The parking policy at Windermere Place Apartments has come under fire.
No, really.
My roommate Josh and I were in our apartment watching "Seinfeld" on DVD after class on Sept. 28 when it happened. There we sat, in the diner with Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine, ordering coffee and talking about nothing, when all of a sudden POP! POP! POP! POP! POP!
I believe Kramer did one of his trademark weird, jerky moves.
Thirteen shots were fired into the workout room of the Windermere clubhouse in the middle of the apartment complex. No one was in the room, so no one was injured. Still, it was possible that someone could've been killed.
What could've prompted such criminal idiocy?
We found out within 72 hours.
According to the Muncie Star Press, a man went into the clubhouse's office about 15 minutes prior to the shooting to complain about his car being towed. Initial reports said he was the boyfriend of a Windermere resident. The management, of course, refused to reimburse him. No arrests have been made yet, though the shooter apparently was planning on turning himself in.
Windermere is arguably the best apartment complex in town. Fully furnished, large screen televisions, high speed internet, cable with HBO, washers and dryers, a workout gym, a game room, a pool, tanning facilities and private bathrooms - we have it very good. It's advertised as having a "resort-style atmosphere."
The primary downside of living at Windermere is the draconian parking situation. Whenever friends visit, I have to tell them to either park in the tiny visitor lot on the other side of the complex or, if it's full as it often is, to park at Best Buy and call me to come pick them up. Otherwise, they're getting towed.
It was a well-intentioned system: The goal was to make sure that residents had guaranteed parking near their buildings. In that regard, it works. But its side effect is a clear problem.
On Saturday, Liz Boehm, Windermere's acting manager, sent an e-mail to all residents asking for input and votes toward such possible parking policies as an increase in the number of visitor spots or ceasing towings altogether.
Thus, the impression is that it took some wild, criminal act to wake up Windermere management to the fact that they had a serious problem with their parking policies.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Write to David at
Swimminginbrokenglass@gmail.com
In an interview I had with Boehm, she made clear that the Windermere management was already well-aware of the parking policy's negative side effects and that plans were already under way to correct it. Boehm and many Windermere staffers live in the complex and, therefore, must also live under the policy.
Management had already said more visitor spots were going to be added. Much to residents' frustration, this never materialized.
"We'd been working trying to get more visitor parking, and we'd had a problem with ordering the signs," Boehm said. A miscommunication with the sign company slowed the process. So Windermere management, knowing it had a serious problem in need of immediate attention, was already in the process of plans to paint Vs on certain spaces to indicate new visitor spots.
Then the shooting occurred.
Now, with the issue of parking on everyone's mind, opening up the discussion to all residents was only logical.
"I had over 100 e-mails," Boehm said. "I was just so grateful." Residents offered numerous suggestions and ideas, which Boehm will soon present to her corporate superiors.
Most likely, the new policy will incorporate several of the ideas and will be in place in a few weeks. Until then, though, Best Buy has a lovely parking lot.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
