The University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley implemented a new policy allowing parking privileges for “green” cars, stirring controversy among students who consider the policy elitist.

UW-Fox Valley designated 17 of 600 parking spaces on campus as preferred parking spots for fuel-efficient vehicles during the construction of a new communication arts building.

To build the structure in accordance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Standards, UW-Fox Valley Assistant Dean Jim Eagon said the campus was required to convert 5 percent of its total parking capacity to the preferred spots.

The preferred spaces are more about the message to make a change individually rather than the actual spaces, Eagon said.

While the designated parking spaces are part of a number of steps taken to make the campus greener and meet LEED certification standards, some students believe the policy favors only drivers able to purchase more expensive cars.

“This does nothing more than reward the more privileged students who can afford a recent, high end vehicle and breed resentment amongst those who are forced to park further away from campus just because their car isn’t on the ‘list,'” Rhys Kuzdas, a sophomore at UW-Fox Valley, said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald.

UW-Fox Valley Dean James Perry set up a blog post to answer questions and inform students about the parking spaces. Comments on the blog ranged from approval to criticisms to reports of tickets from parking in the green spaces with an uncertified vehicle.

“It was an interesting dialogue,” Perry said.

Eagon emphasized it is not only hybrid and electric vehicles that qualify as green. He cited the Chevy Cobalt and Ford Focus as other examples that meet the standards of a green vehicle.

Kuzdas, who drives a Chevrolet Lumina in winter and a scooter in the summer, said a program that would include all UW-Fox Valley students would be better than the current transportation program, which only applies to those students with green vehicles.

Perry said green cars are not the only transportation that could receive preferred parking. Plans for preferred carpooling spaces are in discussion. On the blog, Perry noted that currently on campus there is no charge for parking.

To put the size of the parking lot in context for students at UW, Eagon said that, in relation to Memorial Union, the preferred parking spaces for green vehicles would be located by the Red Gym, while the farther parking spaces would be by the University Book Store.

“The farthest you could ever park on UW-Fox Valley is about as close as you could hope to park on UW-Madison,” Eagon said.

Removal of asbestos, new motion monitoring systems and low energy lighting are other measures that have been taken in the construction of the communications arts building to meet LEED standards. Perry said the parking spaces are only one step on campus to improve energy efficiency and achieve LEED certification.