Minnetonka High parking: A tree-saver

Student parkers, tennis players and trees are the winners in an $835,000 plan to ease the parking crunch at Minnetonka High School.

The plan, if approved Monday by the Minnetonka City Council, would add 159 parking spots for students -- boosting capacity by nearly a third -- by resurfacing and painting stripes on seven old tennis courts. Eight new courts would be built on the campus' lower level by relocating shot put and discus fields.

And no trees would be cut down. Last summer the city nixed the school's intention to make way for 102 more parking spaces by cutting down trees on campus.

The extra parking would bring total spaces to about 660, similar to Hopkins High School but considerably less than at Eden Prairie and Wayzata high schools, said Paul Bourgeois, executive director of finance and operations for the Minnetonka School District.

The additional spaces will ease the crunch and accommodate most junior and seniors willing to carpool, he said. "Will every single student who wants to get a parking permit get a permit because of these spots? Probably not."

The project's cost includes $147,800 to resurface the old courts for parking, $384,200 to build eight new courts, and $303,100 for a new storm water drainage system for the 95-acre campus, according to the school district.

Student parking fees will be $300 a semester, with a possible cost break for those parking on the lower level near the sports dome, Bourgeois said.

In discussions thus far, city and school officials have not grappled with reducing the parking demand. Students who park on campus are required to have at least one rider.

"I remember being a junior and senior in high school," said Council Member Brad Wiersum. "It's much cooler to drive than not drive."

Council Member Tony Wagner said, "Although I think we would all like to see less traffic going to the high school, the reality is that people are going to drive their cars."

High School Principal Dave Adney said he would not favor telling students that they could not drive. "That's a right of passage for teenagers" that helps them learn responsibility for their schedule, their cars and their carpool riders, he said.

A perilous curve

Wiersum suggested posting crossing guards to protect students. "One day a kid is going to get killed," Wiersum said. "Let's not stick our heads in the sand and act like we are not going to have parking on Delton."

Mayor Terry Schneider proposed prohibiting parking along 1,000 feet of Delton and suggested drawing attention to a crossing point with flashing lights. He said he wants to make parking changes on Delton a condition of approving the additional campus parking.