Enduring parking problems: Streets around health department, high school clogged

ROCK FALLS – Neighbors of the Whiteside County Health Department and Rock Falls Township High School have tiring of the parking issues there. Students, employees and clients clog the streets, and sometimes block driveways.

Members of the Rock Falls City Council’s Ordinance and License Committee expressed their frustration Thursday to Whiteside County Health Department administrator Beth Fiorini. So, too, did Mark Searing, city building inspector and affected neighbor.

“Your patrons were parking in front of [neighbors’] driveways,” Searing said.

The health department doesn’t have enough spaces in its parking lots to handle all of its clients and employees. Fiorini said she had sought Rock Falls Mayor David Blanton’s counsel before allowing them to park across the street. She told the committee that supervising where the clients parked isn’t her responsibility.

However, Searing pointed out the health department is violating a city-mandated parking space requirement because it’s 130 spaces short. But Fiorini said the city has known that for some time.

If clients and employees aren’t properly parked, she said there’s only one thing to do.

“I say, give them a ticket,” Fiorini said.

Rock Falls Police Chief Michael Kuelper said five tickets for blocking have been issued recently, along with 12 others for snow route violations.

A temporary solution was raised Thursday. Though not a committee member, city Clerk Bill Wescott wondered whether the high school’s football parking lot, just off Prophetstown Road, could be used. Wescott estimated it could accommodate 500 to 600 cars.

“That should open up parking,” he said.

Rock Falls Township High School board President Harold Wagner didn’t dislike the idea. However, Wagner seemed to believe it would be a wasted effort. He said many students don’t use a school parking lot that’s already available and closer to the building.

“I don’t think they’d park over there and walk over (down Prophetstown Road and then a side street),” Wagner said.

Wagner conceded students add to the congestion.

The health department’s growth prompted the parking issue. Transforming the city’s former water and sewer site into a parking lot has been tapped as a possible solution. However, that’s not slated to become reality for another 2 or 3 years.