The Chambersburg, PA, School District has a problem. It wants to expand its stadium but zoning says that it must have one space for every 5 seats PLUS 4 spaces per classroom, PLUS one for every non instructional person, PLUS one for every five seats in the gym and auditorium. Well, that adds up to over 2600 spaces. Read about it here.
Now the School board isn’t confused about parking like those that set the zoning numbers. They point out that the Stadium is only used at night when school is out and that the gym isn’t used when the auditorium is used (you don’t have a concert and a basketball game on the same night) and neither is used when the stadium is used (basketball = winter, football = fall.). So they project the most that they will ever need is about half what the zoning requirements are.
Makes sense to me and proves the point that the parking requirements as set by zoning boards and the like are way out of whack with reality. Best just to abandon them and let developers and schools work it out for themselves.
But, you say, the overflow will ruin the homes surrounding the school on game night. Well, there’s an easy fix there — put up meters and charge, or set up parking zones for residents only. I like the first one. Use all the monies collected to repair streets, lighting, and parks in the neighborhood. My guess is that if you do that, the neighbors will welcome game nights.
JVH
