Parking at Queen of the Rosary Church
Despite the concerted efforts over several years of both our parish and the Elk Grove Village Park District, we have been unable to reach an agreement for shared use of our Queen of the Rosary Church Parking Lot that satisfies the requirements of our respective insurers. As a result, the parking lot at Queen of the Rosary Church may only be used by those attending parish events and liturgies. Violators will have their vehicles towed at the vehicle owner’s expense.
The proximity of our parking lot to the popular Rainbow Falls Water Park has led to significant spillover parking issues. We have tried various measures, such as gating our lot and posting signs indicating “Church Parking Only,” and the Park District has even posted alternate parking locations to mitigate overflow parking in the lot at Queen of the Rosary Church. These measures have unfortunately not resolved the issue.
Key Points:
- Restricted Access: The parking lot will be locked outside of liturgical services and scheduled events to prevent unauthorized use and alleviate wear and tear that could result in costly maintenance. Violators will be towed at owner’s expense.
- Authorized Access: Reciprocal agreements such as those with the Village of Elk Grove and Elk Grove Rotary Club for events like the July 4th Summer Concert, Rotary Fest and Oktoberfest are not affected by the lot closure and will continue to be honored.
- Identification and Monitoring Issues: We do not have the manpower to staff and monitor the lot and so are unable to distinguish between parishioner and non-parishioner vehicles. Therefore, even parishioners will need to obey parking lot hours of operation and vehicles must be moved following liturgies or other authorized events to avoid being locked in or towed.
- Insurance Challenges: Both the parish and the park district are self-insured and have been unable to reconcile liability requirements that are acceptable to both insurers, making it necessary to close the lot to mitigate liability risks.
- Maintenance Burden: Closing the lot places additional burden on Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish to maintain our ability to use our own parking lot. This includes the purchase of gates and signs, contracting with a tow company and hiring staff to control parking for parish events outside of regular liturgies and Holy Days. And while this is not a monetary issue, without a reciprocal agreement in place, the parish also continues to bear the full burden of maintenance and upkeep. Safety and sustainability tasks such as resurfacing, restriping, pothole repair, debris cleanup and the like fall solely on the parish.
Our Commitment:
Our Pastor, Fr. Dan Folwaczny, along with our Operations Director and leadership councils are committed to working with all parties involved to find a resolution that will serve the best interests of both our parish and the greater community. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we navigate these challenges.
How You Can Help:
- Adhere to Parking Lot Restrictions: Please respect the parking lot closure and use alternative parking options when visiting outside of scheduled liturgies, events and parking lot operations.
- Stay Informed: We will keep you updated with any new developments through our parish website, bulletin and eNewsletter.
- Pray for a Resolution: Join us in praying for a fair and equitable resolution that allows us to reopen the parking lot for the benefit of our parish and the greater community.
We understand that this closure may cause inconvenience and we apologize for any disruption this may cause. Thank you for your cooperation and continued support.
Questions? If you have additional questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our parish office by e-mail or telephone at (847) 979-0901. Please note, parish offices are closed Friday through Sunday over the Summer, and not available by phone after 5pm Monday through Thursday.
You may read Fr. Dan’s parking lot update to the parish from June, 2023 for further information.
