Haleigh Riggle owns a full-size 1996 Chevy Silverado, which she drives two to three times a week.
"I love it," said the University of Nebraska-Lincoln senior textiles clothing and design major.
But she doesn't love a law on the city's books that assumes college women drive less than men. Neither does the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Department.
The planning department has proposed changing the city ordinance, which requires fraternities in Lincoln to have more parking spaces than sororities. The ordinance was written in 1979, when, presumably, more college-age men than women drove cars.
"We are trying to make it equal between fraternities and sororities," city planner Christy Eichorn said.
City code requires one parking space for every 400 square feet of livable space in a fraternity that is in an R-6 zoning district. A sorority in the same zoning district must provide one space for every 700 square feet of livable space.
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In R-7 and R-8 zoning districts, fraternities must provide one parking space for every 700 square feet of livable space, while sororities must provide one for every 1,100 square feet.
The proposed changes would require 0.75 parking spaces per fraternity or sorority resident for buildings farther than 600 feet from a university. Fraternities or sororities within 600 feet of a university would have to provide 0.5 parking spaces per resident. Parking would be on-site or within 600 feet of the premises.
In most cases, the proposed changes would require fraternities and sororities to have more parking spaces than they are required to have today. However, existing houses would be grandfathered and will have to add new parking spaces only if they expand or build.
The Planning Commission will hear public testimony and issue a recommendation on the proposal Dec. 14. The City Council will hold a public hearing, likely in January and then make a final decision on the proposal.
Lincoln attorney Perry Andrew Pirsch recently suggested changing the ordinance, which prompted the Planning Department's proposal. He said he learned about the discrepancy while serving as chapter adviser for the Chi Phi fraternity at UNL.
Chi Phi bought a nearly 110-year-old bed and breakfast at 17th and C streets last spring and plans to renovate it, but is struggling to find parking spaces for the former Anniversary Mansion Bed and Breakfast.
"I thought correcting (the ordinance) may be to the benefit of the house as they look for parking solutions for Chi Phi," Pirsch said.
The house has five parking spaces, and the fraternity hopes to add another five or six. It may have to lease some of those spaces from neighbors, Pirsch said.
The fraternity is expected to house 18 members. The average fraternity houses 64, while the average sorority houses 61.
Greek houses built before 1979 aren't required to abide by the 1979 parking ordinance unless they renovate or rebuild. Greek parking lots are considered private and are not part of UNL parking, said Linda Schwartzkopf, director of Greek Affairs.
Most Greek chapters at UNL do not have parking for every resident. Some do provide parking for executive officers, as well as for cooking staff and house directors, Schwartzkopf said.
"Chapter members who do not have a parking stall at the chapter house will purchase a permit for one of the university lots or garages, just like any other resident," she said.
She said it was premature for her to offer her opinion about the proposed ordinance change before the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association leadership teams have reviewed it.
Riggle, president of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority at UNL, said she struggles to find parking for her pickup in front of her 1926-built house, which doesn't have parking for its members.
She said it's time to change the law.
"Just as many girls drive as boys do," she said. "I think it would be nice if we had the same requirements."
