April 16, 1980





Dear Mr. Bachetti,

	I have been asked by members of the Department of Music to
investigate possible means of solving the parking problem that will
materialize when the department moves into the new Braun Music Center
that is to be constructed adjacent to Dinkelspiel Auditorium.  Although
the benefits of having a new facility are very great, the department is
quite concerned that the difficult parking situation in the area of the
new center will significantly lessen the value of moving the department's
location.

	On a typical working day at any given time there are over 40 cars
parked at the Knoll.  Of these cars of faculty, staff and students (mostly
graduate students) I would estimate that at least 30 cars are parked for
periods of one to four hours.  It is clear that there are not often 40 class
A or C parking places available near Dinkelspiel Auditorium.  In order to
avoid worsening an already bad situation in that area it is essential that
acceptable parking accommodations be planned for at this time.  

	Considering recent statements in campus publications, one would
expect that the university's official attitude on this subject would be
that those who use the new music center can simply pay for A permits,
park where spaces are available on the periphery of the campus, and ride 
the shuttle bus.  If this were a densly populated urban area there might
not be any other solution.  (What happens with many urban music schools
is that the professors hold many of their meetings with students and 
colleagues at their residences, thereby avoiding trips to the academic
center.  This is not a practice we want to encourage.)  However, parking 
can be made available for the Braun Music Center if university policy will 
permit it.

	The inner parking strip opposite the Tressider pay-parking area
is now devoted primarily to all day storage of cars owned by the residents
of various row houses.  We have been told that there have been discussions
about moving all this row house parking to the south side of Mayfield Avenue.
This certainly should be done as this would take care of about 1/2 of the
music department's needs without adding to the present parking burden of
the area.  It is illogical to have the strip immediately in front of the music
center continue to be restricted to the long-term parking of cars that
need not be used until after working hours and then require the workers
and students who use the music center to park at a distance.

	Additional parking for several years to come can be created at
the site by establishing spaces in the area behind the music center, along
Lane A, which is reserved for future building expansion.  By restricting
parking in these areas behind and in front of the new center to music
faculty, staff and graduate students, the needs of the department can be
met without increasing the problems for anyone else who must drive to
campus.  A great deal of time and money is to be spent on developing the
Braun Music Center.  The net result of this effort must be to improve the
usefulness of the Department of Music to all those involved with it - to
make it a better place to work, study and teach.  It would not make sense
to add as much as 10% to the working day of all those who regularly come
to the Department of Music when there is a practical solution to this problem.


				Very sincerely,


				Leland Smith
				Professor of Music
				Chairman, Faculty Committee on New Building