Highland Park Establishes ‘No Parking’ Zones Near SMU

SMU football games can draw huge crowds, depending on the opponent. The Mustangs are scheduled to open their 2013 season by hosting Texas Tech on Aug. 30. (Staff photo: Chris McGathey)

Parking at home can be a hassle for some Highland Park residents when a major event is taking place on the SMU campus. The Town Council hopes to change that with new regulations on street parking that passed last week.

“There has been a lot of time spent on this,” Mayor Joel Williams said. “That said, we may have to come back in a month or two to tweak and fine tune it.”

In the wake of the council’s April 8 meeting, the town’s director of public safety now has authority to install temporary “no parking” signs and issue resident-only parking permits that are good for 168 hours at a time.

“This would be the maximum amount of time used,” town administrator Bill Lindley said.

In addition to the signs and permits, the town will also issue notification letters to residents when a temporary no-parking zone goes up. Two date-specific parking permits will be mailed along with the letter.

The town can also issue additional permits to those who live in the no-parking zone, or for residents’ guests during that time period. Proof of residency will be required.

The permits must be displayed on the rear-view mirror or front dashboard of the guest or resident’s car. Selling permits and removing signs are against the new law, and violators may have their permits revoked.

“This is well-written,” Councilman Will Beecherl said. “It doesn’t fit every case, but no ordinance does.”

College and high school games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, commencement exercises at Moody Coliseum, and funerals or holiday services at Highland Park United Methodist Church are just a few examples of events that are known to cause parking overflow on residential streets.

The April 25 dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center will be no different, especially with President Barack Obama and his four living predecessors expected to attend.

According to town documents, 79 Highland Park homes sit within half a mile of the Bush Center. Even more are within half a mile of Ford Stadium.

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One thought on “Highland Park Establishes ‘No Parking’ Zones Near SMU

  • April 17, 2013 at 9:09 am
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    I wish UP City Council would do the same thing. We can’t get out of our driveway on game day let alone park in front of our house. The small street is so loaded with parked cars I doubt a fire engine could even get through in case of an emergency.

    Reply

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