Trustees approve parking garage location

RICHMOND, Ind. -- Following months of debate with community members, the IU board of trustees unanimously voted to approve the building of a four-and-a-half story parking garage at the corner of Fess and Atwater avenues. \nThe measure, which would create 575 parking spaces on the southwest portion of the campus, was originally scheduled to be voted on during the September trustee meeting, but the vote was delayed after opposition from the community arose. \n"We had a full and fair hearing on this," said Patrick Shoulders, vice president of the trustees. "(IU officials) stated their case very well, laying out the need that we will still be thousands of parking places short. We heard from the public, and it was a real difficult decision for all of us."\nMany residents of the surrounding neighborhood said they were concerned the construction of the parking garage would increase traffic, pollution and would diminish the value of the community. \n"By degrading the quality of the neighborhood to the south, the University hurts itself because that area is important in helping to recruit and retain faculty," said Elm Heights resident and IU law professor Robert Fischman. "IU generally cannot outbid peer schools for faculty, but can offer quality of life advantages, such as an adjacent attractive neighborhood for raising a family, that other schools do not have."\nAfter the vote was delayed almost two months ago, IU officials participated in several meetings with community residents to hear their complaints. \nElm Heights Association President Jenny Southern said she had met with IU officials twice to discuss the situation. She said a little progress came from the discussions, as the officials agreed to add an extra entrance into the garage to lessen the amount of traffic on Fess Avenue and put in a parking operations building in the complex. \n"We realized trying to dissuade IU from deciding to do something they needed is almost impossible," Southern said. "We just wanted to discuss some alternatives and let them know that we noticed."\nShe also said she was appeased by the fact that IU Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Terry Clapacs reassured them that it is not likely another garage will be built in the area for the next 20 years. She said if another garage were to be built near the neighborhood, there would be much more backlash from the community. \nOthers requested the University to look at alternative options for transportation that would be cheaper and safer for the environment. Buff Brown, transportation planner for the Office of Air Quality in the State Department of Environmental Management, said the University should look at accommodating more bike usage and offering free city transit to faculty and staff. \n"There are many, many things our University can do that they haven't done," Brown said. "Universities all over the nation are doing these things, and we are sitting behind the eight ball with regards to parking." \nDespite the concerns surrounding the proposal, the trustees argued the parking garage is necessary to solve the University's current and future parking problems. \nTrustee President Stephen Ferguson said when the Multi-Disciplinary Science Building I is constructed, the parking will be needed to accommodate the large number of faculty and staff that will be working there.\nWhile approving the measure by saying the University simply cannot turn back the large number of faculty and staff that live outside the county, trustee William Cast suggested the board further study parking and traffic issues.\n"Many issues brought forward by those who regret the addition of parking in that location that will survive the new garage such as pollution, congestion, access to the garage, walking, bicycles and energy policy should not be laid aside," Cast said. "They call for revisiting the campus master plan"