MEMPHIS, Tenn. –As the fight between the Greensward and the Memphis Zoo rages on, a local group made some new recommendations for fixing the parking problem.
“I moved to Midtown because this park was here.”
To Karen Casey with the Overton Park Alliance, a Greensward with cars just isn’t really the Greensward.
“If this park turns into a parking lot, it`s going to negatively impact the entire city.”
She told WREG she fears that’s what will happen to Overton Park if visitors to the Memphis Zoo keep parking here.
That’s why her group created some more suggestions, they said will preserve the Greensward while still providing parking for Zoo patrons.
“We have been asking zoo-goers to park on side streets. That they`ve been doing all along. It`s really easy and it`s free.” said Lea Holland with the Overton Park Alliance.
In addition, they’ve also recommended folks park in new spots along North Parkway and that Zoo employees park off site.
“If the employees would park someplace else besides the main lot, that would give us about 100 more spaces,” said Casey.
In a statement, Zoo officials said that during the peak season, their employees already park inside.
As for the rest of the suggestions, the Zoo said they’re nothing new and many have already been taken up.