Since June, students have been bombarded with new parking regulations, making parking on or around campus nearly impossible — especially if they plan on leaving their car for more than two hours.
On Thursday, the shock set in as girls returned to their sorority houses to find that the parking spots surrounding Burleson Park had been painted white with “2 hour” written across the curb and signs stating that these rules are in effect Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“The UP police did not even take into consideration our livelihood,” Kayla Klingseisen, a member of Pi Beta Phi, said. “They simply ambushed us with ‘2 hour parking’ signs.”
Burleson Park, often referred to as “sorority park,” is situated along sorority row. Parking was already limited as eight sororities and two Panhellinic houses, each with more than 30 girls living in the house, compete for parking spaces.
“That was the only place many of us living in the [Pi Phi] house had to park,” Elyse Murphy said. “I have no idea what we are going to do during the week now.”
According to city spokesman Steve Mace, the city was responding to years of complaints that there weren’t enough public parking spots surrounding the park.
The girls living in the Pi Beta Phi and Tri Delt houses are most inconvenienced by these new regulations.
“Parking outside of Tri Delt was already bad before they put the two hour parking in,” Alex Carr said.
Though there is a big parking lot on University Boulevard across from the Tri Delt and Kappa Alpha Theta house, parking spaces fill up quickly. There are also a handful of spots outside of the other sorority houses on Daniel Avenue, but students face the same issues on that street too.
“The problem with those lots is that anyone with a resident sticker can park in them,” Carr said.
Mace said that the university is starting construction within the next two weeks to expand the parking lot on University Boulevard.
“There will be an additional 54 spots in the university surface lot, south of Burleson Park, that will be available for students during the spring semester,” Mace said. “The university is fully supported of getting students, faculty and administration parking on campus.”
While finding a spot is currently distressing, many girls also worry about walking to their house at night.
“We are forced to park in the big lot over by Tri Delt and although it may not seem like it, it’s a far walk and can be very scary at night,” Taryn Viole, a member of Pi Phi, said.
Kelsey Adams, also a Pi Phi, echoes Viole’s concern.
“Now we have to walk further in the dark at night and I feel unsafe,” Adams said.
Mace suggests that girls park in Airline garage, which is well lit. And, until the new lot is expanded, residents can park overnight in these spots Monday through Friday, but cars must be moved by 10 a.m to avoid tickets.
*In March, the University Park City Council approved an ordinance to establish a residential parking district that requires residents living with the district to have a parking permit.
