Visitors to Cosley Zoo are going to get a bit more elbow room.

On Monday the Wheaton City Council approved a plan to expand the parking lot at the free zoo, 1356 N. Gary Ave., by 26 spaces.

“It’s certainly going to make things much easier for our patrons,” said Zoo Director Sue Wahlgren.

The plan calls for adding the spots immediately south of the existing lot. It would increase the number of parking spaces from 54 to 80, and it would double the number of handicapped parking spots to four.

Workers also will install landscaping in the center of the current lot that would collect storm-water runoff.

While the layout of the original parking lot will remain the same, the addition will help with traffic flow, said Rob Sperl, director of planning for the Wheaton Park District, which oversees Cosley Zoo.

“It will be a little more apparent how you’re supposed to maneuver around the parking lot,” he said.

Work is scheduled to begin after summer and finish before winter. It would cost $150,000 to $200,000, which would be paid for by zoo’s nonprofit foundation, Sperl said.

The additional spots will be a welcomed change for visitors, said Wahlgren, the zoo director.

The zoo is a place for leisure — except when dealing with crowded parking lot, she said.

“They start their day out with that aggravation,” Wahlgren said.