By Grace Reyes
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
On March 9, an email was sent to all faculty and students that the parking lots adjacent to Tobin Lofts will be closed beginning March 20 for reconstruction and renovation.
However, many students appeared to ignore the situation so construction was delayed until March 23.
“It took three more days to get the cars out of the parking lot because the students did not follow instructions,” John Strybos, associate vice chancellor of facilities operation and construction management, said in a phone interview March 23.
Strybos explained some of the changes that will be made to the parking lot at West Evergreen and Howard Street.
“They will be putting in safety lighting and emergency telephones so that means that the parking lot would have to be restriped and the parking lot be repaved,” Strybos said. “We will be doing some curbs, sidewalks and entrances.”
Strybos said there will be two emergency phones and three light poles with cameras added to the parking lot.
Some of the construction activities will include erosion protection, proper drainage, reconstruction of the curbs and sidewalks and seal coating and restriping to provide better traffic flow.
Most of the crime reports sent to students are vehicle burglary in the Evergreen parking lot so adding lighting should make it safer, Strybos said.
“It’ll be safer for students. There are fair amounts of vehicle theft at night due to insufficient safety lighting,” he said.
Strybos said the new construction of the parking lot will reduce its original number of parking spots by 26 spaces.
The parking lot started off with 97 spaces and is estimated to have 71 spots after the construction is done, and the lot will have no handicapped parking spots.
“We are going to lose some spots so we can add in the lighting,” he said.
Strybos estimates that this project should be done when classes starts in the fall, depending on weather conditions affecting the project.
“Ideally, it should be done sooner, but I can’t control the weather,” he said.
For more information, call Strybos at 210-486-0700.