The Morgantown Parking   Authority is still awaiting a   letter of commitment from West Virginia University regarding the proposed parking garage on the corner of Willey Street and University Avenue.
“We are trying to work out a negotiated settlement,” said Tom Arnold, director of the Parking Authority at Tuesday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting.
However, he said the            settlement is not going very well. The University has not committed to anything so they were not able to discuss the cost of the facility.
“We’re just speculating cost,” Arnold said.
1500 new parking spaces are wanted, he said. The number used to be only 1000 spaces, but the parking authority decided to increase it.
“I was surprised that the Mountainlair closed at 7 p.m.,” said city council member Tom Bloom.
He feels the University is not giving their students enough parking spaces.
“Here is another example of the city of Morgantown having to provide parking for the       University,” Bloom said.
If the University does not give a letter of commitment soon, Bloom said he believes the      project will have to be funded in other ways.
A concerned citizen, Frank Ferrell said he has read letters to the editor about the          University’s parking situation. He said many people blame the city, but they should really be blaming the University for the lack of parking.
“We like to stay in contact with the University,” Arnold said. “The demand every year is growing greater and greater.”
He said there is a definite need for more parking in the city, not only for University   students, but also for Hazel Ruby McQuain Park.
City council member Frank Salucci feels the riverfront parking is more important than the University parking. He said he feels the University needs to help fund their own parking     facility for their own students.
Arnold said the programs that were instituted in May of 1999 involving nighttime      parking have been working very well.
He also mentioned that ticket writing has gone down 50      percent recently.

Greenspace representative Greg Good said the projects in Whitmore Park have been going extremely well.
At Tuesday night’s Committee of the Whole meeting, he said a 94-foot-long pedestrian bridge had been completed in the park. The group of eight workers has also completed 80 stairs on the Woodburn Trail.
Good said Whitmore Park has become the “premiere walking park” in the city with a total of three trails.
He also said White Park’s two trails have been partially     funded.
The proposed pedestrian/bike bridge, which would cross over Don Knotts Boulevard, will be decided on whether it can be funded in the fall, Good said.
Marilla Park’s bridge connecting the pool to the Rail Trail will be completed soon.
“We are hoping it will be started this year,” Good said.

The regular 4th of July       Celebration has been planned again this year by the            Celebration of America Committee of Monongalia County.
The festivities will include a parade down High Street at 7:30 p.m., a bicycle decorating contest, Court House Square events following the parade and a storefront window decorating contest.
Fireworks will then be held in the Hazel Ruby McQuain Park after the Court House Square activities.
The committee encourages everyone to come downtown July 4th to celebrate America’s birth.
-abs