Council Tackles CBD Parking Issue

Appointment of a committee to study and make recommendations on the need for a revision of the parking requirements in the Central Business District was approved by the City Council last night. Upon the recommendation of Mayor Cecil O. Creal, the council approved the naming of Fourth Ward Councilman Richard G. Walterhouse, Third Ward Councilman Paul H. Johnson and First Ward Councilwoman Eunice L. Burns to the committee. The council waived the regulation that appointments must "lay on the table" for at least one week before final approval is given. Mrs. Burns requested the immediate appointments because she said the University was anxious to get to the study as quickly as possible. The study will be made jointly by the council, the University and the Chamber of Commerce with each body paying one-third of the cost. Of main concern at present is the provision which allows the construction of apartment houses in the CBD without requiring off-street parking facilities. Creal noted, in a communication to the council, "While I am naming only council members to this committee, it would be my hope that our city administrator, Guy C. Larcom Jr., will be kept fully aware of all progress and his desires and recommendations be known." The committee was, at last week's meeting, asked to report on its progress within a month. The mayor also recommended the appointment of members to two other special committees. which will (1) study the revision of ward boundaries and (2) advise the council on the best method of acquiring park land. These appointments will be acted upon by the council next week. Recommended for the ward boundary committee were First Ward Councilman John D. Teachout, Second Ward Councilman William E. Bandemer, Third Ward Councilman Robert P. Weeks and Fifth Ward Councilman Bent F. Nielsen. Teachout and Weeks are Democrats while Bandemer and Nielsen are Republicans. The bipartisan committee will work with the city clerk's office to revise ward boundaries to equalize the distribution of voters in the five wards. Councilmen recommended for appointment to the park land acquisition s t u d y committee were Dr. Edward C. Pierce, Fourth Ward, LeRoy A. Cappaert, Fifth Ward, and Weeks. Other members of the committee as suggested by Creal were Larcom, Planning Director Raymond D. Martin, City Controller Lauren J. Jedele, Parks and Recreation Supt. Sheldon Sproull, Natural Resources Committee Chairman Douglas J. Fulton, Harold Groves to represent the real estate business. Richard Manvill of the Chamber of Commerce, Kenneth Copp of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, and two representatives of the League of Women Voters with the names to be presented next week.