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PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
MEETING MINUTES
September 3, 2009
Faculty Senate Conference Room

Chairman Dick Bernhard called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. The following members attended the meeting: Aram Attarian, Andrew Barnes, Ronald Baynes, Dick Bernhard, Gene Bressler, Karen Ciccone, Barry Croom, Barbara Fair, Garden Freeman, Tim Hatcher, Matthew Koci, Charley Pennell, Steve Ratzlaff, Rick Seagroves, and Ed Sekmistrz.

EX-OFFICO: Cheryl Branker, Michael Harwood, Tom Skolnicki

GUESTS: Steve Bostian, Facilities Division Capital Project Management; Gary Bridges, Transportation; Greg Cain, Transportation; Stephanie Hachem, Kimley-Horn & Associates

WELCOME: Dick Bernhard welcomed the committee members and guests and asked them to introduce themselves.

OLD BUSINESS:
Dick Bernhard called for a motion to approve the minutes for the May 7, 2009 meeting. The motion was made and seconded and minutes were unanimously approved.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

CAMPUS PLANNING AND DESIGN AND RESOURCE AND CONSERVATION SUBCOMMITTEE:

Garden Freeman reported that the subcommittee recommended approval of the Centennial Campus Parking Deck and the West Lot Parking Deck Phase I at its May 21 meeting. Tom Skolnicki showed the site location of the Centennial Campus Deck on a map. Steve Bostian showed the schematic of the 500 space deck. It will have four levels with the first level below grade.

While the deck does interrupt the All Campus Path from the Oval to the North Creek greenway, pedestrians will be able to enter the deck on one level, go up one level, and then continue their journey out the other side. Mike Harwood indicated that the All Campus Path would be moved north to travel through the yet-to-be-constructed Alliance Center on the north side of the stream and buffer. Gene Bressler asked about constructing a path around the deck. Bostian responded that there was not enough room.

The stormwater facility will become a much smaller pond than originally planned. Sediment erosion control will be combined with stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) using sand filters to remove nitrogen. The finished product will be an extended wetland.

Freeman called for a vote and the project was unanimously approved.

Freeman asked Stephanie Hachem to present the West Lot Deck to the committee. Stephanie showed the schematic for the 850 space deck. The five level deck is the first of two planned decks in the present West Lot area.

In response to subcommittee concerns about pedestrian movement and safety during construction and after construction is completed, Hachem said that if the contractor does not take quite so much laydown area, then pedestrians could safely walk through the present parking lot area. After deck construction, a permanent path will be built.

Barry Croom asked about the number of spaces that will be lost during construction. Hachem replied that 340 spaces will be lost. Greg Cain said Transportation would sell fewer permits in response to the loss. He added that parking is free at Carter-Finley or the park-n-ride at the corner of Varsity Drive and Marcom Street.

Aram Attarian asked why we keep building more and more parking spaces instead of trying to discourage people from driving their personal vehicles and taking public transportation instead. Greg Cain said the University is building parking spaces just to replace the parking spaces that have been eliminated. Mike Harwood added that the University is trying to get people out of their vehicles and on to public transportation. One way they are doing that is by moving parking out of the core campus to fringe areas with more buses near the parking decks. Karen Ciccone recommended more publicity is needed about the WolfTrails program. Cain indicated that Transportation is working to do just that.

Freeman called for a vote and the project was unanimously approved.

CAMPUS PARKING & TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE:

Greg Cain said that the changes made in student parking this year were designed to alleviate traffic congestion. Student parking was split into six areas to encourage students to take the Wolfline. For example, students who elected to park on Centennial Campus cannot park on main campus. Wolfline service is handling the passenger load well.

NEW BUSINESS

There was no new business. The committee adjourned at 4:30 p.m.

The next meeting of the full PEC is scheduled for October 1, 2009. Location: Winslow Hall Conference Room.