NIU is on the verge of easing the campus parking problem with plans to create five new parking lots within the next year, but parking permit fees will be increased.

The five new lots would create about 810 new parking spaces on campus, according to NIU President John LaTourette’s report to the Board of Regents. However, as part of the parking plan, the Regents approved a parking permit fee increase.

The Regents approved plans for the additional lots and a parking permit fee increase last week. According to the Regents’ Chancellor’s report, NIU must get approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education for the projects.

NIU’s Ad Hoc Committee on Parking recommended to the Regents that all student, faculty and staff permit fees be increased next fall.

The cost of student permits will rise from $5 and $7 to $30 per year, and faculty/staff parking will jump from $10 to $35 per year, the Ad Hoc parking committee report stated. Motorcycle permits will double in cost from $5 to $10 per year.

The cost of the 24-hour “red reserve” spaces will increase from $150 to $365 per year and the red reserve permits from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. will increase from $125 to $300 per year, the parking report stated.

“We hoped the raising of red reserve spots will discourage people from getting them. Red reserve spaces are not the best use of space,” said Robert Bornhuetter, chairman of the Campus Parking Committee.

Lynn Fraser, manager of NIU’s parking division, said there has been some opposition to the raising of parking fees, but “that’s to be expected.”

The biggest parking lot additions will be built next to lots W and O, northwest of University Apartments on Annie Glidden Road. The additions will create about 360 student parking spaces, the report stated. Bornhuetter said the two additions will be graveled this summer.

Bornhuetter said all the lots will be graveled by this fall and possibly paved in May 1989. Lots W and O could be paved as early as next September, he said.

However, Bornhuetter said it would not be a good idea to pave lots during the beginning of the semester because it could disrupt the campus.

Another lot addition is planned near Gabel and Graham Halls, the report stated. The lot would provide about 170 spaces and would be an extension of the service drive located south of Gabel Hall.

The fourth lot would be an extension of lot A, located northeast of Anderson Hall, the report stated. This lot would provide about 70 student spaces.

The fifth lot is located west of Stevenson Towers and would be an extension of lot P. This would add an additional 205 student spaces to lot P.

The Campus Parking Committee will meet Thursday with LaTourette and James Harder, interim vice president for business affairs, Bornhuetter said. “I think Dr. LaTourette was entirely right in wanting to pin this (parking) down and get it done. This Thursday, we’ll get to hear his point of view and he’ll hear ours,” Bornhuetter said.

The additional lots will improve the permit-to-space ratio for on-campus parking. The overall ratio will drop from 1.8 permits given per space to 1.58 per space in fiscal year 1989, the report stated.

The permit-to-space ratio for resident hall students will drop from 1.53 to 1.12 in FY89. Permits-to-space in FY88 for commuting students was 4.10 and is expected to drop to 2.75, the report stated.