Parking is ‘a big hassle’ for students at this local school. It may be harder in 2023
Students at Peninsula High School know they need to arrive early if they want a spot in the parking lot.
At the Oct. 20 Peninsula School District Board meeting, PHS student representative Josie B. brought forward concerns she and her peers have about limited parking options.
In her first two weeks or so as a student representative, she heard about eight parking complaints.
“We have very limited parking,” the student representative said. “And it’s just a big hassle.”
Whether it’s running late in the mornings, leaving for lunch, or coming back from an appointment, parking fills up fast on campus, she said. Only a certain amount of parking passes can be sold, resulting in many students having to find alternative off-campus options.
“A lot of kids end up arriving late or do not show up to class at all when they can’t find parking,” the student representative said.
Presley Peterson, a junior at PHS, told the Gateway Nov. 7 that free parking passes were first come first serve and not all driving students secured one.
Peterson tries to arrive at least 30 minutes early to get a spot.
The limited student parking at PHS has been an ongoing discussion for the district as enrollment at the high school has increased in recent years, Daniel Gregory, Peninsula School District assistant superintendent, told the Gateway Nov. 10.
When campus is full, students look at three off-campus locations, the student representative said.
They’ll first try the “mud lot,” a small parking area at the front of the school where students can park in the grass without a permit.
That lot fills up fast and can be difficult to get out of, Peterson said.
“Unless you have a truck, when it rains you’re not going to be able to get out there,” Peterson said.
Students also try to park on the road across from the S.A.V.E. Thrift Store at 14201 Purdy Lane NW, in the gravel ditch, the student representative said.
S.A.V.E Thrift store declined to comment about the parking situation for this article.
In the new year, the option for students to park near the store won’t be available, Angela Cochran, communications consultant for the Washington State Department of Transportation, told the Gateway.
When WSDOT resumes work on state Route 302/ Purdy Drive to replace culverts that act as barriers to fish in Purdy Creek, drivers will need to use Purdy Lane as a detour, she said.
During the work drivers will not be allowed to park on Purdy Lane. Once work is completed, parking restrictions will be removed, she said.
The project was placed on hold due to “a delay in obtaining materials,” but is set to resume in 2023, according to the WSDOT website.
The work is estimated to start in spring 2023 and take a year. When complete the road will open again, allowing students to resume parking there as an overflow option.
They also try the nearby WSDOT Purdy Park-and-Ride, at 14567 Purdy Dr. Then they have to walk across the busy intersection of Purdy Drive and 144th Street NW to get up to the school, the student representative told the board.
If students can’t find parking at the three popular off campus locations, some end up turning around and going home, the student representative told the board.
“We have consulted with engineers and architects as to how we might increase parking for students and staff,” Gregory said. “As we have considered potential solutions, we continue to run into challenges related to codes regarding impervious space and runoff. “
The district has not yet found a solution to increase parking, but will continue to seek ways to address the current shortage of parking spaces, Gregory said.
This story was originally published November 20, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
