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

[Rbdoeker@aol.com]

When the park district commissioners approved charging for parking at selected lots, I specifically asked about access for early morning users.  I was told there would be no problem.  It was not really clear what they saw the solution would be beyond the lot north of the sanctuary.

I've never noticed if the north lot is filled in the morning (because I get to the Sanctuary from the south via the Recreation Drive exit so I never pass the north lot).  However, someone's comment earlier that the tennis court lot is filled with residential parking certainly makes sense -- it's true everywhere else in the parks.

As fate would have it, I'm going to a meeting with a park district senior exec next week.  I will certainly ask about the parking problem.  An identical problem is about to occur at Northerly Island since Standard Parking prevents access to the public lots when Standard staffers aren't there.

I'll report back.

Randi Doeker
Chicago
rbdoeker@aol.com


In a message dated 8/21/2003 10:00:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Birdchris writes:

> 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