We, the undersigned, take issue with the re-zoning of West Parking Lot #37 the lot situated between Lenape Hall and the new Athletic Center, and across from the Childrens Center. Before and during construction of the Athletic Center, West Parking was utilized mostly by Lenape Hall residents and commuters. Now that construction has ended, West Parking is more than twice the size it was in September of 2005. The decision to re-zone West Parking and forbid overnight parking will force Lenape residents to find new places to park, with the next closest lot being South Parking Lot #35, between Esopus Hall and the Alumni Soccer Fields. South Parking is smaller than the pre-existing section of West Parking previously available to Lenape Hall residents, and will in no way be able to accommodate those displaced by the re-zoning, in addition to Esopus Hall residents. Lenape and Esopus Hall residents who cannot find a place in South Parking will be forced to seek parking in lots farther from their residence halls.



Currently, the only lots available to resident students are the Bouton Hall, College Hall, Pond Road, and Crispell Hall Lots, as well as the aforementioned South Parking Lot. During the 2005-2006 academic year, the College Hall Lot served a small number of students from College and Shango Halls. Students living in Bliss, Gage, Scudder, and Capen Halls filled up the Pond Road Lot almost as quickly. Overflow from the College Hall Lot would add to residents of Bouton Hall in the Bouton Hall Lot, while students unable to park in the Pond Road Lot would sometimes opt for West Parking, and other times seek a spot in the Crispell Hall Lot, the latter being an exercise in futility as parking places in the Crispell Hall Lot are vied for by all of the Hasbrouck Complex residents. Inevitably, a large number of Hasbrouck Complex residents, along with residents from Bliss, Gage, Scudder, and Capen Halls, would be relegated to the Route 32 Parking Lot across Rt. 32.



Given the pre-existing parking situation, residents forced out of the South Parking Lot by overcrowding will be forced to compete with students living in Bliss, Gage, Scudder, and Capen Halls for a spot in the Pond Road Lot, or with Hasbrouck Complex residents for a spot in the Crispell Hall Lot. With neither of these lots being very likely to have any available places even before the new re-zoning, Lenape and Esopus Hall residents will be forced to park in the Route 32 Lot. No other students will have to walk or drive as far as Lenape and Esopus Hall residents forced to park in Route 32 Parking. This is not only an inconvenience, but a hazard, as more students will be forced to regularly cross Rt. 32.



We feel that the decision to re-zone the West Parking Lot was not unfounded, but overzealous; the existing Elting Main, Middle, and Lower Parking Lots, as well as the supplemental Elting Parking Lot 8A, have been able to handle the load of athletes and fans for all past sporting events. With the addition of the newly constructed Athletic Center, we understand that more parking would be ideal however, it must be kept in mind that the increase in size of the facility does not imply a proportional increase in the need for parking. We suggest the following solution: a partial re-zoning in which the half of the West Parking Lot between the South Road entrance and the Athletic Center is designated Athletic Center Parking Lot, and is zoned "Day-Parking Only", while the remaining half of West Parking between the South Road entrance and Lenape Hall resumes its previous status as available overnight parking. It is our hope that the administration seriously considers this potential compromise.