Residential students were back from semester break a mere two days when they received an e-mail notification declaring that their once secure Lot D parking spots were to be made available to commuters and faculty/staff.

Stephen Potter, assistant director of the Safety and Security Department, composed the campus-wide e-mail which was sent out on Friday, Jan. 12 around 3 p.m. only a few hours after he and Larry Jacobson of the Physical Plant called a

meeting with Tom Rodgers, director of Campus Life, and presidents of the Student Government Association (SGA) and Resident Student Association (RSA), seniors Steve Moscaritolo and Teddy Jackson, respectively.

Dean of Students Dr. Rick DeJesus participated via telephone since he was off campus during the time.

"The immediate nature of the problem to be solved did not permit involving a wider range of persons, including students, to come up with a temporary solution for the semester," DeJesus said.

Potter confirmed that no student input was gathered prior to making the final decision because officials had to act quickly.

Decision makers did not discuss the parking proposal with the Fisher community, especially those who held Lot D permits, because of the need to act at once.

Commuter students had complained in past semesters about the lack of sufficient parking, but DeJesus said since the poor conditions of the overflow parking worsened on the first day of classes, there wasn't time for commuter student complaints.

The change was made without any recent complaints from commuters but the College knew the shift still had to occur.

Per the campus-wide e-mail, residential students who held passes for Lot D could park there on weekends from Friday at 4 p.m. until Sunday at midnight, but they were instructed to move their vehicles to Park & Ride by Jan. 16 at midnight.

Several resident students were infuriated and wondered why the College hadn't realized this problem sooner.

"Last semester we had set up a temporary parking lot to accommodate the overflow commuter parking," Potter said.

"However, the wet weather in December and early January caused the condition of this temporary lot to worsen. It was also at this time that we realized that commuter parking overflow problems were continuing from the fall semester and based on the amount of cars in the overflow area I estimated that we needed nearly 100 additional spaces for our commuter students." 

DeJesus agreed that the abrupt change in parking was a response to weather conditions and on the first day of classes,

Thursday, Jan. 11, it became evident that something had to be done.

Moscaritolo said he and Jackson were made aware of the parking concern and need to act immediately when they were called in to the meeting on Friday.

"We provided input from the student perspective, and Teddy [Jackson] made sure the current Lot D permits could at least have it on the weekends," Moscaritolo said. "I know it is hard and it is inconvenient, but everyone needs to understand that it is the only choice the school had, and they made it."

 Jackson added that he and Moscaritolo were told that Fisher security had informed the town of Pittsford sometime last year that the area next to lots A and B would be temporarily used by commuters.

"Apparently commuters had been parking there too long and security was asked to have those cars moved. It was explained to us that there really was no other option," Jackson said.

Potter's notice included a message from student leadership that invited the concerned population to an emergency SGA Assembly meeting Monday, Jan. 15 in the COP conference room.

 Having held parking permits for the entire fall semester, the majority of attendees were residential students. They readily piled in to the room appearing frustrated and confused by the abrupt decision.

Commuter Council representatives were not in attendance.
Throughout the course of the meeting, Potter was hit with numerous questions and concerns. He acknowledged the attendees' concerns, but continued to assure them that the shift had to come about in order to resolve the parking predicament promptly.

Students asked why their opinion was not sought and the general consensus considered the rapid change senseless.

Resident students voiced that they felt disrespected. The point was also argued that residents pay to live on campus; therefore, they should at least have the benefit of parking closer to their dorm buildings.

Potter held that the College refuses to favor either the residents or the commuters but that what it comes down to is, "residents don't have a far walk to class."

"The way I see it, commuter students have to have their cars to get here and to access them parking has to be available on campus," Potter said. "Commuters needs are different."

Potter maintained that since commuters travel from elsewhere, they shouldn't have to leave their homes an hour early to get to class.

Mitch LaClair is a senior commuter who has grown used to the parking problems and long walks to class.

"You drive a half-hour to school trying to get to class on time, traffic is terrible and weather really sets you back on schedule. You arrive at Fisher to find that every space is taken," LaClair said.

 "The move in parking definitely was a very long battle so I'm sure that many [commuters] will be happy to have real spots, but it is still not a very good thing to do to the residents without a notification," Shannon Prince, Secretary of Commuter Council, said.

Sophomore Matt Petrosino, the creator of a 153-resident-student-signed petition against the new parking plan, felt he was "kicked out" of his parking spot. He retorted against Potter's justification when he said that although he lives on campus he still has places to be. 

Petrosino has traveled off campus either to volunteer for his First Generation scholarship or to work to maintain tuition payments. He said that since he has to park his car in Park and Ride he will have to do exactly what Potter wanted to keep the commuters from doing.

Petrosino will now adjust his schedule and leave campus even earlier than he did while parking in Lot D so he makes it to his destinations on time.

Other residents questioned the safety of Park & Ride, and one student pointed out that there isn't an emergency blue light in the lot.

"Last fall we had six vehicles broken into in Park & Ride. We also had four vehicles broken into in Lot A/B and the overflow lot at the main entrance," Potter said. "During this same time period, numerous car break-ins were reported throughout the area including at Nazareth College and through the combined efforts of the Monroe County Sheriffs

Office (MCSO), Nazareth College and SJFC Security, several suspects were identified and arrested.  Since their arrest there have been no reported incidents on our campus.  We continue to give special attention to all of our lots with increase patrols in Park & Ride.  Additionally, the MCSO, East Rochester Police and N.Y. State Police patrol the lot on occasion."

While at the meeting, residents learned that spots were available in the Murphy Hall lot so they requested parking permits for that section instead of Park & Ride. At this point, 30 passes have been handed out.

Attendees offered other solutions to the parking pickle such as offering Lot D permits to residents and designating Lots A/B and C to be commuter lots. Park & Ride would then become overflow.

"Mr. Potter and I attended the special SGA Assembly meeting to listen to student concerns and suggestions," DeJesus said. "SGA Assembly is putting all the suggestions together for consideration by the College administration and, to the degree feasible, the College will act on those suggestions that can help address the situation."

The College has already retained a consultant to examine options and recommend solutions for the parking problems.

Cost, location, and zoning regulations must all be balanced in formulating a long-term solution, which will hopefully satisfy the Fisher community and put an end to parking problems once and for all.

"I know that the problems with parking upset many persons," DeJesus said.  "I regret that students are inconvenienced by the change but I assure you that the College will try to respond as best it can both in the short term as well as the long term."