Battles escalate in the Chapman parking war

Illustration by Lexi Forman

As a new school year rolls, so does the risk of parking tickets, fear of being late to class and going around the Anderson parking structure continuously due to the lack of car parking availability at Chapman's campus. This semester, the parking war has expanded beyond on-campus parking issues; campus housing now faces a similar issue. 

Chapman Grand, an upperclassmen residence located in Anaheim, has experienced a shortage of parking spaces. On Chapman's website, Grand residents are informed that if their vehicle is registered, they may park in the parking structure; however, this semester, it may be a bit different. 

On Aug. 26, an email was sent to Grand residents by the Chapman Grand Staff with new reminders about parking policies and acknowledgment of the parking structure reaching capacity. 

Working with Chapman Parking Services, the email explained that several issues of overcapacity included unregistered vehicles, residents from other Chapman housing communities and guest vehicles. As a result, they reported that Parking Services will increase monitoring and enforcement, issuing citations if vehicles are not in compliance.

Peighton Suwyn, a senior strategic and corporate communication major and resident at Chapman Grand, said that parking has been particularly difficult both on-campus and at Grand this semester as a returning resident.

“There’s very limited parking at Grand, and I know people who have searched for over an hour to find parking, and even had to park in a ‘reserved’ spot and got a ticket for doing so, which has never happened in past years,” said Suwyn. 

Emma Kim, a senior writing for film and television major living at Grand, said she’s had similar experiences.  

“Luckily, I’ve never had to park elsewhere, but the possibility is always in the back of my mind every time I get back to Grand. I feel like I don’t have the freedom to stay out late anymore, because finding a parking spot has now become my top priority and concern” 

The email further reminded students of the general Grand parking rules for both residents and guests. It also explains that if the structure is full, Parking Services advises them to park in the Jim Miller overflow, and take the Chapman shuttle or request a Safe Ride through Public Safety.

Although this reminder was sent, the parking issue persists. On Sept. 4, an additional email was sent by the Chapman Grand staff to Grand residents, reporting that Parking and Transportation Services is partnering with Residence Life to help manage the issue.

Through this further investigation, they found several instances in which multiple vehicles were registered to the same permit. Per the parking policy, only one vehicle per permit is allowed on Chapman property at one time. 

To alleviate the issue, Grand residents were advised in the email that they are now only allowed one license plate to be registered per virtual permit, and that if they have several license plates saved to edit and remove as needed. 

In addition to license plate removal, Grand implemented a hangtag policy requiring an active permit. More information will be sent out once they receive the hangtags from Parking and Services. 

Chapman Court, located in Anaheim near the Angels stadium, was previously known for limited parking since its opening in 2024, and has yet to experience any new reported parking issues. 

When choosing an apartment, students are informed that each Court room is assigned one less parking space than the number of registered vehicles, so not everyone will have a spot. Chapman offers alternative parking at both the Panther Village backlot and Jim Miller.

Aside from the new apartment parking issue, on-campus parking remains a concern. Despite offering several parking structures, there are not enough parking spaces for the number of students and staff Chapman has. 

“Anderson has become even more of a nightmare, and even parking garages like Barrera have become very inaccessible,” said Kim.

Parking remains an ongoing problem, not only on campus but now increasingly for those living in off-campus housing. 

“These overnight parking solutions Chapman has offered for Grand students [parking overnight at Jim Miller] are not solutions at all. Whether it be for off-campus residents like Grand or Court, or whether it be for the main campus, I think Chapman needs to invest in another parking lot of some sort,” said Kim. 

Currently, Chapman has not announced plans to build a new parking structure on-campus, and is currently addressing the housing parking dilemma.

“Every student should be able to find parking on campus if it’s guaranteed by Chapman and included in our tuition. Plus, students shouldn’t have to take their focus off of their academics, which is our priority at Chapman, to worry about parking on campus instead,” said Suwyn.