Painting poses pesky parking problems

By Kim Anderson
The Collegian

Select sections of parking lots throughout the Fresno State campus will be closed off over the next few months for painting.

Of the seven lots to be closed off, only one will be a green permit lot. The rest will be yellow permit lots.

“I guess it’s good that they are painting the lots,” criminology major Erin Donahue said. “I don’t understand why they are only doing one green lot, but I’m sure there’s a good reason for it.”

A section of lot K, located north of the North Gym, will be the first lot closed off, starting at 6 a.m. Feb. 5.

“They will start early in the morning and rope it off,” Facilities Planning communications coordinator Sydney Jackson said. “After painting it, they will leave it to dry and I’m guessing they’ll be done by noon.”

Only one section will be done per day, so it will most likely take months to paint all of the lots, Jackson said.

“Lot K will probably take several days,” Jackson said. “I don’t know exactly how big of space they will rope off but it won’t be the entire lot.”

All lots are expected to be painted; however, the first ones to be completed will be mainly yellow permit lots.

“They will be doing one section a day so it will take a while,” Jackson said. “Maybe two or three months. Eventually, all of the lots will be done.”

Followed by lot K will be lot L, which is directly across the street then lots N, O and P, which are located farther east on Barstow at Maple Avenue.

Parking concerns have police investigating opening up grass areas for parking, such as the field just north of lot K, or the tailgating area next to Pete Beiden Field, Jackson said.

“I park in lot P all the time,” Donahue said. “They better do something to make more parking for us. Parking is bad enough the way it is.”

The painting department staff of Plant Operations will be in charge of doing the painting, which includes parking lanes, the curbing and handicap areas, Jackson said.

“They should be doing all of the lots at night,” physical therapy major Richie Bologna said. “Not during a busy time. I think it’s only necessary though if people can’t see the lines anymore. ”

Lots I and B will also be done; however, they will be painted at night.

“This is something that needs to be done and we keep putting it off,” Jackson said. “I know there’s a lot of a pressure on parking.”

The reason for not doing this over winter break, Jackson said, is because of too much moisture in the air, which prevents the paint from drying.

The painting is funded by profits made from parking, Jackson said. And even though there are other issues that need to be taken care of, such as resurfacing the lots, painting is what is affordable right now.

“If we waited until all other issues were solved,” Jackson said. “It could be next year before anything gets done.”

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