Impacted Neighbors
Frustration
On June 2nd, 2022, New Times reporter Bulbul Rajagopal published a story called “Nuisance on the block: SLO’s long-term residents and students struggle to see eye-to-eye.” It covered the story of Kye Martin, a San Luis Obispo resident, who was frustrated by the disruptive behavior of college students living next door. His experience was very similar to ours. His family lived in the house that his wife grew up in, and they endured escalating noise and unruly conduct from his Cal Poly student next-door neighbors. Martin described frequent disturbances from loud techno music, beer pong games, profanity, and litter, including beer cans in his yard. Despite repeated complaints to the SLO Police Department, the response was limited to warnings and an eventual citation, which he found was ineffective at curbing the behavior and disappointing.
Disruptive Behaviour
His dissatisfaction with the disruptive behavior of his student neighbors was also shared by the former San Luis Obispo Mayor, Jan Marx, who lived in the Alta Vista neighborhood. She was surrounded by satellite fraternity houses on her street, Albert Drive, and moved to a quieter area due to similar issues. Mayor Marx advocated for updates to noise ordinances, particularly to address intrusive bass-heavy music. However, the article also mentioned she faces challenges in gaining support from fellow City Council members. The issue worsened for Kye’s family because of the increasing number of rental properties owned by investors or parents of students, leading to a decline in owner-occupied homes. Kye Martin noted a shift from community-minded neighbors to transient student renters who often disregard noise regulations. He attributed part of the problem to Cal Poly’s insufficient on-campus housing, pushing students into residential neighborhoods.
The article mentioned Student Kyle Robert Anderson, who argued that off-campus living offers more freedom and affordability than university accommodations. Anderson and his eight housemates received a noise violation, which he disputes, claiming they were unfairly targeted for noise made by others. The article mentioned that the community remains divided, with permanent residents and some students advocating for better enforcement and housing solutions.
Constructive Eviction
After the article was written, both Kye Martin and Jan Marx left the neighborhood. Constructively evicted by fraternity satellite houses operating as full-fledged fraternities. In an ironic twist, when Kye Martin sold his home and moved out, more bedrooms were added and Phi Kappa Si, a fraternity, moved into the house he once occupied.