Student parking remains an issue into the 2016-17 school year

The Perry parking lot was never created to hold the amount of student who drive to school today. In fact, the school was not originally built to hold over 3000 students that are enrolled today. As a result, many students have had to park across the street in a lot surrounded by several business the past few years. This has been causing conflict between the businesses who do not wish for students to be using their lots for school parking, and the students who are irritated with the lack of parking permits available to them.

Principal Dan Serrano was contacted by the property manager of the lot in regards to the issue of the students using that lot for parking, and the possibility of students who park there being towed.

“We have an agreement with them, a legal agreement, that we provide security guards over there at the beginning of school and end of school,” said Serrano, “I don’t like it because a lot of students are crossing Val Vista, instead of using the light but that’s our only option right now.”

Along with the school’s concerns of students parking there, the businesses have worried about it as well. Many parents of the children attending Totspot preschool have brought it to the preschool’s attention that many students have been recklessly driving in the lot. The time the students are leaving the parking lot in the afternoon also interferes with parent pickup of the children at the daycare.

Beth Fox, the general manager at Totspot Preschool, said “I have been here for four years now and we do see some drivers that are really causing problems. They’re going really fast and we’ve had probably two to three near misses a week.”

The safety of the children and their families is the preschool’s top priority.

“Perry really needs to have their own parking and they need to stop parking in this lot,” said Fox,  “It’s not a Perry lot. We all pay rent here and that’s included in our rent.”

While parking is a risk for the daycare, other businesses think otherwise. Nate Hirni, the general manager at Flipside Entertainment, is not bothered by students parking in the lot. He had not noticed any issues with the student driving and does not see it as a threat to the business of Flipside.

“It’s usually during the slower periods when the business isn’t busy,” said Hirni. Hirni has been with Flipside for two years and they have considered putting flyers on cars but has not followed through with that idea. When Flipside Entertainment hosts popular events during the day, the amount of parking spots occupied by students could become an issue.

Junior Sarah Martino, a student parking in the lot, said, “During the summer, it is super hot to walk to and from. By the time I get to school I’m already sweating.”

This is her second year parking in the lot and finds it a “hassle” to have to exit onto Val Vista to avoid interfering with the businesses in the plaza.

Junior Lucas Mattson said, “It’s [the business’s] parking lot, and they’re being nice and letting us use it. They could not let us use it at all.”

Martino believes that Perry students are a big portion of some of the businesses consumers. “If you park there in the morning you’re gonna get a burrito at Los or a donut at Bosa,” said Martino. “Afterwards I like to go to Subway all the time.”

The businesses have allowed the students to continue parking in the lot to ensure cooperation between the plaza and the school. Parking has become an issue with the students along with the businesses, and will remain an issue until something can be done to solve the infamous parking dilemma.