There is something to say about a neighborhood where people still have block parties and garage sales. Backyards are filled with pine trees, weeping willows, flower gardens and pet rabbits. Residents barbecue outside and visit on their patios.

Most of us have lived here at one time or another.

This street sits behind the Enterprise Bank just off of Sycamore Road. But now, land developers want to shoot a parking lot right through the dead-end, one-block Hollister Avenue to extend the current bank lot.

Residents of the 17-house-street gathered at Monday night’s DeKalb City Council meeting to object the parking lot plans and present a petition against it.

The land developer, Tom Rosenow, owns the bank building and the residential property adjacent to it. He requested from the council a rezoning permit to convert the residential property into commercial property.

Rosenow’s property is located about three houses down the street, thus, Hollister Avenue would no longer be a quiet residential street, but one of hustle and bustle.

Well, as they say, you can’t fight city hall, and what business wants, business gets. But not this time. Hooray for the city and the determination of the residents, because the motion failed.

But residents have not thrown their victory party yet. Rosenow will take his case to court in order to obtain his parking lot.

I drove down Hollister yesterday and visited with a few of the residents who range from 20 to 70 years old, with backgrounds of all kinds.

The close-knit neighbors who respect each others wishes and stop to chat when they pass. I cannot imagine what would happen to that quiet street if a bank parking lot is built right smack-dab in the middle of the block. They would no longer have their privately quiet backyards to visit in.

The residents who oppose the lot do so for good reason. It seems to me you have some kind of right to get what you pay for, and these people have paid time and money to live in a neighborhood.

They do not oppose business, industry or development, and they will be the first to acknowledge they live in the midst of it. But what they do oppose is industry less than five feet from their yards.

One home rests less than five feet from the spot where the lot would sit. Hey, what the heck? Would you want area residents who were doing their banking to watch you barbecue or water your garden?

Hollister Avenue is a unique place because although it is surrounded by the Sanitary District, park district, Jewel Food Store and Enterprise, you would never know it by being there.

It is engulfed by beautiful trees and the only thing you can hear is the wind rustling through them. Or an occasional passing car.

Residents belive that allowing the lot to be placed on Hollister would be taking away their rights and giving them to someone else. Not only that, they think, what could be next?

Mr. Rosenow cannot understand the “contradiction” of the city. The city says it wants development in DeKalb, and then it turns around and denies him a parking lot.

I think Mr. Rosenow is missing the point. There is a difference between annexing land or developing areas that are not serving much use and taking away from people what they have a right to.

Why do the residents have a right to their peace and quiet? Why can’t Mr. Rosenow do what he wishes with his property? Because when you purchase property you must abide by zoning ordinances.

If you want to build a parking lot, purchase commercial property. Because, after all, if you purchase residential property, that’s what you buy, and that’s what you get.

If there is a parking problem at the bank, it is no one else’s fault but his. After all, he built it.