In February, the Park Cities YMCA filed plans with the City of University Park to rebuild the current facility, which has caused controversy among the local community, because some residents support the proposed expansion, while others, especially those who live near the Y, think the proposal is too big and do not want to see it happen in its current form.

The UP City Council will be having a public hearing about the proposed expansion project at its meeting at 5 p.m. on Aug. 7 in the City Hall Council Chamber, which, based on prior public hearings about the topic, should draw a packed house.

If the current plans get approved by the UP Council, the Park Cities YMCA will be able to expand its facility to a size of up to 65,000 square feet, which is more than double its current size of about 30,000 square feet. During a meeting toward the beginning of June, the UP Planning and Zoning Commission voted with a 4-to-1 decision to recommend approval of the proposed expansion to the UP City Council.

The Park Cities YMCA's proposal includes a fitness area, two pools, a gymnasium, classroom space and an underground parking garage. Local residents who are against the expansion have expressed concerns, such as traffic and parking problems getting worse in the area near the Y.

West of Preston Neighbors, an organization of households located near the Park Cities YMCA, does not support the expansion proposal in its current form, and has a website, http://westofprestonneighbors.org, which includes links to information about the proposed expansion and expresses the organization's stance on the issue.

"West of Preston Neighbors believes that the Y’s planned expansion to become a 61,768 square foot facility ignores important density, safety and traffic flow issues," according to the website.

To see renderings of the proposal and find out more information about the expansion, click here.