Spaces to open in front of Rec next semester
Students will be able to use pass to park
Passes, available inside the Rec Center, will allow students to park for 3 hours.
By Erin Sommer
Wednesday, November 14th, 2007
University students without a yellow permit may find it easier to park in front of the Student Recreation and Fitness Center next semester.
The Parking Commission yesterday approved a proposal by Ray Wittlinger, Olathe senior and student body vice president, to open the row of about 50 parking spaces directly in front of the Rec Center in order to allow students who do not or cannot own a yellow permit to park and use the Center during day time hours.
Wittlinger said that he still needed to work with the Parking Department to finalize details of the plan, but the parking spots would be available by the start of the spring semester.
According to the proposal, students must own a valid University parking permit and can park in front of the Center for a maximum of three hours. Wittlinger said that students can park, go into the Rec Center and take a parking permit, place it on their dashboard and then workout and return the permit when they are done exercising.
“It will be especially beneficial to students who want to use the Rec throughout the day,” Wittlinger said.
Once the plan is implemented, students who own a yellow permit cannot park in those spots between 8 a.m and 4 p.m., when they have access to the rest of the parking lot in front of the Student Recreation and Fitness Center.
Donna Hultine, director of the Parking Department, said that she would buy signs to place at both ends of the row of spaces to inform students with yellow permits that they could not park in that row. She said that signs cost about $100 each.
Hultine also said that she and Wittlinger would review the new parking system near the end of next semester, They will then report to the Parking Commission at its last meeting of the year about how the system worked. She said that at that time the Parking Commission would decide if any changes needed to be made.
“Next semester is an experiment,” Hultine said.
Wittlinger said that Student Senate would promote the new system throughout campus and especially to freshmen. Freshman can benefit the most because they are not allowed to buy yellow permits, and therefore do not have access to the lot in front of the Student Recreation and Fitness Center.
Wittlinger said that he was excited to complete the project, which was one of the platform issues he campaigned on when running for vice president with Hannah Love, Dodge City senior and student body president.
“It is exciting for us to call this a success, while reviewing it to make sure its working,” Wittlinger said. “It’s really exciting for us to be able to work this closely with the Parking Commission to be able to pass this. I can’t wait to see it implemented and see students benefit from it.”
— Edited by Rachael Gray
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