Students trying to dodge the purchase of a parking permit are wreaking havoc on the streets of College Estates across from Southwestern College. Residents want students to stop throwing trash, pay attention to speed limits and respect parking privileges or face a complete parking ban.
Bernice Lutchko, a homeowner since 1968, is angry with disrespectful students parking in front to her home.
“Even though it’s public parking it’s a total invasion of our right to use our driveway, to use the front of our house,” she said.
Lutchko said she and her husband have problems with students removing their trash cans in order to park.
“This happens on numerous occasions,” she said. “We would put the trash cans out on the street. As they start coming to school they pick the trashcans up and put them on the sidewalk. We have had to deal with very profane students when we told them to put our garbage cans back on the street.”
After students threw garbage next to their home a few times, Lutchko said she and her husband had to take desperate measures.
“My husband did two things,” she said. “(He) picked up the garbage, knocked on the (student’s) window and said ‘you left this behind’ and (the student) gave my husband an argument. So, next step, my husband picked up the garbage, went to the college and spoke with the business administrator and put it on his desk and said ‘this belongs to you.’”
Tarik Alptekin, an engineer, said he has been living in the neighborhood for about two years. He said he does not mind students parking near his home, but he is not okay with students throwing their trash in front of his house.
Lutchko said her family may be forced to move because of this issue. She said she spoke with SWC Police Chief Michael Cash who told her to get the student’s license plate number, and he would investigate and put it on the student’s record.
U.S. Navy veteran Tom Davis said he has lived across from SWC for about 45 years.
When Davis asked students why they park in his neighborhood “the answer is always the cost,” he said.
“The issue seems to be more principle than any actual hardship, because if you’ll notice the kind of cars parked here, they are not junkers, they are Cadillacs, Escalades and Mercedes,” he said.
Amanda Hanschen said she has lived in College Estates since 2009 and does not like students parking near her home.
“We have students that walk through our yard, throw trash in our yard,” she said. “We had to call the police a couple of times because people sit in their cars.”
Davis said his community’s complaints are not personal against students.
“I can only stress the fact that we don’t dislike the students and we’re not trying to be mean to them, but there are certain aspects of this parking thing that have become really irritating,” he said.
Davis and his neighbors have considered other solutions, such as residents-only parking permits.
“The students should be aware that the residents are disturbed by this whole business of parking here,” said Davis. “And if the residents’ desire for a residents-only parking district actually goes through and becomes effective, they won’t be able to park here at all. It’s something they should think about.”