Residents of Chicago’s Near West Side said they thought they were prepared for next week’s Democratic National Convention, which will be held largely at the nearby United Center, but a statement Monday morning changed that mood.

“No parking” signs lined the streets near the McCrory Senior Apartments at the intersection of North Paulina Street and West Washington Boulevard.

“We were at community meetings with the Secret Service and the FBI, people were walking around the neighborhood telling us exactly what was going on,” said resident Marybeth Hughes. “Until we woke up Monday morning and every single spot in the neighborhood was banned from parking.”

She said they have 36 hours to find somewhere to park their cars over the next 10 days. The parking restrictions will begin at 8am on August 14 and last until 8pm on August 25.

“There’s nowhere to park,” said Karin Dawkins, a property manager at the complex. “People can’t walk, we have disabled people, we have people who are cared for by nurses, doctors, therapists and counselors every day.”

Ald. Walter Burnett of Chicago’s 27th District shared those concerns, saying the decision came as a surprise despite several meetings with DNC security and intelligence officials.

“We met … and then all of a sudden – bam! – out of nowhere we get signs saying we can’t park for 10 days,” Burnett said.

The parking restricted areas are outside the safety zones, creating additional confusion for residents rushing to make their arrangements.

“It’s just really frustrating. We’ve done everything we’ve been asked to do and we’ve tried so hard to follow the rules and listen to everything everyone says and now it’s just a surprise and a shock,” Hughes said.

On Tuesday, the Secret Service held its final security briefing before the DNC.

“We know there will be impacts to the community, particularly with regard to traffic and parking,” said Secret Service Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derek Mayer. “But the Secret Service and its partners have done their best to minimize these disruptions by working with community members.”

The Chicago Department of Transportation issued a similar statement to NBC Chicago: “For safety and logistical reasons, some parking on streets outside the security perimeter will be impacted. The city and Secret Service have been working to limit these restrictions and will provide additional information tomorrow and throughout the week.”

Ald. Burnett said they did not know there would be parking restrictions outside the designated safety area until the signs were put up.

“We have never been disturbed in this way,” he said. “We hope they will respect the community… I have disabled people, people with children, this is a big inconvenience, so I hope we can arrange something.”

He said he is working with DNC Security to see if some of the parking restrictions could be relaxed.

As of 9 p.m. Tuesday, the signs were still hanging near the McCrory Senior Apartments.