summer. The rest of the time, the gate is up an=
d parking is free. Ditto the boat owners lot east of Peggy Notebaert Museum=20=
on Cannon. 
 
I agree that paying for parking beyond maybe a quarter an hour in a meter re=
ally does stink those who must drive and not pedal their mountain bikes to l=
ake front birding spots, but there is a free option at the Santuary. And I'm=
 happy to lend my handlebars to almost any birder who needs a lift over to t=
he Santuary. 
 
Christine Williamson 
Chicago/Cook 
birdchris@aol.com</HTML>

--part1_131.22f2a1ed.2c76d350_boundary--