The Highland Park town council voted to establish resident-only parking districts in the 3100 and 3200 blocks of Drexel Drive and the 5400 block of Sewanee Avenue on Sept. 1 after hearing from residents who favored and opposed the proposals.
Supporters pleaded their desperation with the parking situation, with causes including increased daily parking by SMU staff and students. Detractors argued the action would not be a comprehensive solution, merely pushing overflowing vehicles onto their already overcrowded streets, such as St. Johns Drive and Cornell Avenue.
In other business, the town:
- Adopted a Fiscal Year 2026-27 Proposed Budget, with revisions, in the amount of $80,564,916, including interfund transfers of $11,240,205.
- Approved setting the Town’s ad valorem tax rate at $0.192042 per $100 of assessed valuation of all taxable property for the 2026 Tax Year.
- Ratified of a property tax increase of $928,303, which is an increase of 4.54% over last year’s adjusted levy and includes $211,900 in revenues generated from new property added to the tax roll.
Mayor Will Beecherl offered a proclamation in recognition of Highland Park High School junior John Caspar Curry for the design, creation, and painting of a beautiful garden-themed mural in the Highland Park Library’s Young Adult area and the Curry Family for the donation of supplies and time for the mural project.
The Town Council Study Session included vigorous discussion of the East Highland Park Access and Circulation Alternatives Study, including the possibility of temporarily closing Knox Street at the Katy Trail to mitigate cut-through traffic and assess the effects on and response from HP residents.
