The Hill House parking lot will undergo a drastic renovation this summer. PHOTO/lizzie needham ’09

With new renovation plans in store for the upcoming summer, Choate day student commuters will enjoy a safer, more aesthetically pleasing parking lot behind Hill House. The project will drastically change the Hill House parking lot off of Beaumont Avenue and will improve parking conditions for a number of librarians, Steele Hall teachers, and faculty residents of Hall, Library, West Wing, and Hill House dormitories. Construction will begin on Monday, June 9th, and will continue through the end of the summer.

The changes within this time frame will be extensive. The whole parking lot, from Beaumont Avenue to the area near the entrance to the College Office, will essentially be torn away and upgraded to display new landscaping throughout, with the eradication of current potholes and dangerous dips. In addition, new safety precautions will be taken. The plan includes the installation of a storm water drainage system, which will provide great relief to commuters on days with heavy showers. A new post will be added to the scene, along with a pole lighting system to assist drivers at night.

Some of the more unsightly components of the current lot, such as the stone retaining wall and the white pine and hemlock trees on the west side, will be removed. Wooden guardrails will be positioned in the place of the wall and trees. Aesthetic improvements will be made with the installation of granite curbing and new paving with painted line markings displaying directional arrows, parking spaces, and no parking zones. The refuse compactor will also be enclosed.

The many facets of the parking lot renovation have been fused together to create a more inviting atmosphere to Choate users. As Richard Saltz, Chief Financial Officer, states, “That parking lot is not very attractive at the moment. Our plan is to make it safer and more attractive for the Choate community.” In a letter released to all faculty members, Project Manager Thomas Hinde concurs: “The blueprints state we will be gaining three parking spaces, but with the organizational direction this new lot will provide, I believe we will all feel it is providing more than that.”

And there certainly will be more in store with this project. As the College Office conducts its planned relocation to Carrington House next week, their current space will be empty just in time for its own renovation. Come September, day students and fourth-form deans will be in for a new scene. A large, new day student lounge will accompany a comfortable office for fourth form deans in the current College Office space. “This will also assist parents, as they will be dropping off their students in a new parking lot and into a new day student lounge,” adds Saltz.

Though excitement has been sparked by the project, the Facilities Office has recognized the inconvenience to current users of the lot. The department has given due notice of the project to the Choate community, notifying them that they will inevitably have to find a new place to park for three months. Hinde says, “During this difficult project, we ask that everyone please be prepared to seek parking elsewhere.”

However, safety will still be the first priority. Facilities will be sure to maintain temporary access for emergency vehicles throughout the project, though such routes will change throughout the renovation. The same alterations will hold true for the few parking spaces that will be provided for those who work in the surrounding buildings.

Though the renovations will create a difficult parking situation during the summer, many agree that the chosen time will mitigate the problems. Because there will be fewer people remaining on campus during the summer, the parking lot would not have to meet the regular demands from the regular school year. Some members of the community, such as Diane Langlois, Director of the Andrew Mellon Library, believe that the improvements will outlast the shorter-term inconvenience. She explains, “The fact that they are getting rid of the many potholes, and therefore puddles, is just wonderful. Though it won’t be fun to have to relocate, it is a great idea, and I don’t mind the minor inconvenience if it means great improvements.” Langlois acknowledges that if the project is completed in a timely, efficient manner, it will be a great service to the community.

Efficiency will certainly be a key factor during the renovation, which will be funded by Choate’s capital campaign at a cost of $282,200. As the starting date of construction approaches, Hinde strongly encourages all prospective users of the available spaces to make sure their vehicles are registered with campus security, noting that users “should not leave campus for an extended period of time without first relocating their vehicles elsewhere on campus.”

The much-anticipated project will quell a long-standing desire to improve the area, as Saltz explains. “It will be much more presentable to visitors, faculty, staff and parents.”