Parking plans slowed at SEMO

Old deed restrictions could kill Southeast Missouri State University's plan to build a 364-space parking garage.

School officials say deed restrictions that date back to the late 1800s, early 1900s prohibit building any structure closer than approximately 25 feet from its back property line, defined as the western border of the Henderson Avenue parking lot.

The university has had a parking lot on the site on the west side of Henderson Avenue north of Broadway since the early 1970s. Prior to that, homes lined the street.

The university's top officials said they only learned of the deed restrictions as they prepared to move ahead with building the parking garage.

Dr. Pauline Fox, vice president of administration and enrollment management, said school officials are studying several options and hope to make a decision within the next two to three weeks.

The options include going to court in an effort to get the deed restrictions lifted, building a smaller parking structure, building the parking garage at a different site or possibly expanding surface parking near Houck Field House at Henderson and Broadway.

"Doing nothing is not an option," said Fox.

Students and staff already complain of too few parking spaces on the Cape Girardeau campus.

Southeast is now building a 300-bed residence hall just across the street from the Henderson Avenue parking lot. The residence hall is scheduled to open in August, adding to the parking needs, school officials said.

The parking garage would provide twice the number of parking spaces currently available on the lot.

The Board of Regents authorized the $6.5 million project last month, which involves construction of the Henderson Avenue garage and a 340-space parking structure near the Towers residence halls.

School officials made the Henderson Avenue garage the first priority. They said in December that it would be a tight schedule to get the parking garage built by August.

Fox said the current legal hurdle already has delayed the project.

"We think it will affect the timing," she said. "I doubt we could have a parking garage open by the start of the fall semester."

Joe Baczewski, a freshman at Southeast, said the university needs more parking on Henderson Avenue.

"I guess a parking garage would be nice," said Baczewski, who is a member of Delta Chi social fraternity, which has a house along Broadway that borders the south side of the parking lot.

He said the lot was seldom full this past semester.

But it was packed on Wednesday afternoon.

School officials said the parking lot has been more crowded than usual partly because the construction of the residence hall has eliminated parking spaces on the east side of Henderson near the University Center and Myers Hall.

The lot provides parking for faculty, staff, commuter student and visitors.

Classes began Monday and many students have stopped at the University Center this week to pick up their textbooks, said Mary Kay Poljan, University Center director.

University Center staff and cafeteria workers also park in the lot, filling up about 50 parking spaces at any one time, she said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123