Burlington has a lot to offer as a college town, but some students feel that adequate parking is not one of them.   Students living off campus frequently encounter the problem of finding parking spaces for their vehicles, which can be difficult in a city that boasts a relatively high population density and maintains strict parking regulations.   The rate of an on-campus parking permit for undergraduate students is anywhere from $55 to $330 depending on the duration of time and availability, according to the UVM Transportation and Parking Services website.    For some students, problems can even arise in the permit application process.   Normally, those eligible for residential parking permits are required to visit the Burlington Parking Services office with a completed current lease, valid driver’s license and registration as well as their class schedule, according to the Burlington Police Department’s website.   Junior Bree Alvarado said that trying to get a permit from Burlington Parking Services was quite a process.   “The woman at the counter did not feel comfortable issuing me a parking permit because she had never given one to a person who lives in the house I live in,” she said.   Alvarado said she then had to contact John King, parking enforcement manager for the Burlington Police, and explained to him that her house was not a part of UVM property.     “It was a difficult and frustrating process, but I was lucky to attain one,” she said.   The real challenge for students is to then figure out where to park.    “Downtown Burlington has over 4,000 parking spaces available to the public,” according to the Burlington City Hall website.   Still, some people may have difficulty finding just one.    “[Vehicles] cannot be parked on any green space or grass, on any Burlington street with ‘For Sale’ signs displayed and on streets that are posted as ‘Residential Parking’ only,” according to UVM’s Off-Campus Living Student Survival Guide.   “Common violations include ‘no parking from here to corner’, ‘no parking this side of street’ and ‘in front of a fire hydrant’,” the guide stated.   All violations of parking regulations, including failure to pay parking meters, are liable for fines and towing, which can cost $12 to $100 per violation.   Parking has been a long-time problem in the city, and the growth in population has exacerbated it, said Gail Shampnois, director of student and community relations.   “The most frequent complaints about vehicles we receive from city departments and city residents are parking on green space, blocking people’s driveways and people’s right of way on sidewalks, parking illegally and speeding,” Shampnois said.   John Casey Sr., parking operations manager for the university, said he disagrees.   “I do not believe that population growth in Burlington affects campus parking directly,” he said. “The factors that affect campus parking day to day are student, faculty and visitor [parking during] peak demand.”   The parking problem can get even worse when the already-limited quantity of available spots is drastically reduced by snow bans.   During a snow ban, parking is prohibited on any street in a residential area from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and in the downtown area from midnight to 6 a.m. Vehicles found on the street are towed and owners are issued a $95 fine, according to UVM’s Off-Campus guide.   While UVM parking services does not issue a snow ban on campus, there is no overnight parking allowed on the upper deck of the Gutterson Fieldhouse garage between November and April for snow removal, the website stated.   Given the likelihood of snow bans in Vermont as well as other parking issues, Shampnois urged students to re-think their daily transportation.   “It is good to look into alternatives such as tenants sharing a car, biking, using the bus, riding the Off-Campus shuttle and CarShare VT,” she said.