The availability of on-campus parking for students is a hot-button issue at Sinclair Community College every semester, and if history is any indication, it will continue to be a much debated topics at the college.
According to Administrative Lieutenant Scott Fowler, parking has been an ongoing cause of frustration for longer than some may think.
“Keep in mind, I’ve been here for almost 30 years—30 years ago, there was a parking problem,” Fowler said with a laugh.
Fowler’s job description goes well beyond parking duties, including tackling responsibilities such as crime prevention, security at the Learning Centers and Courseview and publishing emergency messages.
While the importance of parking safety is continually stressed, questions remain about the availability of parking and what plans, if any, are being discussed to address the problem.
Extra parking is provided for Sinclair students at Welcome Stadium, but they must take a shuttle to reach the campus. Parking in the gravel lot versus the parking garage, for some, is an easy fix because it is free. Also, after 6 p.m. the meters in the street are free. However, meters are handled by the City of Dayton, not Sinclair.
Fowler said a parking committee is involved in quarterly meetings to discuss new possibilities for closer parking. Yet despite these meetings, Fowler cites funding as having a major chokehold on the development of new parking.
“Is there enough parking? For the most part, I think yes, unless you’re here the first couple weeks of the semester between 9-11 a.m. If you get here early, you have no issue. If you have a class at 10, there’s not enough parking,” Fowler said.
Finding close parking is a concern for students, but for some new enrollees, locating the garage and other parking areas can also be a task in itself.
Lisa Cusick, a 25-year-old student in the respiratory program, admits struggling to discover parking areas when she first came to Sinclair.
“I understand that the garage is quite large, but when you’re in a new environment and already nervous about your first day, parking seems to be an afterthought. Finding a parking spot can take a disastrous turn if you are unsure where to go,” Cusick said.
A parking detail is assigned for the influx of students at the beginning of each semester, which allows for monitoring of the overall flow going in and out of the garage. Although complications may arise, Fowler describes this parking irregularity as a “smooth hectic.”
Fowler also highlights patience as a key to coping with any frustrations, along with understanding that “there is a flow to everything.” As the garage closes, the detail begins directing cars into the next appropriate lot and this transition can be untimely for some.
Fowler said the emphasis is always safeguarding students.
“Our involvement, as far as the department goes, we want to maintain the safety for not only the drivers, but the pedestrians.”
And there are people dedicated to making this happen.
According to Fowler, safety information officers provide “eyes and ears” for the campus, including the garage. In addition, the safety officers will jumpstart malfunctioning vehicles and unlock others for unlucky students. About 200 security cameras also hang at different locations throughout the campus, including the garage. The gravel lot is also monitored by security officers.
In the last year, Fowler notes that there have only been “a couple of thefts,” which mostly occur in the garage. Hit and runs do take place within the garage, mainly because the space is so compact.
As for improving parking woes, Cusick said she’d encourage a push to erect a new parking garage on the foundation of Sinclair’s gravel lot. The lot, which is open at the beginning of each semester, closes in the middle of the semester.
Fowler is also willing to listen to any comments or concerns that students may have in regards to parking, and contacting the parking office is another outlet for expressing those opinions.
“I’ll be graduating in the spring, and for the most part, my parking experiences have been pleasant while at Sinclair. However, there is a legitimate concern over parking and I don’t envy Sinclair for having to solve it,” said Cusick.
And so the parking debate continues…
Parking services can be contacted at (937) 512-2397 or by email, parking@sinclair.edu.