Panel backs plan to pave lawn at Broughton

Raleigh's Comprehensive Planning Committee recommended Wednesday that Broughton High School be allowed to pave most of its front lawn to add up to 100 student parking spaces.

The recommendation is for fewer than the 126 spaces school officials requested and would leave about an acre and a half of grass for the school's lawn. Still, it is a victory for supporters of using the lawn for more student parking, an initiative opposed by a vocal faction of Broughton's alumni.

The Comprehensive Planning Committee is the third city body to weigh in on Broughton's plan to turn its tiered lawn into a parking lot. The plan has received the support of the Raleigh Historic Districts Commission but was rejected last month by the city's Planning Commission.

The Comprehensive Planning Committee, which includes council members Nancy McFarlane, Russ Stephenson and Mary-Ann Baldwin, listened to nearly two hours of discussion Wednesday before making its recommendation.

Betty Parker, director of real estate for the Wake County Public School System, told the committee that Broughton's request wasn't just about parking. She said the additional parking was also needed to improve student safety and the pattern of traffic on campus.

"Although much has been made about parking, it's broader than that," she said.

Located on St. Mary's Street near Cameron Village, Broughton has 273 parking spaces, which is far below the 388 spaces that Raleigh's zoning requirements mandate. Many of Broughton's 2,200 students use off-campus parking lots costing as much as $400 a year.

Opponents of the plan said that Broughton has long had issues with parking and that the school district should exhaust all possible alternatives before desecrating the famed lawn.

Opened in 1929, Broughton is the oldest high school in Raleigh. It has been designated a historic landmark by the city and features a distinct architectural look, similar to a castle, that differs from the boxy school designs of today.

Councilwoman Baldwin said the safety of students mandated that the plan move forward in some form. The committee also recommended that the city look into allowing the Wake County school system to take ownership of nearby Cameron Street to provide Broughton with additional parking spaces.

At one point during the meeting, Baldwin asked Mitch Silver, the city's planning director, how the Historic Districts Commission and the Planning Commission could have such different positions on the same plan.

"We're dealing with the memory of a place, which is not covered in a code," Silver said.

The full City Council is expected to vote on the recommendation during its Tuesday meeting.