Residents thanked University Park for its support, and asked the city to do more to protect renters and ensure the safety of children crossing Hillcrest Avenue at the city council’s Oct. 7 meeting.
During public comments, Rosedale Avenue property owner Matt Dixon thanked council members for their responsiveness to a petition from Rosedale residents last fall.
After the city opened Rosedale Avenue between Snider Plaza and Dickens Avenue to two-way traffic in October 2024, residents concerned about the lack of notice, traffic, and safety asked the city to reverse the change.
The city council repealed the ordinance at its Dec. 17 meeting.
“We really appreciate the responsive of the city council to that,” Dixon said. He also thanked the University Park Police Department for its commitment to the community.
Resident Stefani McMurrey-Watters, who said she has rented more than a dozen homes in the Park Cities over the last decade, urged the council to impose stronger oversight and accountability in rental housing.
McMurrey-Watters said she has encountered dangerous and unlawful conditions in rental properties. Other cities, she continued, require annual inspections of rental properties, mandate landlord education on the requirements of state law, and issue certificates of occupancy before properties are rented.
She asked University Park to adopt similar measures.
“If we demand training, inspection, and certification for a restaurant that serves food, we should absolutely require the same for a property that serves as someone’s home,” she said.
Parent Nina Byrd asked the city council to provide a safer way across Hillcrest Avenue for children who need to traverse the busy street while walking to University Park Elementary School.
Byrd told the council that parents whose children need to cross Hillcrest to reach the school have “horror stories” about drivers who didn’t see their youngsters. She said she had 70 signatures so far on a petition advocating for a change.
She suggested the city to consider adding a pedestrian crosswalk between Amherst Avenue and Purdue Street. Alternatively, the city could add a second crossing guard at the intersection of Lovers Lane and Hillcrest Avenue.
Also during the meeting, the city council:
Renewed a contract with SYB Construction Company for work on University Park’s mile per year program. The program’s goal is to replace a mile of water lines, wastewater lines, and alley pavement annually.
Authorized an agreement for contract Emergency Communications Specialists. The additional short-term staff members will relieve pressure on the city’s Emergency Communications Center, which has not been fully staffed since March 2023 due to a lack of qualified applicants.