UPDATE — 10/3/2014 at 3:30 p.m.

Starting next Monday, any Blue parking permit holder not happy with the lack of parking on campus can exchange their pass for a Gray permit and a refund.

Those exchanging a Blue annual permit for a Gray one will get a $65 refund. Exchanging a Blue term permit for a Gray one will fetch a $40 refund. The exchange can be made at Parking Services in Building 52.

The opportunity to exchange a pass and get a refund will expire on Oct. 10.

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Blue parking permit holders could have trouble finding spaces because Parking Services sold too many Blue permits this semester.

George Androuin, director of Business and Parking Services, said Blue permits were oversold for two reasons.

The first reason is Lot 60 was converted from a Blue to Gray lot last year, but Parking Services failed to factor this in when determining the number of Blue permits to sell this year. Lot 60 has 85 spaces.

Because 2.3 Blue permits were sold for each space in Lot 60, 200 permits were sold for non-existent Blue parking spaces.

Secondly, faculty/staff parking permits are sold out, but still in demand, so faculty and staff purchase Blue permits, even though they are also sold out. A hundred people are on the waitlist to receive a faculty/staff permit.

Androuin said there will be more spaces in the spring when the the new parking garage is complete. Next year, Androuin said Parking Services will reserve some of the Blue spaces for faculty and staff.

There are 2,216 Blue spaces, and 5,542 permits were sold.

He said the Parking Advisory Council (PAC) has asked Parking Services to see where additional faculty/staff spaces can be added if the council decides more are needed.

Student Body President Joseph Turner proposed to the PAC on Sept. 25 that students with Blue permits be allowed to exchange their permits for Gray ones and be refunded the extra amount.

Androuin said PAC approved the request, and is waiting for approval from Shari Shuman, vice president of Administration and Finance.

He said if she approves the request, it should be within the next two weeks.

Justin Turner, economics junior, said he has a Blue permit but often ends up parking in Lot 18, a Gray Lot, because Blue lots are often full.

Alexander Arango, biology senior, also has a Blue permit. He said he gets here early so he doesn’t generally have any trouble parking.

Photos by Robert Curtis
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Email Blake Middleton at reporter32@unfspinnaker.com