Parking Policy & Regulations

Commuters must park in Lot B. Lot B is on the corner of Springfield Street and Fairview Street. If Lot B is full you may park in Lot C (resident parking). If both of these lots are full you can park at the Holy Family Church Parking lot, accessible from both Chapin Street and South Street. Commuters arriving for evening classes may move into open spaces in the A lot after 4:30 p.m.

Residents are required to park in Lot C, which begins at the far side of the Physical Plant and extends to the Softball Field. If Lot C is full please contact Public Safety for help locating other parking.

There is no parking in the area directly in front of Devine Hall (grass/driveway) at any time. These spaces are NOT exclusive to Devine Hall and once they are full you must park in Lot C. A lot includes the areas in front of Berchmans Hall and extend to the playing fields. This restriction also includes the parking circle in front of the Maguire Center. Any student arriving back on or leaving campus, who does not feel comfortable walking to/from their designated parking area, should contact Public Safety for a courtesy escort.

Visitors to the Elms College are required to park in the spaces marked “Visitor.” If you have a guest and the visitor spaces are full they may park in the next available space. The visitor may contact Public Safety to arrange for a temporary parking permit. If your guest is a member of the Elms College community they are required to park in the lot they are assigned. No student, staff, or faculty member should park in the Visitor Lot at any time. The Visitor lot is located next to Physical Plant Adjacent to the C Lot off of Gaylord Street.)

If we are expecting a snow storm all residents must park in Lot C. Please pay attention to weather reports and campus notifications and updates. If you plan to be off campus for an extended period of time and it may snow, please move your car to the rear of Lot C. Every motor vehicle parked on campus will be expected to follow snow storm parking restrictions.

Snow plowing is very labor intensive and time consuming. Once the largest sections of the lots are clear, please move your cars back to a clean parking space in your assigned lot. This will help snow removal efforts and allow for faster clearing. Violations will be written to cars that do not comply. Vehicles that do not comply may be subject to being towed at their expense.
For campus residents Public Safety & Facilities will work with Residence Life on providing timely communications to residents on the movement of vehicles between campus lots during snow removal operations.  

During the school year, Elms College will host large events. On those occasions the Public Safety Department will direct all the cars to available spaces. You are expected to go to your assigned parking lot. If there are no spaces available you may park in the next available space closest to your lot. You may not leave your car there. You must park it in your designated lot by 11:00 PM that night.

If you have an injury or physical condition that requires you to park closer than your designated lot, a temporary parking permit may be available. A note from your doctor is required. Present this documentation to Disabilities Services. Once this is cleared they will arrange to have a temporary permit issued through Public Safety if space permit. These permits will be assigned in addition to the Elms College Parking Permit.

The temporary permits have a start date and an end date. When the permits have expired they must be turned back into Public Safety. In the event no one is available in Disability Services, Public Safety will assist with permits. Temporary Parking Permits are also available if you are using an alternate vehicle. The information on the Temporary Parking Permit must be visible. It will indicate which lot you are allowed to park in.

Upon receipt of a Parking Violation you are required to pay for the violation within 30 days. If you elect to appeal the violation you must do so within 7 calendar days. An appeal can be filed by utilizing the following link: Parking Ticket Appeal Form located on the Public Safety Web Site and the Elms Connect Portal.

The fine amount will be added to your Student Account. Our parking violation form is printed on a bright green envelope. The address for the Elms College Public Safety Department is printed clearly on the envelope. Please DO NOT SEND CASH through mail.

If you wish to pay the parking fine in cash please bring it to the Student Accounts office on the first floor of Berchmans Hall (room 131). Please include any information that will be necessary to properly credit the payment of the violation. Please write the license plate number of the offending vehicle, and the ticket number in the comments sections of the check or money order.   

Parking Ticket Appeal Form

If a vehicle is ticketed three (3) or more times it will be placed on a “Tow List”, normally Public Safety will not notify the owner as the prior tickets serve as the warning that the vehicle may be towed after multiple violations and will serve as notification to the owner. Also, if the vehicle was towed from a posted Tow Zone or during a declared and advertised snow emergency, no notification is necessary.

A Vehicle will be considered abandoned if:

• It has been left unused in a student lot for more than four (4) months.
• It lacks current license plate or a valid inspection sticker.
• It is evident that the vehicle is registered as a student vehicle and has not been used in thirty (30) days, has been left unattended for the summer, or is clearly in inoperable condition.
• It is registered to an employee and has been left unmoved on campus for a period of greater than seven (7) days, or is clearly not in operable condition;
• It is unregistered and has not been moved on campus for a period of five (5) days and/or is clearly not in operable condition.

In the case of an abandoned vehicle, attempts should be made prior to the tow to locate the owner and advise them to remove the vehicle. If the owner is not known, or does not move the vehicle in the required amount of time, the vehicle may be towed without further notification.

In order for the college to be able to maintain its green space, the college has promulgated a policy prohibiting the parking or operating of vehicles on the lawns. This policy also applies to sidewalks in order to protect those areas as well as pedestrians utilizing the sidewalks. In the event of an emergency or special event these restrictions can be temporarily suspended. In the event these restrictions are suspended, Public Safety will be on site to address any concerns or safety issues that may arise.

While the college makes every effort to cooperate in the protection of property, your vehicle is your responsibility. It is your responsibility to know these rules and adhere to them. If there are any questions about these rules please contact the Public Safety Department.