New parking lot, Lot G1 open for use
The new parking lot, designated Lot G1, is open for use. The piloted designation of this lot is that it is a 24-hour, multi-permit lot to accommodate faculty, staff, resident students, commuter students and non-affiliated guests and visitors. The lot has 297 spaces, 10 of which are metered Whoosh spaces.
Lot G1 is located adjacent to Glenn G. Bartle Drive. Vehicles will enter the lot via the driveway on the east side of the West Gym, sharing the entrance with Lot G, which is located behind the West Gym.
Sustainability measures were taken during the construction of Lot G1. A stormwater management system was put into place, LED lights with dimmers and motion detectors are being used, trees were planted to mitigate sunlight and create shaded space and a large wetland area was constructed at the North end of the parking lot.
A bio-retention area and stormwater storage system were installed in Lot G1 to mitigate an increase in stormwater runoff entering the municipal storm system and potential contaminants in the stormwater. Water from the parking lot sheet flows or enters a drainage system. This water then empties out to a stormwater forebay on the east side of the parking lot where suspended material drops out of the water. Stormwater then flows over a spillway into a bio-retention treatment area where it percolates through a very sandy soil. This bio-retention area is also planted with vegetation that thrives on contaminants and helps keep the soil clean after the water has filtered through. Below the sandy soil is a very large stormwater chamber system that allows a large amount of water to back up and percolate into the ground. This stormwater management system ensures that all stormwater leaving Lot G1 is flowing at a lesser volume than before construction and that the stormwater is clean.
The new lot required the installation of about 20 light poles. All of the new fixtures are high-efficiency LED lights. The poles are set up with dimmer switches and motion detectors. The lights dim to 50 percent between midnight and 6 a.m. and return to 100 percent illumination when motion is detected.
The large expanse of paved surfaces in parking lots absorb sunlight that can generate a significant amount of heat. As part of this project, trees were planted around the perimeter of the lot and in the lot islands to mitigate sunlight and create shaded spaces.
A large wetland area was constructed at the north end of Lot G1. The wetland is fed from a portion of stormwater runoff from the west side of campus where it is naturally filtered and stored. Plants have also been installed in the wetland for their ability to remove pollutants from stormwater. The wetland reduces the volume of stormwater entering the municipal storm system and ensures the water that does leave is clean.