A shortage of parking spaces at University Plaza (UP), the student housing complex on the Vestal Parkway, has residents organizing against what they consider a massive inconvenience and injustice.
While many Binghamton University students who live off-campus see the search for a parking spot as a debacle dealt with only when going to class, the search for a good parking spot is, according to many students living at UP, an issue when going to and coming from campus. Both a Facebook.com group and a petition posted on the premises allege that the 450 designated spots are far from enough for the 650 residents. The shortage, they say, has left no alternative but for renters to park in spaces appropriated to the businesses at the Plaza — a recourse that has resulted in cars being towed.
But, according to Marc Newman, the president of Newman Development Group, LLC — the company that handled the construction of UP — he and Ambling Management Company (which manages the property) have documents that indicate that only 393 residents are registered for parking permits for the designated spots. There should be, then, at least 50 available parking spots.
Faced with the prospect of having their vehicles forcibly removed, some residents have supported a Facebook.com group, “You gotta fight!!! . . . for your right to park at University Plaza?! WTF.” The group boasts 123 members, mostly angered by the fact that they, as residents of UP, bring in the most revenue for the Plaza and are given little accommodation in return. They also argued that the spots that carry the potential of being towed are not used at night because they are for the businesses that are within the Plaza, and therefore, UP residents should be entitled to their overnight use.
Currently the Facebook.com group has motivated students to become active in changing the parking situation at UP with a petition, posted in mail rooms of the UP buildings, in hopes of gathering enough signatures for a possible legal case.
The petition states, “We should not have to tolerate this and we need to get our voices heard. So please, once again, sign this petition and let ‘Mr. Newman’ know that we are not going to accept this anymore!”
One such copy of the petition, posted in the 100 building, had 107 signatures — and several handwritten notes, both personal comments about the participants and insults directed at Newman.
The students fighting the issue are mostly frustrated and are being motivated by the idea of being towed. Newman, on the other hand, said, “I think they don’t have all the facts right.”
“We gave notices, tickets and several warnings, and then we towed. We even spent $7,000 dollars on posting signs before we towed,” Newman said. “We’ve given them [the students] every opportunity under the sun. They need to abide by the rules.”
When told about the petition and its goal to potentially become a legal case, Newman remarked that it would be an absolute waste of money and that “they can petition all day, all night and all year — their case has no merit, no basis and would be thrown out of court.”