NORMAL - The City Council Monday night banned skateboarding in uptown Normal, changed some parking requirements, and rejected a concept plan that would have brought five townhouses to a small Main Street property.

Mayor Chris Koos suggested the skateboard ban "to protect the significant investment" the town has made uptown, including adding wooden benches and decorative concrete, and to avoid the conflict of skateboards and pedestrians.

The ban prohibits skateboarding in an area bordered by Mulberry Street on the north, Fell Avenue on the west, the railroad tracks on the south and Linden Street on the east. The fine will be not less than $25 and not more than $500.

Skateboarders using Constitution Trail will have to carry their skateboards around the roundabout.

Council members split on a proposal to lower the number of parking spaces for apartments in the parking impact zone - an area around the Illinois State University campus. Current code requires one space per bedroom. Town staff recommended lowering that to .75 spaces per bedroom.

Members Chuck Scott and Sonja Reece voted against the decrease. Scott said he wanted more information on how many parking spaces currently exist compared to the number of bedrooms.

The council also lowered the number of parking spaces required for churches from one space per 75 square feet of gross floor area to one space per three seats in the sanctuary. Town planner Mercy Davison said most churches previously got a waiver and are supplying about the same amount of parking as the new code requires.

Developers also may opt for 8-foot-wide parking spaces instead of 9 feet.

In another matter, a concept plan by Bayo Adanri to bring five townhouses to .45 acres at 601½ N. Main St. was rejected by all council members.

"I think it's a pretty nice project, but there's not enough land to do it," said Koos.

Two neighbors also spoke against the project which previously was rejected by the planning commission.