North Texas Daily

The Editorial Board

There is not enough room for the newly proposed apartment complex on Hickory and Fry streets, where Voertman’s and Subway now stand. City officials and contractors would be misguided and negligent to build the complex in one of the most congested areas in Denton.

Multiple bus stops, off-campus dining options and one-way streets make for an overly hectic section off campus most days.

There is no question, parking has been a disconcerting issue students face Denton-wide.

But with the possibility of developer EdR Collegiate Housing constructing a new apartment building and parking garage in the midst of a beehive of student traffic, this problem will be more pronounced and become uncontrollable.

Tuesday night, Rodney King, the vice president of EdR, addressed residents of Denton and said construction could begin as early as February, should the paperwork be approved by the city.

What was most troubling in King’s argument is that he maintained that EdR’s developments usually alleviate traffic concerns and claimed many students do not have cars.

“[UNT has] a growth plan that is extremely aggressive. I don’t want to sound bold or anything, but development is going to come to satisfy the market need,” King said.

That is false. He just wants to make money, and he’s trying to convince the community that his complex will help the community. King’s perspective on the needs of those at UNT is of a purely business sense and does nothing to alleviate the situation of minimal parking and overcrowding.

To attract more students and not even provide enough parking spaces for those who choose to live there is in fact making the problem worse and a recipe for disaster.

Developers should garner an understanding about the area, realizing Fry Street, just a stone’s throw from Denton staple Voertmans, is already in desperate need of more conveniently-located parking. And they should know by adding what would be another version of the U Centre apartment building does nothing to alleviate the problem – it only makes it worse.

In the case of relocating Voertman’s to an unspecified location and casting a shadow over Big Mike’s Coffee, the situation involves too many negatives for it to proceed without providing any real solutions.

If there is any hope of responsibly handling the growth of the university, the parking situation on and around campus should be handled by the university and city officials before this company invades this high-traffic area.

Apart from the fact Hickory Street is in dire need of repaving from Bonnie Brae to where it meets the Denton Square, adding more cars with frustrated, aimless drivers doesn’t seem to be the solution to overcrowding.

We need parking spaces, not more student housing.

Featured Image: Students walk by Voertman’s on Hickory Street Wednesday afternoon. Meagan Sullivan | Associate Visuals Editor