Parking on-campus has become a major point of concern and frustration among the student body this semester. Students feel that there are not enough parking spots available within a reasonable walking distance from their dorms and classes. The creation of Glenview A & B Residence Halls has consumed approximately 60 spots in the Root Student Parking Lot. With significantly fewer juniors studying abroad this semester as a consequence of the pandemic, there are more students with cars on campus.
Some students have resorted to using various faculty lots and spots. However, most members of Hamilton faculty and staff need to commute to campus each day, and expect spots to be available in their lots when they arrive each morning and during non-business hours. As a result, faculty and staff are also experiencing spot shortages, and students with cars in these lots have received $50 fines. That being said, there are exceptions. Campus Safety allows students to use Root Faculty/Staff Lot, Visitor Lot, and Ferguson/Woollcott Faculty/Staff Lot from Fridays at 5:00 p.m. until Sundays at 11:59 p.m. If students keep their vehicles in these lots after the stated hours, they are subject to a $50 fine and will be towed at the owner’s expense — a cost of at least $180.
With very few available parking spots in convenient locations, especially during the week, the only option left is the parking located in the North and New Lots on Campus Road across from the softball and baseball fields. The lot is about a mile from the Dark side and a twenty minute walk from the Bundy Residence Halls. Additionally, many students feel that it is unclear whether they will face a $25 versus $50 ticket, as well as when their vehicle may be towed.
With the parking crisis drawing so much attention, both the Director of Campus Safety Frank Coots and Student Assembly (SA) have addressed the issue.
Coots made a statement to SA President Saphire Ruiz ’22 and Vice President Eric Santomauro-Stenzel ’24. He explained that he is looking into “opportunities to alleviate the constant challenge of finding parking that does not cause too much inconvenience.” One idea is to use the Old Tennis Courts, which are adjacent to the Field House, as a student parking lot. It is currently used as faculty/staff parking during the business day as well as a space for a Phys Ed. class. Coots explained that to bring this idea into fruition, pavement striping will need to be done and “some event protection for the Phys Ed. class” created, but he says he is already working on this project. He stresses that although North Lot is not convenient to everyone, it is still on campus and is far closer than parking off campus.
Finally, Coots reminded SA that students can submit every ticket to the student-run Appeals Committee for review. The only voting members on the committee are students, and they review each appeal and make the decision on whether a ticket is dismissed or sustained. Coots encourages “each and every student to file an appeal and wait until they receive a determination prior to paying any fine.”
Some students are curious to know where the money paid for a fine goes. Coots explained in his statement that Campus Safety receives none of the money that is collected and that it is all returned into what he described as the “the general fund” of the College.
SA VP Santomauro-Stenzel released his own official statement on the parking issue. He believes that relying on North Lot “is untenable as a long-term solution, and the best solutions require approval and planning from departments beyond Campus Safety.” Additionally, he asserts that the “Hamilton College administration should waive most of the tickets that have already been issued, allow parking on open grass areas (excluding playing areas), and invest in more long-term parking options, among other proposals.”
Santomauro-Stenzel ends by stating that he has “faith in the Residential Life & Safety Committee and the [Student] Assembly to work towards solutions before the weather worsens.” At the SA meeting on Monday, Sept. 13, VP Santomauro-Stenzel made a motion to commit the issue of parking to the SA Residential Life & Safety Committee. This motion passed, meaning that the committee will be responsible for further working on addressing the issue of parking.
