High school students in Jefferson City and the surrounding areas now have a designated parking area, five months after the Jefferson City Volunteer Fire Department discontinued the prior parking arrangements due to insurance issues.
The new parking lot, constructed on a property owned by Montana Tunnels, is just 0.7 miles from the fire department and will act as an additional bus stop.
“A bus will still be at the fire hall for those students who live in town or are dropped off by their parents,” Jefferson High School Superintendent Erik Wilkerson told The Monitor. “The bus then goes to the parking lot to pick students up who drive.”
The school arranged a 10-year, free lease for the parking area with Montana Tunnels owner Pat Imeson in November and began construction on the lot – but on the wrong property.
The mix-up, Wilkerson said, resulted from a miscommunication on the lot’s location with the volunteer who built the lot.
“We rectified the issue, and the lot was complete in the agreed upon location,” he said.
Although the new lot allows students to park where the bus picks them up, not all parents are convinced that the problem is resolved.
“It’s still [an] unlit parking lot out of town,” Jefferson City local/Jefferson High parent Jake Zitnik told The Monitor.
Wilkerson responded to the concerns saying that the school will continue to look for necessary improvements to the lot when they are able.
“We really didn’t have many options available to us for parking in Jefferson City and appreciate Montana Tunnel Mines for helping us with the location,” he added. “We also appreciate the anonymous donor for their time, equipment and personnel to make this possible.”
Wilkerson also expressed thanks to T’ings Tavern for allowing students to park there while the school located and finalized a new parking lot.
