Hay Merchant and Hyde Park Neighbors Struggle to Find Montrose Parking Compromise

Members of the Hyde Park Civic Association are disgruntled over what the opening of Underbelly and Hay Merchant have done to the serenity and street parking situation of their neighborhood, and plan to protest Hay Merchant's new on-street valet parking zone. Of course, the owners of Hay Merchant, Bobby Heugel and Kevin Floyd, have been some of the city's most vocal advocates for more community-minded parking regulations through their non-profit OKRA, proving that irony is not dead.

In response to the original blog post at Eating Our Words describing the struggle between the bar and Hyde Park residents, Heugel sent in a lengthy email to state that the proposed valet zone would actually be a move to meet city requirements and that valeted cars would not be parked on public streets. He and his co-owner also "spend more money on rent at Anvil [their other bar] for parking lots - THREE OF THEM - than [they] do for the actual building." While he was at it, Heugel also called out EOW for "sensationalist" journalism. The cluster that is Montrose parking once again leaves destruction in its wake.

· Some Members of the Hyde Park Civic Association Don't Like Their New Neighbors, Underbelly and Hay Merchant [EOW]
· All Parking Wars Coverage on Eater Houston [EHOU]