Chester, Widener holding talks on parking dispute

CHESTER >> Officials from the city and Widener University met Thursday to discuss their ongoing dispute over installation of parking meters on streets in and around the campus. Both parties issued nearidentical statements regarding the meeting, with the city stating “the parties engaged in a constructive discussion and are scheduled to meet again to continue the discussions. There is no further comment at this time.”

The meeting followed a Jan. 9 order by Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge Barry Dozor granting Widener University an immediate temporary stay, barring the city from installing parking meters in or around campus. The university filed a complaint and petition on Jan. 2 to block some 480 to 700 meters that would charge $2 per hour.

Dozor directed both parties to answer questions including whether the plan specifically targeted Widener and what authority the city had to implement the plan, and for the city to provide maps indicating deeds of dedication ahead of an as yet unscheduled hearing on the full merits of Widener’s complaint.

Widener Senior Vice President of Admissions and Finance Joseph Baker stated at the preliminary injunction hearing that at least one prospective student choose not to attend the university because of the meter dispute and that he has seen students base decisions on a few hundred dollars, while the new meters could total $1,000 to $2,000 in additional costs per year. He estimated meter installation could result in a 30 percent hit to undergraduate enrollments and 40 percent to graduate enrollments, or about $30 million in tuition.

In a letter to the Times Wednesday, Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland wrote that the city “instituted its new parking plan after years of public discussion and in response to resident concerns” and that it was approved by council to “bring order and safety to our streets while encouraging vehicle turnover in congested areas. Widener, like all major stakeholders in the city, has long known of our intention to better regulate parking.”