After months of sitting empty, the former Colorado restaurant now has at least one use-parking.
Following a Student Government Association resolution on Nov. 7, the lot quickly opened up to general parking permits, adding approximately 30 new spaces.
“I was evaluating what SGA has been doing and realized that while there may be no big issues, the little things can make an improvement to student life,” said Mike Cappel, SGA president.
Cappel approached Kathleen Brady, vice president for Facilities Management and Civic Affairs, about the possibility of opening the lot to students. He said she was very receptive of the idea and encouraged him to get an SGA resolution on the matter.
The crux of the issue is that the lot is only temporary, pending the lease of the Colorado building to another restaurant.
Tricia Fechter, Village Apartments senator, believes that the lot has already benefited residents of the Village. “I think it immensely helped our residents. Thirty spots can make a difference,” she said.
Fechter added that she has noticed fewer cars along Laclede Avenue at night. “The street is just less safe and an inconvenience when you have to get up before 8 a.m. to move your car or pay the meter,” she said.
Senior Dave Fischesser said, “When it first opened up, we parked there, and it was very beneficial.”
Amy Buckley, a senior Village resident, noted, “It’s nice that they opened it up, but now all the loading and unloading spots are taken.”
The lot has been added to the regular Department of Public Safety security drive-throughs, said Director of DPS Jack Titone.
He believed the lot has helped the parking situation on the west side of campus, but he wanted to make sure students realize that the handicapped parking spaces are still classified as handicapped. DPS has recently towed several cars parked in those spaces.
While the lot is only temporary, both Cappel and Fechter think the administration is more open to examining the parking situation on that end of campus now.
“It shows the administration that we need more parking,” Fechter said.
Cappel pointed out that at the recent Town Hall Meeting with the President’s Coordinating Council, the administration agreed to get estimates on converting the green space at the corner of Laclede and Vandeventer avenues into parking. He believes the current notion is that parking would be placed around the Trova sculptures, creating approximately 80 new spaces.
“This all shows that a simple resolution by the SGA can provide tangible results to the student body,” Cappel said.
