Wood River Bans Parking On ‘Non-Improved’ Surfaces

Wood River City Council Meeting

WOOD RIVER – Vehicle owners in Wood River may face fines for parking on certain surfaces.

At their March 2, 2026 meeting, City Council members unanimously approved an ordinance adding a new section to the City Code “Prohibiting the Parking of Motor Vehicles on Non-Improved Surfaces.”

According to the ordinance, Police Chief Brad Wells reports the city has been “having problems” with people parking motor vehicles on unpaved surfaces within city limits, which has contributed to “drainage and erosion problems, insect and rodent harboring, rutting, and the build-up of stagnant pools,” causing private property damage and a public safety hazard.

Under the ordinance, “non-improved” surfaces include grass, dirt, and mud. “Improved” surfaces must be continuous surfaces made of “concrete, blacktop, gravel, paving stone, or other durable all weather material intended for vehicle use” which remain uninterrupted beneath the entire vehicle parked on the surface.

The ordinance makes it unlawful for any person to park a motor vehicle on a non-improved surface, as any vehicle parked this way will be considered a nuisance. Violating this ordinance carries a fine of $1 to $500, and each day a vehicle continues to be parked on a non-improved surface will be fined as a separate offense.

This comes nearly one year after the Village of Godfrey passed its own yard parking ban, which prohibits motor vehicles from being parked on soft, non-paved organic surfaces for more than two days. The Godfrey ordinance cites similar justifications, including the creation of ruts, water collection, and the harboring of mosquitos and other pests.

A full recording of the March 2, 2026 Wood River City Council meeting is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.

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