It’s no secret that Lot X has a flooding problem.

But have you ever wondered why the College chose that location in the first place? Or why it advises students to move their cars to the Bon-Ton parking lot? Or even what Moravian is doing to fix the situation?

The area for Lot X was selected because it is close to campus. It used to be home to an abandoned warehouse, according to Amber Donato, associate director of planning and project management. Its proximity to the Monocacy Creek limited the type of building that would be able to go there, so the College decided a parking lot was a good use of the space.

“The College chose that location because it is largely underutilized and is easy to identify,” said Donato. “[Moravian] does not own any lots that are more conveniently located, and if used, would not impact our daily parking operations.”

Lot X can accommodate 209 vehicles, said Donato. The lot was available for students to use during the 2017-2018 school year.

This academic year, however, flooding became a problem.

Because it borders the Monocacy Creek, the lot has a tendency to flood. The first big flood occurred on Nov. 2 of last year and a smaller flood occurred on Jan. 24. Flash floods have also inundated the lot at other times.

There have also been many other occasions where Campus Safety and the Office of Facilities Management, Planning, and Construction (FMP&C) have suggested to students that they move their cars from Lot X due to potential flash flooding.

The levels of the Monocacy Creek and warnings from the National Weather Service are taken into account when Campus Safety and FMP&C decide to alert students to possible flooding, said Donato.  

During situations like this, emails and texts are sent out to students, advising them to move their vehicles to the former Bon-Ton parking lot on Schoenersville Road, which is almost two miles away from campus.

Students are also allowed to move to another parking area if they do not want to go to the Bon-Ton lot, as long as they park there legally, said Donato. However, relocating students’ vehicles to the Bon-Ton parking lot is only a temporary fix.

As for more permanent solutions to the flooding, the College is currently exploring options with a civil engineer and will implement them as soon as possible, said Donato.  

While it is good that the College recognizes the issue and is doing something to fix it, students are still left wondering when this problem will be resolved.