May 27, 2008 By Christine Haines 3 min read

CALIFORNIA – California Borough Council is looking into parking options in the community in anticipation of changes in parking at California University of Pennsylvania next year. About 600 parking spaces are going to be eliminated on the Cal U campus when a convocation center is built on the site of the Hamer Hall. According to university officials, construction is set to begin in the fall of 2009, with completion in the fall of 2011. A committee has been formed at the university to address the parking situation, but so far, there are no concrete plans, according to university spokeswoman Angela Burrows.

Borough council is concerned that new parking on campus will not be available at the time the Hamer Hall parking lot closes.

“We are exploring a whole range of options, and no decisions have been made yet,” said Burrows.

One option that concerns borough officials is the possibility that students will have to pay for parking on campus, making parking spaces in town more attractive, even though they are further from the classrooms.

“It is under consideration. A parking fee is being discussed as a possibility,” Burrows said.

The potential of future parking problems was the topic of a borough council work session following a special meeting May 14.

Councilwoman Vicki Gallo has been researching how other Pennsylvania college towns handle parking so students don’t block residents out of their own homes. Gallo noted that West Chester University has passed a parking ordinance with zoned permit parking with guest passes for visitors.

“Noise, parties, parking, all require enforcement. Without enforcement a law doesn’t mean a thing,” said council President Jon Bittner.

Mayor Casey Durdines said a policy similar to the one in West Chester already has been suggested for California by a parking consultant for the university.

“The way the borough sits right now, I don’t think we’re equipped to handle this or enforce it,” Durdines said. “One officer is not going to be able to take care of parking all over town. I would suggest hiring at least two non-officers to enforce parking.”

Councilwoman Shelly Roberts said the parking permits are not necessarily the solution for California.

“Nothing is set in stone. We’re just getting ideas. Once that shovel goes in the ground, we’re going to have problems,” Roberts said.

“Honestly, I don’t know that the students are going to refuse to pay for parking. They know if they park in town, they’re going to get booted,” Durdines said, referring to the borough’s policy of immobilizing vehicles with a boot if their owners fail to pay repeated parking tickets.

“I want you guys to think about it because in ’09 we’re going to get hit hard,” Gallo said. “Every university has restrictions on who can park where on their campus, but the communities don’t have those restrictions.”

“The university needs to be part of the planning because they’re part of the problem,” said Councilwoman Sheila Chambers.