NEWS 5
SANTA ANA COLLEGE el Don/eldonnews.org • MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2016
Years after the purchase of a multi-million dollar lot located across from campus,
district and city officials remain at odds over what the community needs
COUNTINGSPACES
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BY JORGE CAMPOS / el Don
N
o issue has plagued Santa Ana
College like parking. And it just
got worse.
An empty lot on the corner of 17th
and Bristol Streets, purchased by the
district in 2013 for $5 million, is still
vacant as the district and city officials
disagree over its use. It was scheduled to
open during fall 2014 semester.
“There are discussions with the city
about how to develop the property.
Of course the city wants retail there,
the district wants parking,” Santa Ana
College President Erlinda Martinez
said. “My position is, let’s keep having
the discussions, but let students park
there first because they need it.”
The lot was purchased for faculty use.
In 2014 the district delayed
construction of the lot to accommodate
workers and equipment during SAC’s
ongoing central plant project, which is
tearing up parking lots and walkways
on campus.
The lot is empty even as the central
plant construction is underway.
“The plans are in design and have been
submitted to the City of Santa Ana and
the Division of State Architect for plan
review,” Vice Chancellor of Business
Operations and Fiscal Services Peter
Hardash said.
Construction is anticipated to start in
winter 2016.
Lately there has been a 10 percent
decrease in parking spaces. Of the 3,000
spaces available to the 19,000 full time
students on campus, 298 are unavailable
during the construction, all on the
south side of campus.
“It took me about 35 minutes. Actually
I left early because I knew the parking
lot was going to be closed,” SAC student
Jonathan Guerrero said.
The central plant and site utilities
replacement project will renovate the
infrastructure on campus, replacing
aging underground heating and cooling
pipes to make the college more energy
efficient. It is paid for by Measure Q
funding, a $198 million voter-approved
bond for improvements at SAC,
including renovating Dunlap Hall,
and a new STEM and health and
sciences buildings.
“The project is anticipated to be in
construction for two years, even with
undertaking weekend work, night-time
work as well as working during certain
holidays,” Hardash said.
The largest and busiest lot on campus,
lot 6 south of Dunlap Hall, shares
faculty and student parking.
“I got lucky. I arrived at 9:30 a.m. and
found parking right away. If I get here
too late I probably would not have
found parking if I were to come at 10
a.m.,” Mathematics Professor Krystal
Meier said. “I know it is frustrating this
semester but everybody has the same
troubles. It would be nice if it could be
more organized but they got to do what
they got to do.”
Additional reporting by
/ JAIME BUENAVENTURA