The City of Williamsburg’s recent enforcement of the three-person rule dominated Monday’s discussion between city leaders and representatives from the College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly.
Within the past three weeks, the city has issued several notices of compliance to the tenants, landlords and property managers of nine local houses. Residents from each of the homes have been confirmed as students at the College.
“Even though we were heard, we were told that they are going enforce [the ordinance],” SA Chief of Staff Charles Crimmins J.D. ’10 said. “I took that as meaning nothing’s changed.”
The city’s three-person rule prohibits more than three unrelated individuals from sharing a housing unit. In recent years, the ordinance has proven to be a controversial sticking point between city residents and students.
The notices came on the heels of the Williamsburg Planning Commission’s decision to recommend that the city’s B-3 district be rezoned to permit up to four unrelated individuals to share a multi-family housing unit.
The Williamsburg City Council will vote on the recommendation, as well as other proposed changes to the ordinance, Dec. 10.
“I took action when I had evidence in hand,” Williamsburg Zoning Adminstrator Rodney Rhodes, who issued the notices, said. “I got some information on all these houses at the same time.”
It is unclear what effect the notices will have on future discussions regarding the policy. Over the past year, a city-sponsored focus group and the planning commission have debated the issue extensively, but they have failed to reach a consensus outside of the B-3 agreement.
“I think these are the enforcement of individual cases,” City Manager Jack Tuttle said. “The policy is the
longer, bigger picture.”
City and student leaders had difficulty reconciling the two. Because the city is treating each case separately, and as strictly an enforcement measure, SA advocacy on behalf of the affected student tenants beyond a policy standpoint is impossible.
Student Legal Services Director Ryan Ruzic J.D. ’10, who also serves as SA vice president, announced Monday that SLS will provide free legal consultation to any students affected by the ordinance.
Student leaders were quick to point out that the date by which compliance must be reached — Jan. 5, 2010 — will be inconvenient to student renters who may be forced to move back on campus. Dormitories are not scheduled to reopen until Jan. 15.
“We think that students should be eligible for an extension,” SA President Sarah Rojas ’10 said.
Rhodes said that the city would consider requests for an extension on a case-by-case basis.
“We need to get to the root of the problem,” Crimmins said. “These citations do not solve the problem.”
Zack DeMeola J.D. ’10 said that evidentiary bias and incentive disparity are the primary student concerns that should be addressed by any future change to city policy.
Because students’s off-campus addresses are frequently listed in the student directory, it is easy for city officials to confirm violations of the three-person rule. Non-student renters, however, are unlisted in city directories. They are therefore more difficult to prosecute for violating the ordinance.
“A lot of students opted out of putting their name in the directory [last year], so it wasn’t an effective tool,” Rhodes said, referring to the dramatic increase in reported violations this academic year. “I had more evidence this year than I have in the past.”
Rhodes added that he could remember only one case in which violators of the ordinance were found not to be students, but that he is currently investigating a similar complaint.
DeMeola said that renters found to be living in violation of the ordinance are subject to de facto eviction. Although the city does not physically evict tenants, those found to be in violation face stiff fines for their
failure to comply.
This forces some tenants to find new housing, and the tenants who remain on the lease now must split the rent among fewer people; this drives driving up individual rent. Landlords, on the other hand, incur no additional costs after being found in compliance. Rent does not decline based on the number of paying tenants.
“Students are disproportionately affected by this,” Rojas said.
The recently amended noise ordinance was also discussed at the meeting. Williamsburg Police Chief Mike Yost said that since the ordinance was amended no warrants have been issued for violators.
Of the 18 noise ordinance violations issued since its enactment in August, 10 went to three individual houses, two of which have since been cited as having more than three unrelated residents.
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13 Comments
I think they discuss in
I think they discuss in serious matter… Just confirm it… if student discuss on serious matter then try to solve him with student…
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Become cisco certification and get great jobs.
The student directory—do
The student directory—do we still have the choice to opt out? I’m speaking from ignorance and am befuddled by something that happened to me at the beginning of this semester:
I was prompted to update my information upon logging into banner, and it would not let me continue using banner until I submitted an address in the Williamsburg area. I even attempted to put my address in from NJ and it would not accept that. There was no ‘opt out’ clause. Is this related?
Either way, thanks William and Mary for not sticking up for the students. And you wonder why you’re the only top school without an endowment in the top 150. Why would anyone ever give back to such a place?
In the case posted below (a
In the case posted below (a court ruling from Iowa on roughly the same law – though obviously not entirely applicable) one of the judges opinions summarized my situation quite well.
He describes two hypothetical groups of people that, if realistic examples, make the law sort of useless. He suggests that a family or group of related people could easily overcrowd a small home, while failing to maintain it, being loud and obnoxious, collecting cars in onstreet parking, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. At the same time, a group of renters could be the sorts of people who primarily commute by bike, walking, or public transportation, they could be quiet and respectful of their neighbors, and they could do a good job of maintaining the yard and grounds around their home.
