Parking

MSC has off-street parking in 2  lots and off the alley. 

We dream and plan to improve these, but they are as-is.  This is a great deal for off-street parking in this neighborhood, but expect to help clear snow from around your car like any responsible home-owner would.  We own this coop and are responsible for maintaining it.  Those we hire to help maintain it do not share our interests as owners with limited funds, so we always end up doing some work to free our cars after a major event.

The $10/month from ~18 MSC members with cars ( $2160/year) does not even cover the property tax and maintenance of parking areas unless we assume the alternative is paying property tax and maintenance on an equivalent lawn area. It is non-member Friends of MSC who pay $30/month that result in income for MSC sufficient to fund assistance removing snow. Other than feeling nostalgic about when they lived here or generous toward those who live here, the parking perk is the only tangible benefit for them. However improving our lots would involve meeting more recent city standards, some of which would disturb neighbors and Litla Hús residents.  Unless we increase costs to address the scope of issues with our lots, improvements will create as many problems as they solve.

If there is a problem with the N Lot & alley, or you need to know its condition, you may ask our Lot Attendants/Responders .

Brian 651-603-0325 and John 612-414-2550 (2013-'14), adding Ismail (2016)

For S Lot matters: Metish and Sophia

Lot Improvement Plans:

We need to correct foundation issues, design proper storm runoff management into the plan to meet needed future requirements, re-grade to safer slopes, carefully target and motion control efficient lighting, and build new retaining walls that may require safety fencing.  Handicap accessibility?  In short variances and negotiation with neighbors may be required to provide a net-positive long term value to MSC residents.  Plans have begun for both N & S lots, but a higher priority is correcting problems in buildings that MSC residents call home so that we can reinvest those savings into greater improvement overall.

While MSC has 43 bedrooms with some double occupancy, we never need all 48 potential parking spaces. People in S District generally prefer on-street parking to walking to the N Lot. If MSC could have afforded to build a house where one had burned down next to us, it might have. We've had architects recommend combining homes into larger ones for better efficiency because much of the old structures can't be maintained forever.  Such radical ideas result in larger total green area, while taking advantage of slope for level egress & handicap access on 3 levels and accommodate 25 to 40 residents on a quarter acre without looking like Baily Hall, yet seriously impact where one plants trees or improves parking. We'd surely improve parking lots, yet only to park cars for perhaps 13 and 25 residents in S & N Lots respectively because better homes in such prime location can attract students without cars. MSC is owned by, run by, funded by, and exists to serve resident members. Cars don't make community or financial sense for MSC when one considers costs to excavate and regrade, so the balance would shift from more crappy asphalt than we want to fewer

Filling existing spots during the State Fair made lemonade from the fact that strangers filled our lot anyway. In 2014, a major entrance moved from Commonwealth to Buford and suddenly that Parking Fundraiser became scary and perhaps made the N lot net profitable for MSC (No volunteer ever got paid hourly, but there were high demand moments when a lone volunteer called in help to maintain safety).  From 2011 to 2015 fundraising was exclusively for Sustainability Fund which --while it could defensibly make the parking lot greener-- prioritizes reducing the per capita carbon footprint of our cooperative and as of 2016 continues to assume all funds go to marginal costs to reach higher performance standards for windows, shades, solar panels, insulation, heating systems, and ultimately homes.  Residents want better parking for residents and a few quests, but in the context of home improvement. A single detached shed built into the side of a hill can benefit everyone to store & repair unobtrusively, but parking garages for the fluctuating number who'd pay for them makes more sense at a cheaper less prime location.

Snow Removal:

We did contract snow plowing in 2010 or 2011, but this merely piled snow into a smaller number of spots.  Actual removal of snow to regain use of all parking spots was done largely by unpaid voluntary labor by MSC members residing in Main and Little House.  After most the work was done and contractors had the spaces they paid for, the contracted manager rented a bobcat to move the last snow.  This reality of paying to have others do the work, yet having to do much of it ourselves was very frustrating for those members who responded to the crises which occur in December each year. 

In 2013 we still contract for a plow to clear >3" of snow from areas of our lots that they do far more efficiently than we can, but we plan to distribute the volunteer more broadly to better address what plowing does not.  We now compensate the attendant of the N Lots $10/month, have 4 volunteer sign up sheets so that our 1st two responders can find help when needed, and will compensate $10/hour for documented hours when a Lot Attendant or House Coordinator verify were needed.  We take extreme care to ensure compensations do not motivate more hours than the funds are worth to all members collectively (with and without cars).  Simply involving more hands is likely to increase the unpaid volunteer efforts to keep the lots nice.  Eventually, total cost/quality analysis will be needed to get the right mix of contractor, paid-volunteer, and purely volunteer hours.  Economics students are very welcome to assist that discussion:)

The cheapest non-member contractor we have ever found cost $20/hour for snow blowing and spreading sand (not ice removal).  Hours members will volunteer at critical times are limited (even at $15/hour), so Attendants need more options to assure usable conditions with less burden.  We better look into local garden care services that may offer affordable winter snow removal within their limited capacities.  A snow blower helps throw snow up the hill off this lot, but everyone shovels a little to maintain their parking spot (or finds someone to do it for them).

Lot Capacity

The S lot only now holds 11 cars because some residents lack the skill to avoid denting cars when there are 12 cars parked.  Spots are assigned.  We rely on the fact that many the 25 bedroom units are occupied by people without a car, and purchase some on street parking permits. 

The N lot has 38 spots while adjacent houses have 16 bedrooms, so there are often extra spots for others to use. Guests park free. If you are not here to visit with someone while parked here, than you are not a guest.  If no resident knows you, you are not a Guest and less to get a Permit. Our lot has hazards like many city streets do, so those casually using it all need to accept responsibility to park such that it protects their car and poses minimal threat to other cars. Residents want to be sure we all share some common understanding to look out for one another and assume full responsibility for our driving choices.

Since non-member Permits are used mostly from 8a-5p M-F, Lot Attendants let members relying on Street Permits use the N lot during night plowing events for free.  Similarly, if space is available, Members with larger vehicles pay no extra for the space they occupy as guests.  However, when Attendants see demand for space is close to filling the lot (as we want it to be for the revenue), then larger vehicles and such guests would need to pay to reserve the areas they need during the peak lot use period each day. Not all vehicles can legally park here within city ordinances without special permits from the city.  If you own or use such a vehicle, it is you responsibility to know & comply with such laws.