UPTOWN — You might want to double check your spot when looking for parking off Lawrence and Wilson avenues.
Residents and their visitors have some new parking restrictions to adhere to, as zoned parking takes over several blocks in the neighborhood beginning this month. Back in August, two block clubs — the Magnolia-Malden Block Club and Clarendon Park Neighbors Association — voted via an online survey to convert their streets to zoned parking.
The street signs signaling the change are being installed and the Chicago Department of Transportation will be handing out information concerning the changes this week, said Ald. James Cappleman (46th).
The changes will be in effect from 6 p.m.-6 a.m. and began Tuesday. The new parking zone will be No. 1130, Cappleman said.
Eligible residents can buy zoned parking permits for $25 from one of the City Clerk's offices — the closest locations are at City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., or the North Side Office, 5430 W. Gale St.
Residents living close to the zoned areas, but not within them, might qualify for a letter granting them permission to park in the zoned areas.
The 24-hour parking passes will also be available at the Clerk's Office or the 46th Ward Office at 4544 N. Broadway. Residents can pick up three books of 15 passes every 30 days. The books are $8 each, Cappleman said.
The streets affected by the parking changes are:
• Magnolia Avenue between Wilson and Lawrence avenues
• Malden Street between Wilson and Lawrence
• Racine Avenue between Wilson and Lawrence
• Leland Avenue between Malden and Broadway (except where meter parking exists)
• Windsor Avenue between Clarendon Avenue and Sheridan Road
• Sunnyside Avenue between Clarendon and Sheridan
• Agatite Avenue between Clarendon and Sheridan
• Hazel Street between Wilson and Montrose avenues
Last year, the Magnolia-Malden Block Club and Clarendon Park Neighborhood Association voted "overwhelmingly" for the zoned parking, with 73-percent of members in the groups supporting the idea. All of the other neighborhood organizations voted against having zoned parking on their streets, Cappleman said.
"It's always been bad," said Edward Brandenburgh, a resident of one of the blocks that voted for the residential zoned parking. "There really ain't no parking and my wife is handicapped, so it's really bad and it's important for us to find a parking spot near our home."
While residents agree parking is a problem in some portions of the neighborhood, some residents believe the changes on some of the streets will breed a parking war that will affect the neighborhood block-by-block.
"Parking is a pain in the butt everywhere, not just in this neighborhood. I think the neighborhood is changing a lot. A lot of big buildings are being built into small areas. There's only so much space, unfortunately," said Loretta Rode, a member of the Beacon Street Block Club, which voted against the zoned parking at the time.
"It doesn't make sense," she said. "We pay enough as it is and now we're paying for guests."
Residents in the 46th Ward who wish to have zoned parking on their street can download a petition here.
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