Moeller Makes Plans for New Parking Lot

The area the new parking lot will cover. Entrances and exits to the lot will only be accessed from Moeller’s current lots.

Parking has long been an issue at Moeller. With delays on the new parking lot and Montgomery Road construction looming on the horizon, student parking is going to be a bigger mess than before.

Moeller has recently been able to acquire the last of three properties needed to build an additional parking lot. The last step before building the lot, is to get approval from Montgomery to build. Getting zoning approval, has been the final roadblock that is proving to be more of an issue than previously thought. The residents of Montgomery have run a campaign to stop the approval of a lot on the premise of increased traffic on Kennedy. Residents have posted anti-parking lot signs and flooding city meetings opposing the new lot.

The new parking lot would mean a lot for Moeller students. It would allow for safer travel, so students do not have to walk from public. The walk from public can: expose students to the elements, put them in danger of getting hit by a car, use spaces others could use in Montgomery’s public lot, and add time to already long commutes.

There was recently a meeting with the Sycamore Board of Zoning regarding the plans for the new parking lot. This was the fourth meeting in the last year and a half. For the first time, we were able to push the vote in our favor. We used student testimonials along with the impending construction, in order to turn the Board in our favor. The neighbors will likely appeal this decision but winning the first vote is a crucial step that allows Moeller to be confident that we can go through with the project.

The need for the new parking lot, is huge. The walk from public has been both dangerous and an inconvenience for students. Students must walk 3/4 of a mile and cross multiple roads to go to and from school every day. This is unique circumstance that most high school students don’t have to deal with. No matter the weather, students must make this trek daily. Rain, shine, sleet o snow, it is only way underclassmen can park and reach school.

I personally had to walk from public my ninth and tenth grade years. For my freshman year, my brother was unable to acquire a single pass and we missed out on a pass all together. So, for me, the public walk was almost part of my indoctrination into Moeller. I remember specifically running into class on the first day sweating from the brisk walk needed to make it on time. For some students, parking passes may seem to be something reserved only for upperclassmen who have earned it. I, however, see the walk as an unnecessary inconvenience for any students who wants to drive himself to school. It’s not realistic for students to have to walk in hot or icy conditions and cross the off ramp from Cross County Highway in order for them to make it to school every day.

The proposed construction of the roundabout. In orange, you can see the sidewalk. Students would need to walk around the roundabout and then cross Montgomery a second time (the purple sidewalk does no cut across Cross County)

One of the largest arguments and points of concern for building an auxiliary lot, is the planned construction to Montgomery Road. According to MontgomeryOhio.org, “Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2020 and end in spring 2021.” The project will take place during the whole of the 2020 school year. Students walking from public during this time will have cross the road two additional times, as well as walk on a temporarily erected sidewalk that follows the perimeter of the construction zone. This exposes students to more opportunities of getting hit by cars or construction zone related accidents. In addition to these dangers, it also lengthens the trip for students. With this new sidewalk, the walk will be closer to the 12-15-minutes.

One of the main arguments for the new parking lot, is that there could be more traffic at the intersection of Montgomery Road and Kennedy. This is a specious (boomer) argument because pedestrian crossings will lead to more traffic. Without the parking lot, students would have to cross Montgomery Rd two additional times during and after construction. This added traffic of student crossings, during school hours, will cause more traffic then a new parking lot ever could. In addition, the current plans for the parking lot does not have an exit that leads onto Kennedy Road. All lot exits go through to Moeller’s current lot near the library, creating no additional traffic onto Kennedy.

Moving forward, the addition of a new parking lot with over 110 spaces is definitely an exciting and welcomed addition to the campus. Until the new lot’s completion, construction, pedestrians, and traffic will likely be a cause for concern next school year.