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Sunday, May 18, 2003 ( 5/18/2003 02:43:00 PM ) GeePee Interesting Article that applies to University Heights and U of I: Ruth Holladay from the Indianapolis Star Butler students set off town-gown clash in neighborhood May 18, 2003 The grass might not be as high as an elephant's eye, but it's way past a medium-sized pig's gaze. Yet it can't hide the mess: empty beer cans in the yard, litter near the driveway, garbage bags overflowing at the curb. But are these guys sweating it? No way. Two Butler University students, both 21, are lounging in lawn chairs on the lawn in front of their home, catching rays on a beautiful May day, seemingly without a care in the world. OK, not fair. Maybe they do care, passionately, about some things, but they do not care about the yard. Or the litter. Or the fact that the porch, with its ticky-tacky furniture, ain't no eye candy. They are, after all, renters. Students. Callow youth, light-years away from a time when running a Weed Eater will be their idea of weekend nirvana. As far as they're concerned, their little bungalow in the 400 block of West 43rd Street in the historic Butler-Tarkington neighborhood is just about perfect for three dudes at $850 a month. Except for one small issue -- too many residents nearby. "We can't have a party without somebody complaining," one of them says. He declines to give his name. Smooth move. Because this has been the year that war officially broke out between some Butler students and the surrounding community, and some folks have moved from civil discourse to take-no-prisoners mode when it comes to telling it like it is. "They break the streetlights because they want the area to be dark," fumes homeowner Carol Bracken, a public health nurse who lives in a charming, well-landscaped home in the 600 block of Berkley, a street dotted with "For Rent" signs. "We have caught them literally urinating on the grounds. They have sex all over the place. They do typical college stuff. The problem is," adds the wife and mother, "they are doing it in a family neighborhood." Bracken is the official neighborhood spokesperson for a group formed two years ago -- the Butler-Tarkington Butler University Operational Team, or BBOT. Its goal is to get the university and residents together on a regular basis, discuss problems that date back to 2000 or so and reach resolutions. It has not been easy -- but Bracken thinks progress is finally being made. That's encouraging, especially considering this is not just a local town eruption. It's part of a thorny national trend affecting urban schools across the nation -- think Boulder, Boston and, yes, our beloved Bloomington, home of many once-fine, now-trashy homes and student ghettos. Bracken and Butler officials seem to be on the same page in identifying the biggest problem -- landlords who buy up one-family residences, divide them into housing for up to four students and rent them out at top-dollar prices. To get at that one, Bracken and neighborhood folks have been meeting with city zoning officials. She is encouraged by Mayor Bart Peterson's pitch on preserving neighborhoods. Then there's this idea put forth by attorney Greg Silver, who was hired this spring to represent the neighbors. He suggests the city amend zoning so that the Butler neighborhoods are designated a university district. "Keep the neighborhood diverse," he says. "Don't entirely push out the longtime residents. Make sure the neighborhood stays affordable for families." Bracken wants the city to start enforcing public nuisance laws. Yep, you got it. Those boys need to mow the lawn. And pick up the trash. # |
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