Letters & Opinion
Green Beat
Contributor
Just last year there was some debate on campus as to what was going to happen with parking lot R, the parking lot directly in front of the Dreyfus University Center. The major discussion was whether the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point should expand the parking lot or conserve the “green space” that existed. Well, clearly, UWSP opted for the former.
There are many complaints on campus, too numerous to be listed. However, the lack of adequate parking is at the top of the list. This is a problem for students and community members alike and the University recognizes this.
In lot R, there are now 276 parking stalls, which include seven handicapped spaces, 147 meters and 122 permit spaces. The previous capacity for lot R was 161 total stalls, which had three handicapped spaces, 60 meters and 98 permit passes. That is a total addition if 115 spaces. The lot now allows 12-hour parking versus four-hour parking.
But did the choice to expand the parking in lot R result in the destruction of a valuable resource?
The green space that existed before the expansion of the parking lot consisted of two sheds and what might be called a lawn. The relatively small area of lawn was, by and large, an ecologically sterile environment unable to support any biodiversity.
The area had been used for snow removal during the winter months and to serve as a storing ground for the occasional beer can or bottle. Although both of these uses may be somewhat useful attributes, I’m not sure if that helps our former lawn qualify as a valuable resource.
Lot R was consciously built with the installments of rain gardens and energy efficient lighting. Although the rain gardens may be aesthetically pleasing to the neighborhood, they serve another purpose. The rain gardens help to control the water that flows off of the parking lot, generally known as “runoff.” These gardens help filter debris because the soils and plants serve as biofilters.
Beneath the parking lot are perforated pipes that prevent the rainwater from draining into the Wisconsin River and contaminating our river system. The rainwater drains into the pipes and is then returned to the water table.
The light fixtures used in lot R have been switched from high-pressure sodium fixtures to light emitting diode fixtures. Although the cost for LEDs is initially greater than HPS, the LEDs are more energy efficient. Because the LEDs are in the blue range of lighting, they can put out the equivalent of 400 watts of lighting using only 143 watts of fixture. Also, HPS bulbs need to be replaced every three to five years whereas the LEDs are rated for twenty years.
The university has increased the parking capacity and energy efficiency of lot R and has perhaps set an eco-friendly precedent for future parking lots to come. Nice work.
Special thanks to Carl Rasmussen for his major contribution to this article and to Lot R.
Are there sustainability issues that are important to you? E-mail your student sustainability coordinators: Harley Altenburg at halte954@uwsp.edu or Katie Stenz at ksten22@uwsp.edu. For more information about sustainability at UWSP, visit www.uwsp.edu/sustainability.
