Construction of Chapel Hill High School’s new buildings has caused many students to resort to parking in some unconventional places over the course of the school year.
Specifically, the loss of the former junior parking lot, which was situated next to the football field, has left many students without parking spaces on campus since construction started two summers ago.
“Parking has been messy,” senior Evan Tornai said. “Everybody wants to drive to school, but there just isn’t space for their cars on campus anymore.”
About 185 parking spaces were made available for the 2019-2020 school year, which were sold on a first-come, first-serve basis over the summer. All other parking spaces on campus are reserved for faculty and visitor parking.
“Since I wasn’t able to drive when spots first went on sale, I was forced to improvise,” senior David Tanner said. “I was able to get a spot once another student left, but there are still many [students] without one.”
Students who were not eligible to purchase spaces have gotten creative with where they park in the morning. Many park without authorization in the parking lot of the Unity Center of Peace, a church located across from the school on Seawell School Road.
“It’s tough not having a guaranteed safe place to park, especially knowing that juniors had parking privileges before construction started,” junior Cameron Pehlivanzade said.
Others have chosen places to park that have caused problems for the school. Some students leave their cars in the neighborhoods surrounding the school, eliciting complaints from residents living on Camden Lane and Skye Drive.
Police officers were even dispatched to the school to deal with the issue, prompting principal Charles Blanchard to make an announcement reminding students not to park in residential areas.
“I don’t have jurisdiction off campus,” Blanchard said. “When folks from neighborhoods call our school or Lincoln Center with concerns about students parking in their neighborhoods, students risk getting their cars ticketed or towed.”
The problem has garnered the attention of Carrboro city officials, who plan to take action to prohibit the practice.
“The town of Carrboro is looking at some type of ordinance banning outside parking in neighborhoods, though it hasn’t passed yet,” Blanchard said. “They asked me to send out an e-mail to let everyone know.”
A few students who live near the school have taken advantage of the shortage, allowing other students to park on their property for a fee.
“My house is just around the corner [from the school], so I figured I’d capitalize on that,” a student who wished to remain anonymous said. “I have three kids parking at my house now.”
Others have taken to parking in spaces on campus not assigned to them, displacing faculty and students with assigned spots as they arrive in the morning.
“The senior class has been able to buy spaces every single year that they’ve been at Chapel Hill, while ours hasn’t,” junior Ben Kern said. “I’ve had my license since sophomore year and haven’t been able to park since, so I hope I’ll be lucky enough to get a spot next year.”
Students will be able to park in the school’s new parking lot set to be completed by December 2020, should construction stay on schedule. It will run along High School Road, occupying the space where the A building currently stands.