My roommate and I have one car each (with off street parking, which we use as needed), and I have a long term lease, so I put a decent amount of effort into keeping my house clean and my yard tidy (In the past month I’ve seeded for grass, trimmed back shrubs and Ivy, mowed the grass I have, raked leaves, and attempted to clean my gutters despite the fact that the landlord is contractually obligated to do these things.)
One of my neighbors is an older woman who lives alone. She used to have three (maybe four) cars parked in on street parking, and only one of them was actually driveable. She sometimes turns her television and/or stereo up loud enough for me to hear it word for word from my porch/kitchen. And her yard and driveway are full of broken down furniture and junk.
I’ve yet to say anything to her or the city because I know all the homeowners in my neighborhood and don’t want to cause trouble.
It seems student legal
It seems student legal services is doing something special for these guys, good for them.
Goons? You actually think
Goons? You actually think people in student government have “goons”? Taking this a little serious much?
this is the first
this is the first ‘crisis’ of the Rojas administration, and she and her goons have been totally incompetent.
Student Legal Services is
Student Legal Services is a group of law students, we can’t provide actual legal advice, just legal information, we’ll be paying for a licensed attorney to meet with these students if they want.
“Student Legal Services
“Student Legal Services Director Ryan Ruzic J.D. ’10, who also serves as SA vice president, announced Monday that SLS will provide free legal consultation to any students affected by the ordinance”
No shit, Sherlock….isn’t that what the entire point of SLS is? It’s not like you all are doing anything special for this case.
Register some more motherfucking students to vote. More than enough student votes to get two students (or student-friendly candidates) on City Council. Seriously, this is some bullshit. Enough talking with them already.
Guess you look like an
Guess you look like an idiot huh?
There are already enough
There are already enough student voters to secure 2 seats on the city council, it’s just a matter of getting out the vote. The last election was in the middle of exams during the spring. Think many students were 1.) still in the city after a week of tests, or 2.) mindful of the election in the midst of studying/taking exams?
A few thoughts here: 1)
A few thoughts here:
1) “Even though we were heard, we were told that they are going enforce [the ordinance],” SA Chief of Staff Charles Crimmins J.D. ’10 said. “I took that as meaning nothing’s changed.”
— Thanks for this earth-shattering revelation Charles. For a minute there I was concerned that the city had actually taken last year’s negotiations seriously, which would have spelled the imminent coming of the apocalypse. I’m glad you’ve set the record straight for all those who might have been led to believe, based on all the positive signs from the city, that a solution was on the way to being reached.
2) “Student leaders were quick to point out that the date by which compliance must be reached — Jan. 5, 2010 — will be inconvenient to student renters who may be forced to move back on campus. Dormitories are not scheduled to reopen until Jan. 15.”
— No way that was intentional or anything. Not like the city pulled the exact same moveat the exact same time last year…did they?
http://flathatnews.com/content/69734/city-sues-over-three-person-rule
“After receiving the complaints, Rhodes sent letters dated Dec. 12, 2008, to each of the listed tenants, as well as the landlords, demanding immediate compliance with the ordinance. “
oh…shucks.
3) “Students are disproportionately affected by this,” Rojas said.
In other news, the Pope is Catholic and the Cheese Shop makes terrific sandwiches.
“But I am pigeon-liver’d and lack gall
To make oppression bitter, or ere this
I should have fatted all the region kites
With this slave’s offal: bloody, bawdy villain!
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!
O, vengeance!
Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,
That I, the son of a dear father murder’d,
Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,
Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words,
And fall a-cursing, like a very drab,
A scullion!”
The city staff and its
The city staff and its residents have long said this isn’t a policy directed at students; could the FH do some research and see how many non-students were served with non-compliance notices? I’m guessing none. Combine that with the city’s past willingness to relax the regulation at a hotel in order to host foreign workers during the summer months, and it’s pretty clear this isn’t a safety issue.
@Ruzic & other law students that are now involved in the SA: Consider retaining an attorney on behalf of the evicted (oh, I’m sorry: non-complying) renters. Though not controlling, there is an Iowa case that might prove helpful: http://tinyurl.com/yfv5kd7
Once again, the city has consistently stated that the basis for the 3-person rule is safety, quiet neighborhoods, etc. As for safety; they already have the Rental Inspection program (check) to keep tabs on landlords. If they are concerned, just do a better job of informing the occupants they can request an inspection. Quiet neighborhoods; very restrictive noise ordinance (check) plus the fact that keeping it to 3 people won’t stop parties in a college town. It’s high time to bring a lawsuit.
Looks like Ruzic took your
Looks like Ruzic took your advice, that or was already doing it.