Since the start of the fall semester, the parking lots near Ropp and Bren-Dell Halls have been overflowing with vehicles, leaving students to wonder what has made such a drastic change.
Sophomore pre-physical therapy major, Haylie Lero. Photo taken by Payton Stephens.
Sophomore pre-physical therapy and exercise science major, Haylie Lero, has seen a definite change in the parking spots available since last semester. Last semester Lero resided in Ropp Addition, this semester moving to Ropp Annex, making her familiar with both parking lots on either side of the residence hall.
“In the spring there were a lot of parking spots, even in the back parking lot [parking lot closest to College View Dr.],” said Lero. “Even on the side, I feel like there was always an opening. And now, you can’t even find a parking spot on the street.”
Photo included in email sent by Steve Burrell showing illegal parking by Ropp Hall.
The lack of actual parking spaces has created a whole new problem according to Lero. As early as Monday, Aug. 29, an email from Steve Burrell, Director of Residence Life, was sent to all Ropp Hall residents.
The email stated, “This is a picture of the Ropp Alley – please move your vehicle from the grass to a legal parking spot. These are not parking spaces. Your vehicle is subject to getting a ticket and/or towed.”
With the possibility of being towed or ticketed, many Ropp and Bren-Dell Hall residents tried to conclude what has caused such a drastic change in parking availability for this year.
Lero wonders if the new freshman class has not only brought more vehicles, many of which are clearly housed on the Ropp and Bren-Dell side of campus, but has brought many unregistered vehicles.
“There’s no way that everyone parked in the parking lots right now has their car registered,” said Lero.
Students like Travon Mason, a senior Communication and Media major who spends most of his time at Ropp Hall, have observed parking spaces beginning to open around 5 p.m. on weekdays, leading them to ask whether those residential students are deciding to drive across campus for sports practices or after school jobs, or if it’s really residential students using the parking spaces at all. Some students began to ask if some of the vehicles belonged to commuter students wanting a closer spot to Centennial Hall or even faculty/staff using spaces.
Lero posed a suggestion of creating assigned parking spaces to limit the issue, whatever the true cause may be. She said she would pay more money to have a good, assigned parking spot if it would eliminate the problem, and claims many of her friends have shared the same opinions.
“I would pay extra for a good parking spot at this point. Even if upperclassmen had first priority, it would still be better than this.”
Students like Lero have even debated leaving for jobs off-campus once they find a parking spot because they know there is no guarantee that a spot will still be available when they return.
“I have the parking space right by the Hall Director spot, so I have not gone anywhere all week,” said Lero. “Anytime I have left, which has not been often, one of my friends have drove because they understand I don’t want to give up my parking spot.”
With this academic year being the reopening of the second floor of Ropp Annex, formally known as the main COVID floor, students observed the possibility of this causing a decrease in available parking. During the 2020-2021 academic year, the beginning rise of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., the protocol for university students who tested positive for COVID-19 was to immediately quarantine and isolate. Students unable to return home to quarantine were able to isolate in specific areas of campus, the main being Ropp Annex second floor.
Since the university stopped allowing on campus quarantine/self-isolation during the 2021-2022 academic year, the second floor of Ropp Annex has been vacant. Reopening the former COVID floor opened almost 60 beds, which are now almost completely full.
Steven Heinze, the Buildings and Grounds Operations Manager, said the main reason for the lack of parking is in fact the COVID floor reopening.
“It hasn’t been open for two years,” said Heinze. “If you put two people in each room and they each bring a car you’re going to notice.”
Heinze acknowledges that the parking lots are not huge to begin with, along with the larger size of Ropp Hall and sharing parking with Bren-Dell. With that, he understands the frustration of the limited spaces available. He has not yet received anything from parking enforcement on campus suggesting that commuters have been parking in residential lots.
At this time there are no plans to add additional parking or change parking procedures. It is recommended that students make use of available parking spaces near the Sauder Visual Arts Center on South Spring St. if needed.
