By MARI HEIMUL
On-campus housing for married students has long been in high demand at BYU. With a current waiting list of approximately 10 months, BYU housing administrators are taking action to combat the housing shortage.
The Wyview trailer park is being evacuated quickly, and construction of a new apartment complex has already started. The new Wyview complex will consist of 426 two- and three-bedroom apartments that will probably be finished by mid-summer 1998.
Housing officials said the new apartments will have three levels, be more spacious and have more storage capacity than Wymount currently has.
The newly constructed part-brick, part-stucco buildings will have a reddish-brown exterior. In addition, the new complexes will be equipped with central air conditioning, a feature neither Wyview nor Wymount has ever had.
One feature the new complexes will not have that the old Wyview trailer park possessed is washer/dryer hookups. Instead, a newly remodeled Laundromat will be provided for Wyview tenants.
Plans for the new apartments are moving rapidly, and the few remaining Wyview tenants have been made aware of their need to relocate as soon as possible.
Some tenants do not mind the move. However, other students are finding that having to move, in addition to working and attending school full-time, is stressful.
In an effort to reduce students' stress levels, Wyview administrators are offering some help for those renters being forced to leave the park.
'We are trying to assist Wyview renters as much as we possibly can, said Garry Briggs, family housing administrator. 'We know moving can be a burden, therefore, we are offering to place all Wyview tenants into Wymount housing as it becomes available.'
Many Wyview residents have taken the offer to transfer quarters to Wymount, but some students are not interested in relocating to Wymount.
'Moving to Wymount would be fine, except they do not have any hookups for the washer and dryer we bought to use in our trailer,' Wyview resident Shauna Andengaard said. 'We would be forced to go back to using a Laundromat and that idea does not appeal to us.
'My husband and I just found another apartment in Orem which is equipped for a washer and dryer. The rent is more expensive than it is at Wymount. However, we feel it is worth it.'
Although they cannot meet the requests of all tenants, the on-campus housing office is offering some benefits for Wyview residents. BYU has promised to cover all Provo City Power and telephone hookup fees for those students wishing to transfer their residency to Wymount.
The thorough cleaning required when leaving Wyview has been reduced to a light cleaning. Also, in most cases, BYU housing is refunding Wyview tenants their entire housing deposit.
'Plans for the new apartments will be constructed in four phases,' Projects Coordinator Gene Libutti said. 'We are planning on opening phase one for renters by July of 1997, phase two by November of 1997, phase three by March of 1998 and phase four by July of 1998.'
Any students interested in living in these new apartments need to place their names on the waiting list at the Wymount office. If BYU achieves its goal, the typical 10-month waiting period will be substantially reduced with the creation of a new and improved Wyview apartment complex