Downtown Parking Study

In June 2023, the City of St. Charles City Council approved a contract to conduct a Downtown Parking Study. The purpose of the study is to provide City Council and staff with insight and data on the current downtown parking environment and recommend initiatives that enhance the parking experience for all downtown visitors. The City has selected Desman, a firm that specializes in parking consulting, design, planning and restoration to assist the City with the study. You can find more information about Desman at www.desman.com. To review an interactive map of the current downtown parking inventory click here.

In January 2024, Desman completed a draft Downtown Parking Study for the public to review. The Draft Study can be viewed here:  Downtown Parking Study

Past Dates & Activities

Fourth Open House Public Meeting - COMPLETED
The City conducted an open house meeting on Monday, Feburary 12 - 5:00pm - 6:00pm at City Hall.

Third Open House Public Meeting - COMPLETED
The City conducted an open house meeting on Tuesday, January 23 at 4:30pm - 6:00pm at City Hall, City Council Chambers. 

Second Open House Public Meeting - COMPLETED
The consultant and the City conducted an open house meeting on Wednesday, September 6 at 4:00pm - 6:00pm at City Hall, City Council Chambers. 

First Open House Public Meeting - COMPLETED
The consultant and the City conducted an open house meeting on Monday, August 14 at 4:00pm - 6:30pm at City Hall, City Council Chambers. 

Initial Online Public Survey - COMPLETED
The online public survey is no longer available.

Follow-up Online Public Survey - COMPLETED
The online public survey is no longer available.

Feedback from the First and Second Open House Public Meeting, as well as the First Online Public Survey is included in the study itself. The feedback from the Third and Fourth Open House Public Meeting, as well as the Second Public Survey can be reviewed here: 

The Study Process
The study will be broken down into three phases. 

Phase I. Project Coordination and Research (COMPLETED): The phase includes evaluation of existing data, assessment of exisiting conditions, and peak occupancy surveys. This phase also includes a community engagement program which will include an online community survey, downtown business survey, stakeholder focus group meetings, and an open-house style community meeting. Following the completion of the Phase I tasks, Desman will prepare a deliverable which presents the data gathered during this phase and our methodology for collecting that data, along with maps and other graphics which clearly illustrate the existing parking conditions within the study area.

Phase II. Parking Demand Assessment and Scenario Planning (COMPLETED): Based on the information learned in Phase I, Desman will begin assessing the downtown parking environment. The assessment includes determining the impacts of future development projects, identificfication of future parking surplus/deficit conditions, and management of parking demand. Following the completion of the Phase II tasks, Desman will prepare a deliverable which presents the future parking demand analysis and parking alternatives. The deliverable will include maps and other graphics to illustrate the anticipated future parking conditions within the City of St. Charles under each of the identified scenarios.

Phase III. Strategic Implementation Plan (Ongoing): The objective of Phase III is to develop a strategic implementation plan which outlines specific actions that can serve as an economic development and sustainability tool for downtown development. There is a wide range of potential recommendations—from physical solutions, technology upgrades, code, and policy changes. Based on the preceding analyses, DESMAN will prepare a series of proposed initiatives to address each issue identified. A draft of the Implementation Plan will be presented to City Council Committee prior to adoption. 

Study Area

The Study Area for the Parking Study is generally considered to be Downtown SSA-1A, the thin blue line is the SSA boundary. See map below.