Disruption, Retaliation, and Issues
Issues
San Luis Obispo is a small city whose social and economic vitality is definitely bolstered by Cal Poly’s presence. With the increased student population, there is a proportional interest in Greek Life. According to the Cal Poly Greek Life webpage, about 20% of the student population is involved in Greek Life. This population surge has also created challenges in nearby residential neighborhoods, including parking congestion, traffic issues, noise disturbances, and party behaviors that clash with non-student or year-round residents.
Lifestyle Conflicts
Cal Poly’s Master Plan acknowledges lifestyle conflicts with student and non-student residents in adjacent neighborhoods. The university Master Plan mentions that it supports the City of San Luis Obispo’s neighborhood wellness initiative, which has since been removed as one of the Major City Goals. The Master Plan mentions a City and Cal Poly strategy of reducing “town-gown” tensions by reintegrating non-student and family residents into the neighborhoods near Cal Poly and that the university may purchase properties for faculty and staff.
Let’s be honest with ourselves. This will never happen. Since 2021, there has been a significant increase in fraternity satellite houses in the community as Cal Poly’s enrollment has increased. Proportionally and with minimal enforcement, this has only accentuated lifestyle conflicts.
Noise
When you live near illegal fraternity houses, different types of noise are associated with events, many of which soon become unruly gatherings. Usually, it’s the bass from loud music that penetrates your walls. Other times, it’s the shouting and screaming from the event or as drunk party-goers, usually drunk sorority young women, walk from fraternity house to fraternity house. Why young women? Because alcohol isn’t allowed at sorority houses per the Panhellenic Conference, which governs sororities, so they go to fraternity houses to party or a third-party venue. Fraternity parties happen every weekend, as they host a rotation of sororities, party events during rush, dayges (daytime rages), a three-night bender called Halloweekend. And then there’s St Fratty’s Day. Unruly gatherings are regular occurrences in our residential neighborhood.
Traffic Congestion
Noise also comes from the increase in vehicular traffic. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, vehicular traffic increases significantly in our neighborhood. That’s not normal for a residential neighborhood. Ubers and Lyfts pick up party-goers and shuttle them from the Hathway Street or California Boulevard area, stopping at fraternity houses on Fredericks Street, Bond Street, Chaplin Lane, Albert Drive, or down the hill to fraternities in the Monterey Heights neighborhood.
There’s also non-stop foot traffic throughout the night as people make their way from one fraternity party to the next, often looking at their phones in search of the next party.
Public Safety Concerns
There has been an increase in altercations or unsafe behaviors related to fraternity activities, particularly centered around alcohol and the large-scale events in the neighborhood that have raised concerns about community safety. One elderly neighbor admitted that she can’t leave her house and is fearful of repercussions if she reports the fraternity next door. My wife, Kathie, has continued to be a target of harassment since Sigma Pi moved out next door.
Retaliation
Our family became a target when a fraternity moved next door to us in 2022. Kye Martin’s family also faced retaliation when a fraternity lived next door to him. The retaliation against us ranged from having our back fence tagged, vehicles vandalized, frequent profanity hurled in our direction, unnecessary noise, such as pointing a leaf blower at us while yelling “F#ck ’em!”, randomly banging on their recycle bin full of bottles at 2:00 a.m., to teasing our dog to get her to bark. It’s 2024, and it has continued. If the shoe was on the other foot or this happened in another neighborhood, what would you do? Would this be acceptable? Is this inclusive?
Just move
Despite the exodus of long-term residents, many remain in the neighborhood. Most of the current long-term residents cannot simply move, sell their homes, and relocate. For some, particularly the elderly, it’s not that simple. But the constant noise and other issues of living near dozens of illegal fraternity houses have made their lives difficult. If the City had adequately enforced its zoning regulations, laws, and noise ordinance, the negative impacts of the illegal fraternity houses would never have escalated to the point that it is now.