John Fry, president of F&M, was quoted in the Apr. 28 issue of the Intelligencer Journal as saying that lights and cameras would be added to Race Avenue this summer. Since the 600 – 900 blocks already have lights and cameras on the F&M side of the street, he had to be referring to the 400 and 500 blocks, where Buchanan Park is located. F&M students park their cars on the Park side of these blocks.
In a conversation with a well-known and respected community leader, I said that I thought that the primary purpose of the additional lights that F&M plans to install is to protect students’ cars, since the park is already fairly well lighted (more than most city parks) by overhead street lights. Students’ cars are usually the only cars to be parked there overnight and these cars are frequently burglarized. This community leader commented:
“If F&M permits its students to have cars, then F&M should provide safe parking for these cars. Students shouldn’t have to park them on city streets. The police shouldn’t have to baby-sit cars. Most students have electronic gadgets. Where there is a student car, it’s a given that there is something in the car worth stealing.”
A parking garage or multi-level parking deck could provide secure parking and save land at the same time.
Recently I heard a complaint about “light pollution” in Buchanan Park. The person who said this certainly would not approve of more lights. Whether additional lights should be added is a matter for the Park neighborhood to decide. An opportunity should be given for them to express their opinions in an open PUBLIC HEARING held in City Chambers, and NOT at F&M where the comments and agenda can be controlled. This is because Buchanan Park is public property, maintained with city taxes. It is not owned by F&M, but by the City.
Actually, Buchanan Park (which is owned by Lancaster City) is partly maintained by Franklin & Marshall College which mows the grass as a part of their “payment in lieu of taxes” to Lancaster City.