The Park Ridge City Council Procedures and Regulations Committee last week unanimously recommended that below-ground level garages be prohibited on new construction in the city.
Juliana Maller, assistant city manager, gave a report detailing possible hazards of underground garages, based on surveys of the Community Development, Public Works and Safety Committees.
The report states that while more open land is a positive result of underground garages, the minuses outweigh the pluses.
According to the report, a major concern is the greater chance of fire from flammable contents in the garage beneath living spaces.
High carbon monoxide levels is another problem that can result from putting a garage beneath a dwelling.
Flooding is also an issue that plagues many city homes that do not have underground garages. The reports indicate that downward sloping driveways allow rainwater to flow toward the garage.
