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by STEPHANIE STRAUBEL
Intern News Reporter
Appalachian State University football-goers will have an extra yard to run to get into games this fall.
Boone Town Council passed legislation forbidding tailgaters from parking on King Street and Depot Street on game days, a plan inspired by success at East Carolina and North Carolina State Universities.
Mountaineer fans will be charged $15 by the town to park in 210 spaces located on Queen Street and in the town hall parking lot. Horn in the West will open for parking after the Farmers’ Market closes at 1 p.m.
The new legislation will enable non-game goers to shop and eat in downtown Boone, an advantageous move for local businesses.
“Hopefully this is going to be a good compromise,” Mayor Pro-Tem Lynne O. Mason said.
Authorized spaces for local employees and metered areas will remain unaffected by the ordinance.
Boone coordinates parking through the McLaurin Parking Company and keeps in frequent communication with Appalachian.
Mason anticipates future changes in the flexible parking plan “based on how it goes initially.”
Student responses are mixed on the topic of more difficult parking on already busy game days.
“I think
it shows a real lack of respect for students on Boone’s part,”
sophomore psychology major Ian Versmissen said. “I mean, who’s going to
be shopping when there’s a football game, anyways?”
Other students think the plan will not be considerably inconvenient.
“I mean,
it’s not going to be much worse because we can’t park anywhere
anyways,” sophomore physical education major Rachael E. Kopp said.
Primarily spaces on King Street will be restricted immediately, a decision that should be a boon to local businesses.
“I think
it will be a good thing, but not many people come into the store when
there’s a game going on,” Mast General Store employee Peter J. Lanier
said.
The Sept. 12 football game will be a telling factor in the future of game day parking restrictions.
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