Ag Village residents annoyed by parking issue
Students who live in Aggie Village feel it is their right to have a parking spot during the year’s events.
Resident John Mulholland is among them.
“We have a right to park in our parking lot when we come home from work during the middle of an event, such as the football game last weekend,” he said. “We pay for these spots, so we deserve them.”
Mulholland has spoken with Parking and Transportation Services, the athletic department, which runs the parking lots during games, and campus police about the problem. Mulholland was told they ticket people parked illegally.
“I went out to the parking lot during halftime, and there were still several cars parked illegally with no tickets on them that I could see,” he said.
Shane Sessions, police enforcement supervisor, said, “We did issue tickets. This problem only happens about two to three times per year during home games. It’s either going to make the residents unhappy or make the people who come up for the events unhappy. Someone is always going to be unhappy.”
Sessions suggested four solutions for the residents. First, they can walk to an event and leave their cars at Aggie Village. Second, they can stay home during the event. Third, residents can go away the weekend of an event. Or fourth, try going to visit a friend, go shopping, or doing something during the time of the event, and come back when it is over.
“It is the nature of our society,” he said. “When you are a citizen of a city and a big event comes into town, such as a fair, carnival, concert, or athletic event, it impacts the residents who live in that city.”
Sessions said this problem is really hard to control.
“Ninety-nine percent of the time it is not a problem,” he said. “It only happens two or three times a year when USU has a big event.”
John Banes, a graduate student and resident of Aggie Village, said he was told he would be ticketed if he parked in the lot for an event if he could not find a resident parking spot in the housing area.
“I understand this problem does not happen that often, but I was angry when I was told that,” he said.
Steve Jenson, director of Housing and Food Services, said he would encourage students to secure their spots during an event.
“I realize that it is pretty hard to justify to residents that they do not get a spot when they have paid for one, he said. “We are still looking for a solution and are open to any solutions.”
Some suggestions attempted in the past were putting up a sign that says “residents only,” or having housing residents serve as parking enforcers during an event.
Neither of these ideas worked, Sessions said.
Other suggestions have been to tow cars or put a boot on cars parked illegally, which the administration won’t allow, he said.
Steve Mecham, chief of police, said, “It’s an issue of public relations. There is a problem, and we are aware of it. There are only five home football games per year, and I think students should plan around them.”
He said he understands the frustrations the residents at Aggie Village have, but the problem is not unique.
“It’s a fact of life. [Football games] are activities that are good for the university,” Mecham said.
He has concerns with the over-selling of parking spots during events.
“We would like to fix this problem, and I think it will help,” he said.
-lindseyp@cc.usu.edu