By Daily Universe Staff
When the Daily Universe first set out to grade the parking at various apartment complexes close to campus, the plan was to see whether landlords were complying with Provo’s parking regulations. However, it quickly became clear that the ordinances are too filled with loopholes to act as a fair measuring stick.
For example, throughout the parking debate many have cited a supposed ordinance that requires landlords to provide enough parking spots for every one of their tenants. In fact, that requirement only applies to complexes whose parking lots were built after Aug. 17, 2004. Obviously, not many complexes in Provo fit into that category.
So, instead of using the city’s regulations as our criteria, The Daily Universe developed its own.
The grades assigned to each of the complexes are based on three basic criteria: availability of parking, condition of the parking lot and, most importantly, what the tenants think of the parking where they live.
Liberty Square
556 N. 400 East
There are only 400 parking passes allotted to the 826 potential residents at Liberty Square apartments, meaning that if the complex is filled to capacity, over 400 people are out of luck.
Many Liberty Square residents are not fans of their parking options.
“I had to pay $30 for an uncovered parking spot for the spring and summer terms,” said Scott Massey, a political science major from Minnesota. “It goes up to $80 for an underground pass in the fall and winter and $60 for an above-ground pass.”
Students who have lived there report that they have waited in line for hours to get a parking permit.
“Why should I have to pay tons of money and stand in line?” said Jaron Elton, a business major from Halladay.
Overall, Liberty Square’s parking lots are in good condition. The stripes for parking spots are well-marked, there are not cracks in the pavement, and the lots are puddle-free. The parking spaces are also large enough to accommodate fairly large vehicles.
In spite of the relatively good conditions, the parking lot lacks in a few areas as well. The driveways are steep and practically call for bumper scrapes and scratches. There are no visitor parking spots available.
DU grade: “D+.” The parking spot-to-resident ratios may be worse at other complexes, but when more than 800 students are vying for a spot, it can create a nightmare scenario. Virtually every student with a car who has lived there complains about the parking circumstances.
Alpine Village
1378 N Freedom Blvd.
With 8 to 9 parking spots for every 10 tenants, Alpine Village residents enjoy a hassle-free parking situation.
Alpine Village opened in Aug. 2007 and thus complies with city code set in 2004 requiring landlords to supply enough parking for every automobile owned by their tenants.
“To my knowledge, only about 7 out of 10 residents bring cars, so there is plenty of parking,” said Roy Walker, Alpine Village manager.
Students register for a free parking pass, and can park in any of the 21 above-ground parking spots or 157 underground parking spots.
“Parking has never been a problem; we’ve never had any complaints,” Walker said.
Lindsay Parcell, a junior from Provo, has lived in Alpine Village since last August. She said she never has to worry about finding a parking spot as a resident of Alpine Village.
“Parking is one of the main reasons why I’m looking to stay here longer,” Parcell said. “I love parking here.”
DU Grade: “A.” Not only is there plenty of parking, but the underground facility is well-lit with a ceiling that is high enough for a bigger vehicle. There are cameras to watch the parking lot, and all the lots are well-paved, well-marked, and sufficiently spacious.
King Henry
1130 N 400 E
According to comments on apartmentratings.com by people who say they have lived at King Henry, residents are frequently forced to park on the street, often resulting in towing and booting.
There are “compact car only” spots in the rear parking area. The parking lots are fairly well-paved, with the exception of a few scattered cracks and gravel areas throughout the lot. Spots are clearly marked and easily-accessible to residents.
Whitney Shepherd, a sophomore from Spanish Fork, has lived in King Henry during spring term, when there are usually enough parking spaces.
“The spots are kind of small; that’s the hardest thing,” Shepherd said. “But I usually don’t have a problem finding a parking spot.”
Chase Bartholomew, a junior from Draper majoring in neuroscience, has lived in King Henry for about five months, and has had a more difficult time with the parking situation, especially last semester.
“The spots are too small and people bang up your car,” Bartholomew said. “There are a million people [parking] in the street because there’s not enough spots here.”
DU Grade: “B-.” The idea of compact car parking sounds good, but the spots are so small that they are useless to anyone without something similar to a two-passenger “Smart Car.” It seems like that space would be better used to create a couple more full parking spots so that students wouldn’t have to park on the street so often.
The Elms
745 N 100 E
The Elms apartment complex has created opinions about the parking situation they have.
“They give more parking passes than there are parking spots available,” said Travis Adams, a PD biology major from Redwood California.
The complex does not have a parking spot for each one of its residents, most likely because it was built in 1979 and is not held to modern parking standards.
The lot itself, however, doesn’t seem to meet the Provo City ordinance requiring that parking lots be well-kept. The striping for the parking spaces overlaps the old striping in areas, and the spots are not clearly marked. The paving has not been maintained since there are several large cracks and potholes that collect water.
DU grade: “C-.” Like most complexes in the area, there aren’t enough parking spots, but residents don’t seem to be as frustrated with the parking situation as they are in other complexes.
Park Place
700 S 460 E
Park Place Apartments has 26 parking spaces for 72 residents, including both underground and outdoor parking. Even though there is only one designated spot for each of the twelve apartments, visitor and open parking compensates for the difference. Management also gives out parking permits to all residents even though there are not enough spaces to accommodate them.
“It is ridiculous,” said Chery Quist, a resident at Park Place. “Most people have to park across the street in the Y lot.”
Overnight parking at Y lots is not allowed and students risk getting ticketed. Also, street parking near Park Place is not allowed, and so students are required to park around the block or further offsite.
DU grade: “D-.” There is a very poor resident-to-parking ratio, heavily deteriorated conditions of the parking facility, poor lighting, and no offsite options.
Leah Wasson, Stephanie Terry, Grant Clark, Todd McMurtrey and McKay Coppins contributed to this report.
Copyright Brigham Young University 27 May 2009
