By Tiffany Tarwater
Jimmy and Deanna Whetsell are slated to become neighbors of a brand new parking lot, courtesy of MSU.
The Whetsells bought their home at 2525 Hampstead Lane, next door to the Biology House in 2001.
“We always wanted to live in a college town,” said Mrs. Whetsell. “We chose to live near a campus. We didn’t know we would be living on campus.”
While not technically true, it may seem that way in a couple of years when both the Biology House and MSU police station are razed to make room for 130 commuter parking slots.
In February, the Board of Regents gave the nod to a master plan that includes tearing down both structures.
The Whetsells are familiar with the parking situation. Their daughter, Kourtney, a business major, parks in their circular driveway and walks to classes.
Despite MSU’s parking woes, the Whetsells wish a parking lot didn’t have to go up next door to their property. The couple is concerned that the location of the concrete lot will alter the lush appearance of the neighborhood.
Instead, Mrs. Whetsell would like to see MSU reserve the land as a green space.
“Make it a park,” she said. “Put some benches there for students who have a couple hours to study. Keep the green, keep the trees, and keep the feel of the neighborhood.”
One member of the Board of Regents agrees with her.
Regent Sam Sanchez opposed the plan at the BOR’s February meeting.
“It seems like we’re cutting out a lot of the green space on campus, which is part of the charm of the university,” Sanchez remarked.
“We understand that MSU needs more parking, but there are better alternatives,” said Whetsell. The Whetsells would prefer a parking garage as a viable option, if it was centrally located to campus.
“I would be willing to buy a parking decal to donate to the idea of a parking garage,” said Mrs. Whetsell. “I would pay $50 for my daughter to have covered parking on campus.”
That appears unlikely, however.
For now, it remains a few years down the road.
Demolition of the campus police station can’t move forward until a new station is built at the location of the current Martin Building. Kyle Owen, associate vice president of Facilities Services, said funds to design the station will not be available until the 2014 fiscal year. The project is expected to cost approximately $500,000.
Owen said he doesn’t anticipate city zoning ordinances to impact the project because the university must follow state-regulated policies.
“We’ll just have to make the best of it,” Whetsell said.