So, for a mere 80 extra parking spots the already torn-up Brain is going to have to endure one more project and one more blemish. Sure, the projects are well-intended for future Bearcats, but once again, the University is ignoring the wishes of the current students.
The decision to build a new lot was announced, in a quiet way, in last Spring’s Inside BU, the University’s mouthpiece. Then, all of a sudden, back from Yom Kippur break and — surprise! You have Lot T underway.
The “T,” of course, stands for trees.
The demand for parking has been there for years, and as an environmental studies professor surmised, will always be. So with everything else going on, there’s no reason the University couldn’t wait — or find a less intrusive spot for the parking lot.
This appears to be yet another hastily thought out project, planned (or not) with what we hope were nothing more than the best of intentions. Nevertheless, fly-by-night jobs don’t sit well, and this opens up too many questions that the University can’t answer: Don’t the current students have enough construction to work around?
Additionally, how can the University call itself green if it won’t do everything in its power to build a parking lot with a minimal impact on the surrounding environment?
Why, of all places, choose to put the parking lot directly in between the East campus housing project and the Old University Union renovations?
Was there no other free space available on campus, perhaps even space that could hurt the environment less?
There are times when tradeoffs have to be made, including sacrifices for the betterment of the community. Sometimes those can even include the loss of some trees.
The University, deplorably, has yet to show that this is one of those times. In fact, the only thing the University has displayed in its Lot T plans is glaring disregard.