Bush Library To Re-Think Parking Lots

By BJ Austin

Dallas, TX – The George W. Bush Presidential Center at SMU has to re-think its plan for parking. KERA's BJ Austin University Park neighbors and the Planning and Zoning Commission want alternatives.

The plan to put two presidential library parking lots north of SMU Boulevard, abutting a neighborhood, is not popular with those neighbors.

Kit Case argued against a zoning change that would allow the parking lots.

:08 oc:

Case: I really can't for the life of me understand why this is the only plan the Foundation has submitted and it's the most dangerous to the neighbors.

Who worry about increased traffic, gridlock and overflow parking in front of their homes and driveways.

Jim Harris, with the Bush Foundation, says they considered a lot of things, and the north-end parking lots were the best.

:12 oc: with the neighborhood

Harris: This will work and blend in well, we thought, with the neighborhood and with the building. And additionally was a use that was more attractive with other uses that could go in there, and was more compatible with the neighborhood.

But Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Bob West thought otherwise.

:11 oc: options

West: to make us look at this, and this is all that there is, is probably not good enough (applause) And so I think we need to see a design that gives some options.

West instructed the Bush Foundation to come back with those options in January, when the Commission will take up the zoning change request again.