It came as no surprise that the Princeton Review named the University as having some of the worst town-gown relations of any college in the nation. The Fairfield Police Commission illustrated why last Wednesday when they imposed an overnight parking ban on Veterans Park on Reef Road. According to a Connecticut Post article, the ban was targeted at partying Fairfield students.

The parking ban, which restricts cars from parking in Veterans Park from 11 p.m. until 3 a.m., was a request from the Parks and Recreation Committee and the Fairfield Beach Residents Association.

The parking ban, which restricts cars from parking in Veterans Park from 11 p.m. until 3 a.m., was a request from the Parks and Recreation Committee and the Fairfield Beach Residents Association.
Fairfield Police Chief David Peck said in the Post article that he felt it was a problem that needed to be addressed.

“It’s year-round residents who deserve our attention,” he said.

He continued to say that since it is mostly college students who park their cars in that lot at night in order to party at the beach, if the lot is no longer available, they will either use public transportation or stop coming altogether.

According to the Post article, The Fairfield Beach Residents Association President Paige Herman said, “First of all, if you don’t discontinue using this as a parking lot for Fairfield University students, the cars will continue to come.”

“It’s not our responsibility to provide parking for students who go and party at the beach,” she continued.

Fairfield students did have some support in the voting, however; both Commission member Donald Kleber and Commissioner Arthur Hersh voted against the ban.

Senior Allie Quinlan, a beach resident, did not think the ban was a good idea.

“This is actually my first hearing of the parking ban, but that seems very unfair,” she said.

“Many seniors from campus want to come down to the beach to be with their friends, [and] there is such limited parking to begin with that they should be allowed to park at Veterans Park,” Quinlan continued.

Kristen Koldras ‘10, who is also a beach resident, agreed.

“The ban is another thing that takes away from fellow classmates enjoying the beach, especially those seniors that live on campus,” she said. “It’s already hard enough to find a spot without it but now it becomes a major inconvenience.”

“I think it’s just giving students another reason to drunk drive,” said Michael Conley ‘10.

Elysse Ruschmeyer ‘10 is not happy with the parking situation at the beach, especially now with the new parking ban.

“I just think it’s obnoxious  because there is already not enough parking and there is no reason for it all, except that they don’t want us living at the beach.”