South lot spaces reduced

By Jaclyn Youngblood     5/14/09 7:00pm

The South Colleges will have to say goodbye to some of their parking lot next year. Project Manager for the South Colleges Renovation Larry Vossler spoke with all the college presidents about the changes in a meeting on April 30.Vossler declined to comment further than what he discussed in the meeting.

Martel College President Sean McBeath said the biggest issue Vossler discussed was that the south colleges residents' lot will be taken up as a road for construction vehicles. McBeath, a Martel College senior, said the meeting didn't provide many definite answers, but rather estimations and proposals for how to deal with the loss of parking spaces in South Lot.

Last year, each college was guaranteed 26 spots, McBeath said. He said next year each college will be guaranteed only 21 spots, according to Vossler.

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McBeath said Vossler did not discuss any final plans for replacing the lost South Lot parking spaces.

"Estimates have been changing in terms of [where] the space is coming from," McBeath said.

One plan Vossler shared with the college presidents was to turn the road in front of Wiess College, between Wiess and the IM fields, into a one-way street with parallel parking in one lane. This would provide approximately 20-30 spots, McBeath said, citing Vossler.

Another option would be to construct a temporary lot, similar to the one next to the Martel Masters' House, between Wiess and the inner loop in Old Wiess field, McBeath said of Vossler's meeting.

McBeath said the biggest general issue the college presidents foresee is trucks driving alongside cars and blocking access to the colleges.

"The real issue has been where the parking is going to be and how much of an inconvenience it's going to place on students who drive," he said.

Since Wiess and Hanszen have other routes for access, they will not be as affected as Sid Richarson College and Lovett College, McBeath said.

According to the Facilities Engineering and Planning Web site, construction preparation for the area near Lovett and Baker College, including fence placement and tree pruning, began May 12.

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