The Flossmoor School District 161 Board of Education indicated Monday that it does not plan to move forward with a proposed expansion of the parking lot at Western Avenue Elementary School after board members questioned whether the nearly $620,000 project was necessary.
District administrators presented conceptual plans for expanding the school’s north parking lot by 57 spaces, increasing the total number of parking spaces at the campus from 67 to 124. The proposal was brought forward as district officials finalize the scope of summer 2027 renovation projects.
Associate Superintendent of Business Operations Frances LaBella said the expansion was considered because student drop-off and pickup continue to create challenges at the school. The concept would extend the existing parking lot west toward the railroad tracks and require significant site work, including the installation of an underground stormwater detention system.
“Because we’re taking away green space, a big part of this is an underground detention system,” LaBella told the board. She noted that the district would also need to widen the parking lot entrance and exit along Western Avenue to accommodate two-way traffic.
LaBella said the district halted further design work while waiting for guidance from the board.
“The bottom line is just short of $620,000 to increase the parking lot,” she said.
According to estimates prepared by Eriksson Engineering, the project would cost approximately $617,474, with major expenses including storm sewer improvements, pavement work, lighting, engineering and contingency costs.
Board member Cameron Nelson said the Finance Committee had already discussed the proposal and recommended against moving forward at this time.
“If it turns out there’s a lot of community demand for it, we can revisit it later, but it’s a pretty substantial cost for the number of parking spaces we would be adding,” Nelson said. “At $600,000, I would not support the project.”
Nelson said he has not heard significant complaints about parking availability since traffic patterns at the school were changed to a one-way system. Most concerns, he said, have involved drivers adjusting to the new traffic flow rather than a shortage of parking spaces.
“I personally haven’t heard any complaints about number of spaces,” Nelson said.
Board Secretary Ashly Giddens also expressed reservations, saying the district should first determine whether the project is needed before discussing funding.
“I think we need to determine if this project is actually necessary,” Giddens said, noting the district faces other priorities, including future preschool expansion plans and building envelope testing work.
Following the discussion, board members voiced little support for the proposal, effectively ending consideration of the parking lot expansion for now while leaving open the possibility of revisiting the issue if community demand increases.
