The University received its long-awaited traffic impact analysis Wednesday afternoon, and the report indicates that the University should be able to meet parking demands if it builds a 500-car underground garage.
The study, which was completed by David Evans and Associates and JRH Transportation Engineering, says the underground lot will boost on and off-street parking available during game nights to 2,600 spots – 25 more than the 2,575 spots the firm says will be needed.
But only 1,660 of those spots are from off-street parking and 40 are from pay-to-park lots, so the remaining 900 vehicles will be expected to park within one half mile from the arena in the surrounding neighborhood.
That fact perturbs residents of the Fairmount Neighborhood, who are appealing with city planners to have a more public land use permit process.
“This is a broader issue than just the arena,” said John Barofsky, a Fairmount Neighborhood Association member who chairs its subcommittee on the arena.
The committee is appealing a decision that the University doesn’t need more public input to build the arena. An appeal hearing will be held on May 7.
Even if the appeal is won, it won’t necessarily stop the arena from being built, Barofsky said, rather it will allow the community to set guidelines for how the facility is built.
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