Arlington officials balk at idea of parking lots west of Cowboys Stadium

ARLINGTON — Several Arlington City Council members say they are reluctant to see about 15 acres west of the Dallas Cowboys stadium developed into commercial parking lots for the team.

Although the team hasn’t officially approached the city about adding the land to the sports complex, city staff members discussed the possibility with council members in a closed-door session. Questioned later by the Star-Telegram, some council members said they would rather see the area redeveloped.

If the property, which has a combined assessed value of $4 million, were to become part of the city-owned sports complex, it would be removed from the tax rolls.

The 183 Land Corporation, a Jerry Jones family firm, own 22 parcels on Web and Slaughter streets and Randol Mill Road.

"I don’t think we envisioned the Cowboys stadium with acres and acres of concrete parking around it," said Councilwoman Lana Wolff, who represents east-central Arlington. "We see opportunities for new development."

Councilman Mel LeBlanc, who represents north Arlington where the land is located, said he is opposed to creating more parking west of Collins Street.

"There is going to be plenty of parking on the south side of the stadium," LeBlanc said. "Why they need that particular spot for parking is beyond me."

In February, team officials told the Star-Telegram they were buying the land for parking.

But zoning rules adopted in November for the entertainment district prohibit demolishing buildings to put in parking lots.

The Cowboys would need to get the support of at least five Council members to make the land part of the stadium complex.

The team also has the option of retaining ownership of the land and requesting that the Council rezone it for parking lots.

The stadium is expected to need close to 28,000 spaces for a typical game day and 30,000 for large events such as the Super Bowl, deputy city manager Trey Yelverton said.

The new stadium site is expected to have between 11,000 and 12,000 parking spaces. Fans could have access to another 11,500 spaces if a shared parking agreement is worked out with the Texas Rangers. So, the team would need about 6,500 to 7,500 additional spaces at peak times.

Councilman Robert Rivera, however, said he supports additional parking because of the potential for economic development in and around the entertainment district.

"Whenever you are talking about thousands of people coming to mega events, it requires parking," said Rivera, who represents southeast Arlington. "People aren’t walking to these events so we need to plan appropriately."

Mayor Robert Cluck said for now he is neutral on the anticipated parking lot proposal but he does have concerns about putting so much parking near homes.

"I understand their needs but there is also a neighborhood. That’s a negative for me," Cluck said. "It would be tough to have a home and a parking lot next to it."