New parking regulations near Seven Peaks in Provo have students wanting to give the Provo City Council the boot. Last week, the council unanimously passed a parking permit program in the Foothills and University Gardens neighborhoods.

Under the program students will no longer be able to park on the street. Residents of homes in the area can apply for a permit to be able to park in front of their homes during limited hours. The new rules impact students most in the University Gardens neighborhood.

Brigham Young University junior Trevor Heaney lives in the Belmont East Condos with three other men, but they have only been issued three permits that allow them to park in the parking lot at the complex. They take turns parking on the street. Come next year, they'll be out of luck along with students in the King Henry, Arlington and Highland Park complexes.

"I feel like it's an exploitation of the students," Heaney said.

Councilman Steve Turley said the council is just trying to strike a compromise between competing interests.

"We have the difficult challenge of balancing," he said.

Heaney said he thinks the council members haven't respected the students, and he wants to do something about it. He said in four years at BYU he's been towed three times and booted twice, due to parking infractions. He plans to mobilize with fellow students and renters. He has called a meeting with students and renters for Saturday at 5 p.m. in the Belmont clubhouse. His ideas include petitions and boycotting Provo businesses, driving instead to Orem for goods and services.

"What is going to happen nowfi We have no idea how far we can't park," Heaney said.

Turley said the council has not tried to slight the students. He said he is open to discussion, but didn't hear their side of the story until the council meeting last week.

"Prior to that debate, I didn't receive one phone call. I didn't receive one e-mail," he said.

George Stewart, chair of the City Council, said the problem is really the result of landlords who are required to -- but often don't -- provide enough parking spaces for students.

"The problem really isn't the students. It's the landlords," Stewart said.

Norman Thurston, neighborhood chair for the Foothills neighborhood said the problem for the permanent residents is one of property rights. Neighborhoods should not have to compensate for complexes who are not granting students enough spaces.

"It all comes down to the fact that if the property owners would keep their agreement there would be no problem," Thurston said.

He said residents want to be able to park near their homes, have their trash picked up and not deal with the other issues like litter and noise that come when people park in the neighborhood who do not live there.

Students are angry over comments made about them not needing cars and advice to just get a bike. Stewart said he doesn't think students should stop driving -- they should move.

"I know the need for cars. They just need to live in places where there's adequate parking," Stewart said.

Heaney said he can't leave his apartment because he will forfeit his $200 security deposit, so even though he can park on the street until the end of the semester, he'll have trouble until April when the school year ends. The new regulations go into affect Jan. 1.

Stewart mentioned the new Joaquin housing complex to be built in that neighborhood south of BYU. The complex will have more beds than parking spots, but will be required by law not to sell contracts to students who have cars once the complex is out of parking spots.

The City Council is also considering a permit program in the Joaquin neighborhood just south of BYU. The targeted population there is students who commute to school and park during class. The program is in the hearing stages and a meeting is planned with students. Kurt Peterson, Joaquin neighborhood chair, said the meeting will be advertised on campus.

Students say the proposal doesn't solve the problem because the students still don't have any way to park.

"Those cars have to go somewhere. They're not just going to disappear," said BYU senior Justin Hicken. "I think they're not solving a problem at all they're just relocating the problem."

Turley said the council is still discussing options like parking along Seven Peaks Boulevard and wants to hear from the dissatisfied students.

"I would love more information. I really, really would," Turley said.

• Brittani Lusk can be reached at 344-2549 or at blusk@heraldextra.com.