Members of the suspended UNM chapter of Sigma Chi are keeping their foot in the University's door by leasing choice campus parking spots to fraternity alumni and their family members.
Nine spaces in a small concrete area along Yale Boulevard directly east of the old Sigma Chi house have been leased during the last two weeks, costing about $75 each for the remainder of the semester, said Matt Sheridan, a graduate student and Sigma Chi alumnus.
Permits, which bear the fraternity's name and symbol, will cost $150 for a full semester, he said.
The majority of the spots, Sheridan said, went to other UNM students, who also are members - classified as alumni since Sigma Chi had its charter suspended in May 2002 for breaking numerous University and city regulations.
Alumni's family members leased the remaining spots, said Jonathan Stone, a senior and Sigma Chi alumnus.
Stone said permit sales have generated about $1,000 for the Sigma Chi Association of New Mexico, which owns the house and property.
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Some of the money will be used to renovate the dilapidated house, and the rest will go into an account "for rush activities and other functions when we get re-chartered," he said.
"Ideally, we wanted members to park there," Stone said. "Matt and I are still very involved with Sigma Chi, and we wanted to keep people in touch with each other."
The fraternity can reapply for its UNM charter when its University suspension is lifted in 2006.
Plans are in the works to divide the parking lot on the other side of the house into about 15 spaces, which will be leased staring next semester, he said. Sigma Chi alumni and their families will have first choice of those spots, with the rest offered "maybe in a newspaper ad" to the rest of the University community.
Illegal parking around the house since its closing prompted owners to block off the lawn and lots with steel cables, said John Henderson, president of the Sigma Chi Housing Corp., a nonprofit that manages the property.
Some students "are so aggressive, they'll park right next to a do-not-park sign," Henderson said. "But we're getting them house trained, that's for sure."
The corporation contracted with City Tow to keep Sigma Chi property clear of unauthorized commuters, he said.
"The contract literally says that it's (City Tow's) responsibility to patrol the house every hour, and to get rid of any car without the specially designed permit," Henderson said.
Bernabe Martinez, manager of City Tow, said the company has towed about 15 vehicles from around the house since the beginning of the semester. Towing costs range from about $75 to $100, he said.
"We try to patrol the area about once an hour when we're not too busy," Martinez said.
Stone said permit holders have his cell phone number, which they are to call if they see a vehicle parked on the property illegally.
"I've actually seen a decrease in unauthorized parking since I signed the contract a few weeks ago," Stone said. "I haven't had any calls or any complaints yet."
