In The News

Denton Record-Chronicle

City leaders agreed Tuesday to ban on-street parking for one block of Highland Street near UNT after the neighborhood petitioned for the change. Some members of City Council called the one-block parking ban a piecemeal solution to a much larger problem. Several members called for greater study of on-street parking on narrow city streets, particularly near the University of North Texas, Texas Woman’s University and other trouble spots.

City leaders agreed Tuesday to ban on-street parking for one block of Highland Street near UNT after the neighborhood petitioned for the change.

Some members of City Council called the one-block parking ban a piecemeal solution to a much larger problem. Several members called for greater study of on-street parking on narrow city streets, particularly near the University of North Texas, Texas Woman’s University and other trouble spots.

“I’d like to see a comprehensive review of this before something like this comes before us again,” said Mayor Chris Watts. “If we keep doing this, it will create more problems than it solves.”

When school is in session, some students, as well as some faculty and staff members, fill the parking spots on city streets all around the UNT campus, sometimes as far as a half-mile or more away. Cars parked on both sides of the street often impede traffic flow for narrower streets, such as Highland Street.

Property owners along Highland Street used a provision in the city rules to petition for the change in their neighborhood, the city staff said. For the city to consider a petition for a parking ban, each property owner must sign the petition, whether they agree or disagree. At least 60 percent must agree to the ban for the City Council to adopt it.

In their petition, the neighbors described cars parked on both sides of Highland Street day and night. Neighbors can’t see to pull out of their driveway safely, they said. Occasionally, motorists even block driveways when they park. On-street parking also makes it difficult for DCTA buses and fire trucks to maneuver in the area. The neighbors asked for a 24-hour, seven-day-per-week parking ban on both sides of the street.

The city staff studied the parking problem and brought the request to the city’s Traffic Safety Commission. The commission members agreed to recommend a parking ban for the south side of Highland between Bernard Street and IOOF Street.

The ban is expected to go into effect in about two weeks.

Council members Greg Johnson and Kathleen Wazny said the petition demonstrated how frustrated the neighborhood must be to take such drastic steps.

Wazny said she had heard some of the same complaints about problems with on-street parking from firefighters at Station No. 3.

Crews at that station, near Interstate 35E and McCormick Street, respond to calls from UNT and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Johnson urged the city staff to take a broader look at the problem before more petitions come forward.

“There are more sections of this street and other streets like this that have these issues,” Johnson said. “We can expect now to see a rash of these petitions — now that this neighborhood has been successful.”

PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881 and via Twitter at @phwolfeDRC.

IN OTHER ACTION

During its regular meeting Tuesday evening, the Denton City Council also:

Agreed to purchase the property at 301 E. McKinney St. from Denton County for $1 million.

Awarded a 3-year contract for Cityworks software for the utilities departments to Azteca Systems, a sole-source provider, for a maximum of $180,000; for security cameras to Sigma Surveillance for a maximum of $961,809; for cleaning services for downtown streets and sidewalks to Entrust One Facility Services for a maximum of $255,000; for electric substation relay panels to Schwietzer Engineering Laboratories for a maximum of $860,000; for wood grinding services to Thelin Recycling Co. for a maximum of $750,000; for electrician services from C&G Electric for a maximum of $450,000; for employee benefits consulting services to McGriff, Seibels & Williams for a maximum of $145,500.

Agreed to offer $278,325 to DW Carmel LLC for about 6.4 acres for a city park in the 5400 block of Edwards Road.

Approved the annual report from the downtown tax increment fund and appointed new board members to oversee the fund, including Mayor Chris Watts and District 1 council member Kevin Roden, property owners Bob Moses and Virgil Strange, Denton Chamber of Commerce delegates Marty Rivers and Hank Dickenson, and qualified voter Melissa Lenaburg.

Amended the budget to add another $92,850 for planting trees.

Accepted the donation of 13 oil and watercolor prints from the late Martha Robbins.