Parking Lot Project Delayed at St. Charles Library

While new landscaping is under way at the St. Charles Public Library, the parking lot project has temporarily stalled.

Construction on the new 43-space parking lot began in May and was expected to end this month has been delayed due to a few snags, including the discovery of shallow cables that needed to be buried deeper. Merilee Curtis, public information manager for the library, said she does not know when the parking expansion will be completed, but said she’s confident it will be “resolved.”

The expansion was announced in the fall of 2011 to address inadequate parking needs. The library had 104 spaces, but a facility of its size should have 136 spaces.

“People have long told us we needed more parking,” Curtis said.

According to a message from the library on its website, city officials rezoned the block south of the library to CBD2-Mixed Use Business District to permit the library to use neighboring buildings for work areas, storage, and parking.

Coinciding with the parking lot construction, the St. Charles Public Library Foundation will undertake a beautification project. The organization is currently raising funds for the project, which is estimated to cost $18,000, said Robin Soderquist, foundation president.

The organization began raising funds for the landscaping project in May and will continue to seek contributions until the project is fully funded. Soderquist said several generous financial donations have been made which paid for some new trees and shrubbery, but more is needed to complete the plan.

The donor categories include:

• Seed: Up to $50
• Leaf: $51 - $100
• Branch: $101 - $300
• Trunk: $301 - $699
• Tree (specific tree selected from plans):  $700 and up

According to the library website donations of $100 and up will be listed on a recognition plaque near the new parking lot. Donations of under $100 will be recognized on a special “tree” in the Library lobby. Tree donations will be acknowledged with individual donor plates near the trees.

All donations are tax deductible.

Donor cards with envelopes are available in the Library lobby, or will be mailed upon request. For information about the project, contact Diana Brown at 630-584-0076, extension 228.