Beginning in September, seniors who drive to school will have more say in where they choose to park.
Construction for another student parking lot began the week after graduation in June. The idea for the new lot went hand-in-hand with the field project, which included the installation of stadium lights, new bleachers, and new turf.
The estimated cost of the project as a whole was $900,000. The new parking lot, which meets Americans with Disabilities Act regulations, was originally calculated to cost $120,000 of the budget. The lot also includes lighting for security purposes.
The School Board and the Superintendent liked the thought of having another parking lot to serve as student parking and overflow parking for school events.
“We expect to see an increase in the attendance of games at the school, so the new lot would not only increase the amount of student parking, but also provide those who come to the games with more parking,” stated Administrative Vice Principal Ralph Crame.
The entrance to the new parking lot is connected to the existing driveway and staff parking
area near the Scots Gym.
With 44 spaces, the new lot is less than half the size of the original senior lot, which has over 100 spaces.
“Adding a parking lot will keep cars off of the street, which means that the neighbors will be happier,” added Crame.
Permits for both lots sold for $100. Only seniors were able to buy permits the first few days they were issued. Once that window had passed, juniors were able to buy permits for any remaining spots.
Permit sales for the senior lot began during lunch on Sept. 6 and were made only available to seniors until Sept. 11.
By Sept. 7, all of the permits for the senior lot had been sold to seniors. Therefore, no juniors were permitted to park there.
A specific datefor when permits for the new lot will be sold could not be released by press time, but they are expected to come within the next week.
Once the new lot is officially approved, permits can go on sale. However, unlike the senior lot, any student with a driver’s license may park in the new lot.
Purchased permits may only be used for one lot. If a student buys a permit for the original senior lot, he or she can only park there. The same rule applies for those who buy a permit for the new lot.
This year, the red permits are for the senior lot and blue permits are for the new lot.
Despite the option to park in the newly constructed lot, many students will continue to park in the original parking lot and various other locations including the Tongan Church, Chula Vista Drive, and El Verano Way.
“I’m still going to park in the church parking lot because it’s free,” commented senior Josh Yolland.
“I’m going to continue to park in the senior lot because it is closer to where I live and it is easier to access,” added senior Laura VanArsdel.
In order for construction to begin on the new lot, the existing discus area for track and field had to be relocated.
Track and field team member Mindy Yang is excited about the relocated discus area for the upcoming season.
“The old discus place was always uneven and muddy,” stated Yang.
