Construction Begins on Silver Spring Parking Lots

Parking may be a little trickier for those visiting Silver Spring businesses over the next two months, as crews are digging into the first of two municipal parking lots slated for reconstruction this spring.

The reconstruction project, which will remove and replace the existing storm sewer, lighting and pavement in the two parking lots, began yesterday in the north municipal lot behind and . The reconstruction of that lot is expected to be completed near the end of May.

Once the north lot is substantially complete, crews will begin work on the south municipal lot behind . The Winkie's lot is expected to last about four weeks, with a contracted completion date of June 24 for both projects.

The new lots will also feature bioswales to reduce pollution from surface runoff water.

Winkie’s owner John Stuhlmacher said he thinks parking availability should not be a big issue during the project - at least not as bad as it was during the reconstruction of Silver Spring Drive, when street parking was lost and access was limited.

“We’ve practiced for this, but this won’t be the same impact for business as that was,” he said.

Stuhlmacher said Silver Spring storeowners and their employees are parking further away to make more parking spaces available for customers. He said some employees are carpooling, walking and biking to work instead of driving.

“We need to make sure the premium spots aren’t being taken up by employees just because they get there earlier in the morning,” he said.

The construction timeline was set early in the year so the project would be completed before the July 4 holiday and other special summer events in the village.

“With all the events in Whitefish Bay, could you imagine the Sounds of Summer without a parking lot? Or the Fourth of July with no parking lot,” he said. “That would be almost a nightmare.”

Time zones, residential and business permit zone restrictions surrounding the district will be suspended for the vehicles displaced due to the reconstruction of the public parking lots. Other parking rules, such as parking meter enforcement, will remain in place.

The alleys in the business district will also be touched up. All the existing storm sewer, lighting, and pavement in the alleys will be removed and replaced, with just the pavement in the residential alley on Lake View Avenue. Alleys adjacent to the parking lots will be funded through the parking utility, and the reconstruction of the parking lots will be paid through the Tax Incremental Finance District.

The Whitefish Bay Village Board voted unanimously to award the $683,551 construction contract to Vinton Construction, the same contractor that completed the Silver Spring Drive streetscape project.