Central Washington University is doing general maintenance over the course of summer break. These projects include the re-pavement of the Student Village Parking lot and the extensions of the Brooks Library parking lot (Lot P-8) and the parking lot off of University and Wildcat Way (Lot D-5) by Button Hall.

According to Lathan Wedin, CWU’s architect of capital planning & projects, the re-pavement of the Student Village Parking lot is a simple chip seal that will help extend the lifespan of the parking lot and is very cost efficient.

Wedin and his team’s role is to manage the projects, including the various contracts involved with the projects on campus.

“It’s a more routine maintenance item and you know, [we] just continually go around the campus with a priority list of which ones need it most,” Wedin said.

The extensions of both the Brooks Library (Lot P-8) and the parking lot off of University and Wildcat Way (Lot D-5) are being done because of the new Science II building that took up most of the parking on campus. In turn, this will make it easier for students and staff to find parking at the school.

Wedin estimates that after finished with the Brooks Library parking lot extension there will be 60 or more extra parking spaces for student and staff to use on campus.

According to the Daily Record, the parking lot off of University and Wildcat Way near Button Hall will have 47 new parking spaces after their extension is finished. Wedin also said that the City of Ellensburg is working with CWU on making sure that all the projects are up to city codes and regulations.

After both parking lots are finished, CWU will have an estimate of 100 extra parking spaces to be used when using a parking permit.

“Nothing is going to change, other than [the parking lots] are going to grow and get bigger,” said Eric Twaites, CWU’s captain of campus police and head of parking services.

According to Twaites, they will still enforce the violations that are currently being enforced. Violations include parking without a parking permit, parking in time slot places and parking in a place without a disabled parking sticker that is enforced under Washington State Code.

For attempting to violate such codes, students and staff will be fined $250. Central Police works under the Washington Administrative Code (WAC), which could be found within the CWU handbook.

According to Wedin, the funding of these projects are paid through the State of Washington. Some of the funding is also coming out of the funds from Science II building project to ensure more parking on campus.

Smaller projects, like the chip seal of the Student Village parking lot, are being paid for by CWU maintenance.

Wedin also said that both the Brooks Library extension parking lot and the Science II project extension parking lot are estimated to cost around $500,000 to $700,000. As far as the chip seal of Student Village, the cost is estimated between $20,000 to $25,000.

All the projects are estimated to be done by the end of summer in just enough time for students to be heading back to school.

Linda Schactler, executive director of Public Affairs, said in an interview with the Daily Record that they’re hoping to have the University Way lot “done by the time Labor Day weekend hits,” which they hope will help with the amount of visitors that come into town for the rodeo.