A five-story, 1,180-space University parking garage scheduled to be built behind the Cavalier Inn on Ivy Road has met widespread protest from the Lewis Mountain Neighborhood Association.
The garage, scheduled to begin construction in June, is partially intended to replace several hundred parking spots that will be lost when the new basketball arena is built.
Leonard W. Sandridge, University executive vice president and chief operating officer, met with members of the Neighborhood Association to address specific concerns in Alumni Hall yesterday evening.
"The purpose [of the meeting] is for the University to respond to some concerns we've raised about the parking garage," Neighborhood Association President Jonathan Einbinder said.
Among topics raised by the association were the size and location of the garage, as well as potential traffic congestion it may cause.
A proposal authored by the association recommended that the University no longer allow first-year students to bring cars second semester in order to reduce the number of cars in circulation.
"My big concern is that I don't see how this location can work from a traffic standpoint," said Bitsy Waters, Lewis Mountain Road resident and former Charlottesville mayor. "How do we get in, and how do we get out?"
Einbinder stressed in his opening remarks that the association did not oppose the parking garage in its entirety.
"Many of us work at the University," he said. "We are not here to indiscriminately oppose the garage."
Though the proposal also recommended both a reduction in size and possible relocation of the garage, Sandridge said these were not negotiable topics.
"The site has been selected," he said. "The BOV [Board of Visitors] has approved the site of the garage and has authorized the project to proceed."
Currently, the garage will require that new traffic lights be constructed on Emmet Street across from the Italian Villa and on Ivy Road across from Rothery Lane.
The Rothery Lane traffic light has raised concerns of increased traffic congestion on a residential street.
"Common sense dictates that already congested traffic flow will be worsened by two additional intersections," Einbinder said in the proposal.
Sandridge said the issue of first years being able to bring cars during the second semester would have to be addressed by students and that this would not effect the size of the garage.
"I don't see [the issue of first-year drivers] as grounds to alter the volume of the garage," he said.
Sandridge said parking issues were among his highest concerns. He added that a shortage of parking at the University would force drivers to park their cars in the community.
Many members of the Neighborhood Association complained that the University did not inform them of plans for the garage until after it had been approved by the Board.
"We should have been having this conversation before the garage was approved," Lewis Mountain Road resident Helen Snyder said.
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