Capitol Preservation Board members Thursday approved Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s plan to shift state workers to a building at the state Fairpark for 45 days to open up parking space for the public.

"Our immediate concern is what are we doing now and what are we going to do to accommodate the upcoming legislative session," said Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert. "It's not rocket science. You have to find more space or find other ways to get people up here."

Right now, Capitol Hill has about 880 parking spaces available, not including 300 underground stalls reserved for legislators and state executives. During the legislative session, 1,100 state employees, 250 construction workers, nearly 90 temporary legislative staff workers, 75 interns and the public all will compete for those spots. To add to the tension, Salt Lake City Council members are prepared to designate resident-only parking zones in surrounding neighborhoods during the 45-day session.

Under the administration's plan, Capitol Hill employees who can will work out of temporary quarters. Two 15-passenger vans donated by Utah State University will shuttle the workers to the Capitol during the day. Videoconferencing equipment will be installed at the Fairpark to facilitate larger meetings. Others state workers will carpool or telecommute. And about 65 construction workers will be allowed to park on the Capitol grounds. The total price tag: $7,500.

Their vacated parking spaces in state lots will be reassigned to legislative and other state employees.

Lawmakers on Thursday also carved out space for their short-term legislative staff. Lawmakers' interns likely will park at lots downtown and ride the bus to Capitol Hill. Legislators cut newspaper reporters' parking in half and moved it to a parking lot south of the Capitol. But fearing a revolt of the women who shuffle the paper of the session, lawmakers carved out space for their short-term legislative staff.

"They do it because they love it," said Sen. Al Mansell, R-Sandy. "If you make it inconvenient for them, they won't do it. The pay they earn is not a livelihood."

Everyone else, apparently, is on their own.

Suggested solutions for the problem from board members and the public dipped into the improbable. University of Utah Engineering Professor Larry Reaveley suggested closing East Capitol Boulevard entirely during the session to create a parking lot and redirecting traffic. Attorney Pat Shea, who represents AAMCO commercial parking lots, suggested putting the company in charge of a valet parking system where cars could be "stacked" in existing parking lots to create more space.

Board members balked at implementing either idea immediately. Instead, they will ask the Utah Department of Transportation to restripe East Capitol Boulevard and 500 North to create another 100 public parking spaces. Capitol Architect Dave Hart and the state building department will review whether a $5,000 temporary wooden bridge can be safely and legally built from a northeast parking lot to the Capitol Plaza.

A parking task force will consider the cost of shuttling the public from downtown parking lots. And Reaveley's engineering class will draft plans for an underground parking lot under East Capitol Boulevard.