BUTLER TWP - The days of students parking sideways, backwards and any which way they can will end this year at Butler County Community College.

The BC3 trustees voted Wednesday to start the process of building another parking lot at BC3's main campus.

The new lot, which is expected to provide 145 additional spaces, will be built behind the Field House.

Also a gravel lot in the same area will be paved as part of the same project, according to Brian Opitz, BC3 physical plant services director.

The first phase for the new parking lot is design. Trustees on Wednesday approved paying $40,000 to DRS Architects to design the parking lot.

Once the design is finished, the college will seek bids for the construction of the lot, which is expected to begin this summer. Completion is expected by October.

The college has been struggling with parking problems for at least two years, with 1,192 parking spaces on campus and more than 3,400 students fighting for those spaces.

Attempts to alleviate the parking situation have been made in prior years, including a shuttle service from the South Butler Fire Hall a couple of miles off campus. However, few students reportedly use this option.

Class times also had previously been adjusted to help offset some peak parking times.

Students may experience some inconvenience during the parking lot addition, Opitz warned, but he said the interruptions would be worth it once the new lot is completed.