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Parking rules fret RCC students Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Rogue Community College student Chris Valavala, 20, holds 10 parking tickets he's received so far this term while attending classes at the Medford campus. Students complain that there are few nearby places to park without having to move your car. Medford officials say there is plenty of space near RCC downtown, but some fear the lot is unsafe, don't want the five-minute walk or can't afford the fee By DAMIAN MANN Rogue Community College students gripe about a lack of parking. Medford city officials counter that there are plenty of spaces close to campus. It's a controversy that underscores RCC's continued growth and the influence the community college has exerted in the downtown area. RCC Medford parking options 1,902 spaces within a five-minute radius of campus Two- and three-hour spaces free All-day and three-hour parking offered at Bear Creek lot beneath I-5 viaduct. $2 for full-day parking at many lots $2.50 for full day in parking garage Free, unlimited parking at public lots after 5 p.m. RVTD bus fare is free for RCC students Van pool option can take students to Grants Pass or Medford Incentives to encourage students to park at Bear Creek facility $78 for a three-month parking permit Security officer will escort students to cars if requested Within a five-minute radius of RCC's main building on South Central Avenue, city officials count 1,902 public parking spaces. But, students say, many of the lots are limited to two or three hours, forcing them to leave school and move their cars, or risk getting a ticket. And they are less than enthusiastic about using a parking lot beneath the Interstate 5 viaduct, citing distance and safety concerns. Only 76 spaces in three lots are fully dedicated to RCC students. Chris Valavala, 20, of Phoenix, has received 10 parking tickets since the beginning of the fall term because his classes run longer than the time allowed where he parks his car. Like some of the students on campus, he's not happy about the $5 parking tickets, which will go up to $10 in January. Student Caitrin Gviley, 20, of Medford, said, "Students have to play Russian roulette as to whether they are going to get the ticket." The parking situation raises daily complaints among students and teachers, and Gviley is considering circulating a petition seeking relief from the problem. A limited number of $78, three-month all-day permits are available, but Gviley said that's too expensive for the average student, especially following a tuition increase this year. For safety reasons and in times of inclement weather, Gviley says, the three-hour parking garage north of East Main Street is too far away from most classes Adding to the problem for students, Medford has an overtime parking rule that applies to anyone who parks downtown: The car can't be parked within 750 feet, or approximately two city blocks, of the previous location during the same day, making it more difficult to find a space. Velma Meiners, 37, of Gold Hill, says a new parking lot on Central Avenue across from RCC's main building is "a waste of space." "Why didn't they do a parking garage?" she asks. "There are less spaces now than there were before." RCC expansion succeeds - except for parking situation Rogue Community College's expansion into downtown Medford in 1996 has been a success in just about every way, except one: parking. Merchants in the area depend on public parking for their customers and are worried that students will use up available space. But RCC has become a important presence in the downtown area, and it gets bigger every year. This fall term, RCC's enrollment reached record levels, with 7,146 full- and part-time students. Of those, 4,150 are from Jackson County and 2,832 are from Josephine County. The Medford Urban Renewal Agency has been working with both sides, and future projects could increase the number of parking spaces in downtown Medford. "We need to reach a balance between the students and retailers," said Linda Beauchamp, administrative assistant with MURA. She said the two- and three-hour parking requirements at many of the downtown lots are a compromise worked out through many hours of committee study. The time limits help merchants by forcing turnover in the parking lots, which could otherwise be dominated by students. To make parking lots like one east of Bear Creek easier for students, Beauchamp's agency is considering building a pedestrian bridge across the creek. Construction of the new county library main branch at the corner of Tenth Street and Central Avenue will provide more parking options. Tom Bradbeer, RCC dean of human resources, said, "In the long term we're going to need a better solution than we have now." But, the situation could be worse. RCC student government representative Erica Rivero said she recently paid a visit to a Portland college where she was charged $1 an hour for parking. Beauchamp said if students paid the $2 all-day parking fee, it would amount to $6 a week for the average student. Merchants have complained to the city that students are taking all the spaces, but Meiners points out that the average age of RCC students is about 35, making them a sizable contingent of shoppers. "I did most of my Christmas shopping in this area because it was convenient," she said. Robert Rawls, 27, of Ashland, is one student who doesn't mind using the Bear Creek parking lot under the I-5 viaduct near Hawthorne Park. It's less than five minutes from the college and offers free parking all day. Linda Beauchamp, administrative assistant for Medford Urban Renewal Agency, said, "We don't have a parking problem. We have enough spaces." Beauchamp admits that many students are wary of using the covered garage and the Bear Creek lots, but says she feels they are safe. Beauchamp said police records show there have been no recent crimes along the Bear Creek lot. She also notes that the new lot across from RCC's main building offers all-day parking for $2. "It is one of the cheapest parking lots in the whole state," says Beauchamp. One of the main challenges, she says, is the perception that there isn't adequate parking. Students, and people in general, aren't willing to walk to an area out of sight of their destination. "They all want to be the closest to the front door." Beauchamp said students need to be encouraged to use the Bear Creek lot, because a dirt parking area between East Main Street, Fir Street and Eighth Street, which has about 150 spaces, will be closed in January. Work is scheduled to begin then on the Winetrout multi-use building that is a key component of urban renewal efforts. To encourage parking at Bear Creek, Medford Urban Renewal Agency will cut brush, add security and respond to student fears about the area. Erica Rivero, 24, of Ashland, who is in student government and could soon be on the city's parking committee, said a year ago she was like many students who continually griped about the parking situation. She said she agrees that the situation is not as bad as she once thought. But she also agrees that students have a perception that there isn't sufficient parking, and thinks the Bear Creek lot might be a hard sell. RCC is considering working with local businesses to offer coupons to students, encouraging them to walk the five minutes to the Bear Creek lot. At night, students wouldn't use that lot because there is generally ample free parking in lots surrounding the campus. Parking fees don't apply after 5 p.m. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.