By Ryan Johnston
Empty parking spaces in Lot 21 have showed the administration they need some research to determine how certain parking lots should be used.
Complaints have come to the president’s office that Lot 21, which is between Candler Physical Education Center and Scobee Planetarium, was not being used to its full capacity.
“We haven’t had more than three or four calls to the president’s office about that parking lot,” President Robert Zeigler said. “We have heard they were not being used.”
Last semester, Lot 21 also was used by students because of construction and loss of parking spaces. However, this semester, the lot was returned to faculty and staff with the opening of the parking garage.
This campus has surface parking lots for students, but they are unable to park in faculty and staff lots until after 5 p.m., except Lot 22, which will remain for faculty and staff use until 11 p.m.
“Some surface lots for faculty and staff have been underutilized,” he said. “We are still just monitoring. It’s not a huge problem, but we are looking at it.”
During the Academic Council meeting Tuesday, Tim Rockey, dean of continuing education training network, spoke about the use of the lots and the opening of the parking garage.
He said the faculty and staff lots would be surveyed to see how the lots were being used and would give an update in the future.
“It was said that Lot 21 was not being used to its full capacity, but we are slowly getting back to the way things were,” Rockey said.
He also spoke about the parking garage and its success for the beginning of the semester.
“All of the things that were anticipated have not come true,” Rockey said. “Both Dr. Zeigler and I can sleep better because everything is going well.”
Zeigler said he believes the parking garage has worked out fine and the minor problems with the faculty and staff lots would be resolved soon.
“The parking garage has worked out fine,” Zeigler said. “We have had not traffic tie-ups, it is being fully utilized, and it’s doing really, really well. I’m pleased with how the garage has worked.”