Alumni save Broughton High's lawn

School officials surprised by spirited opposition to parking plan

RALEIGH -- Broughton High School's front lawn is more than just green grass to alumni. It's a "sacred expanse" and an "icon" equivalent to the Mona Lisa.

Those were some of the emotional phrases invoked by the school's influential alumni on Tuesday as they persuaded the Raleigh Planning Commission to reject a plan to turn the tiered lawn into a parking lot. They beat down arguments from school officials and parents who said the additional parking is needed to give students and traffic some relief.

"Protect the integrity of this building," said Harold Tharrington, an alumnus and retired founding partner of the law firm of Tharrington Smith. "It's worth it. It's the right thing to do."

William Berryhill Jr., another alumnus and retired U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of North Carolina, said paving over the front lawn would be like spray painting graffiti on the Mona Lisa.

"It's unthinkable to pave over the front lawn for a parking lot," Berryhill said.

In the aftermath of the planning commission's 6-3 vote rejecting the parking plan, Wake County school officials said they haven't decided whether they'll appeal to the Raleigh City Council, which would have final say.

The fierce opposition to the plan surprised school officials, who had expected easy approval and additional parking ready by October.

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's at odds with the boxy school designs of today.

Located on St. Mary's Street near Cameron Village, Broughton, like many older high schools, has less parking than newer campuses. While the standard for new Wake high schools is 797 spaces for students, staff and visitors, Broughton has 273 spaces; the plan to pave over the lawn would add 126, camouflaged by streetscaping.

The lack of on-campus parking for Broughton's 2,200 students means many students pay up to $400 a year to use off-campus parking lots. The school district charges $170 a year for parking.

School officials say they are trying to replace parking spaces that have been lost on campus and surrounding streets.

"We really need to have more parking on campus," said Maggie Turner, 16, a junior, who pays $300 a year to use an off-campus lot across from Broughton.

Other students get to school very early in the morning to find street parking or a spot in a free, first-come, first-serve gravel lot behind the school.

The Planning Commission delayed taking action last month, asking the school district to consider other options.

School officials said Tuesday that alternatives such as using nearby Fletcher Park wouldn't provide enough spaces. They also said they were worried about the safety hazards of creating additional parking that would require students to cross the street.

Two dozen Broughton alumni showed up at Tuesday's hearing to oppose the project. They recognized the need for more space, but favored building a parking deck over paving the lawn.

Tharrington, one of the leaders of the alumni opposition, said some areas aren't meant to have cars. For instance, he said, you wouldn't pave over the Bell Tower at N.C. State University to get more parking.

"This building is an icon," he said. "There aren't many icons in Raleigh."

A few parents also attended the hearing to voice support for the parking lot.

"The fact that it's a school, unfortunately, takes a little bit of precedence over historic preservation," said Susan Leonard, whose daughter is a senior at Broughton.

Bart White, an alumnus and parent of a Broughton student, said the school will be weakened without adequate parking. "The strength of Broughton is not the beauty of the school," White said. "The strength of Broughton is the students of the school."