Scott Whittall
Atmos Energy will tear up Cedar Springs Road from Throckmorton Street to Oak Lawn Avenue to install new gas lines beginning Monday, Aug. 22.
Two lanes of traffic will be closed. All parking on the street will be blocked. Construction should last two weeks.
Cedar Springs Merchants Association President Scott Whittall said five days notice was not enough time to notify customers about the construction.
He contacted City Councilwomen Angela Hunt and Pauline Medrano to ask that the construction be delayed until after Pride, which is Sept. 18. He said his fear is that the work will drag on for a month or more.
He also said that with more notice, the merchants on Cedar Springs would have had time to remind weekday customers who are used to parking in front that there is parking behind the stores and bars. And with more notice, merchants could plan events and specials that would encourage customers to continue shopping on the street during construction.
“The last time we had major construction on the street, they closed the bridge over the tollway for 13 months and four businesses went out of business,” Whittall said.
He wants to be more prepared this time — even if the closure is only for a couple of weeks.
The construction will pass in front of the firehouse and could affect response times if it takes more time to maneuver equipment out of the station and around the construction.
We need to all write Angela Hunt and City Council requesting them to intervene. This could seriously impact the businesses along Cedar Springs, Pride and the Parade and that’s a very big deal that we all should be concerned about.
I have thought for several years that the parade should be moved to a location of Mainstream Dallas. Ms. Hunt has Lower Greenville torn up also. Merchants there are all going broke according to the local news. I would think the City would be happy having entertainment Neighborhoods(easier to patrol). It seems they are doing all they can to disrupt them as possible. Maybe we can have the parade on a Sunday in front of the Mayors Church.
Many thanks Scott for taking action on this!