Residents of Mynders Hall will have less competition for parking spaces in Lot 21 (essentially Alumni Avenue and State Street) this fall thanks to a new parking policy and the closure of West Hall.
Beginning Aug. 20, only residents of the women's dormitory who purchase a Lot 21 parking permit will be allowed to park in the 54 available spaces.
Glenda Barton of residence life said West Hall is not opening for fall semester and will be torn down to make way for a new dormitory.
"Mynders Hall is the most popular female-only building," Barton said. About 137 residents occupy the dorm and its popularity is due to the architecture of the building and its central location on campus.
The parking lot surrounding Mynders Hall is a popular parking spot for staffers of the Administration Building. The staffers will now have to find a new place to park - even if they hold an all-access parking permit.
According to Angela Floyd, manager of parking services, the electronic gate will be adjusted to restrict access only to residents. If an unauthorized vehicle is parked in Lot 21, the owner will receive a parking citation.
Parking services received complaints in the spring and fall semesters from student residents and from some parents about the lack of available parking spaces in Lot 21. Complaints ranged from convenience to safety concerns. Another concern was that residents pay $25 in addition to their regular parking fees for their resident permits, Floyd said.
The Parking and Traffic Committee met on May 1 and made a recommendation to Vice President Charles Lee to restrict access to the lot.
Mark Stansbury, who works as an assistant to President Shirley Raines in the Administration building, said he parked in Lot 21 during the summer months when the dormitory is vacant.
"I'll park in the garage during fall semester," Stansbury said. "It's just for summer."
Karyl Buddington also works in the Administration Building and parks in Lot 21 when she is picking up equipment or supplies.
"I don't park there all day. It's a transient thing," Buddington said.
"This area is safer than the peripheral lots but it's also safer for the girls living in the dorm to park close to where they live," Buddington said.
Ashley Young, a sophomore physical therapy major, said she lived in Mynders Hall for two years beginning in fall of 2005. She said a lack of parking was a problem when she lived in the dorm.
"What I noticed was that the parking lines were so faded that cars were taking up two spaces," Young said. "There was too little space to park because they were over the lines."
Lot 21 has 15 handicapped spaces that will continue to be available for people holding disability permits, Floyd said.
