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CollegeTownLife Campus Expansion/ Historic Preservation |
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CollegeTownLife Campus Expansion/ Historic Preservation |
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"I didn't come to a college town to live in suburbia"
Two
Approaches to Campus Expansion “There’s a sense of trust you must develop as an institution,” he said. “With a community, you have to let them know what you’re doing.” BC’s policy of open disclosure stands in stark contrast to what Allston residents say is Harvard’s aloof approach to dealing with the community as the University expands in their neighborhood. “I think the community often sees Harvard as that 500-pound gorilla with no feelings whereas BC has that more personal touch to them,” said John Bruno, who sits on both the BC and Harvard community task forces ... Neighborhood
that lasts: Montana Preservation Alliance to honor founders, advocates
of homeowners association As a companion to the piece, Oliver enlisted a cameraman and editors from the journalism school to produce a short film touting the history, architecture and preservation of Missoula's university district housing ... University of Montana University District Houses YouTube Video Missoula, Montana - University District pictures on MontanaPictures.net Historical
status could keep students from West Side The naming comes after efforts made by the West Side Neighborhood Association of Binghamton — a group of residents dedicated to preserving the neighborhood’s standard of living and to the reestablishment of the “historically family-centered character of the West Side,” according to the organization’s Web site ... Historic
district plan returns That word would be “historic.” As in “historic-district ordinance.” The original concept here, struck down by Mayor Bill Welch in 2002, would have affected 1,159 homes in the Holmes-Foster, Highlands and College Heights areas. Plans to modify homes within the district would have been subject to review and certification by an architectural-review board ... Ole
Miss will relocate old faculty homes "There are very few homes in the Oxford-Lafayette County market available for less than $100,000," said Fred Laurenzo, president of LOU-Home Inc., the group that will move and rehabilitate 21 homes on faculty row. Laurenzo expects the houses to sell for between $70,000 and just over $100,000. Helping make the project possible, the city of Oxford has donated 5 acres of land, and seven Oxford-area banks will provide $1.8 million in funding ... As
College Grows, a City Is Asking, ‘Who Will Pay?’ Santa Cruz’s appeal has made it into one of the most popular of the University of California’s 10 campuses. But this, in turn, has recently led to a deep rift in the cozy relationship between the college and the city, with accusations of bad faith, voter referendums and nearly a dozen lawsuits pending or in the works ... CSU
fails to plan for housing The plan outlines an increase in enrollment by 20 percent (5000 students), 450 more faculty, improved teaching and research facilities, and many other programs that will improve the quality of CSU as an institution of higher education. However, one aspect of the plan seems to be lacking - explaining how CSU will handle housing these additional students. It ignores the impacts of increased enrollment on off-campus neighborhoods. Residents of Fort Collins and the core neighborhoods near CSU have already experienced the impacts of past failures regarding housing students. CSU has increased its enrollment by 20 percent since 1990 without accommodating the demand for more student housing. The impacts on the off-campus community have not been very pretty. Family neighborhoods are stressed by over-crowded and neglected student housing. There's been an invasion of party houses where alcohol violations run rampant. Neighboring families are moving away, often out of the city limits. CSU employees are moving further from their place of employment, thereby increasing traffic congestion and frustrating the city's goal of providing suitable housing near places of employment. Similarly, student automobile commuting contributes to traffic congestion. Neighborhood schools are suffering enrollment imbalances that have disrupted the entire K-12 school system. The city's Police and Neighborhood Services Office don't have sufficient budgets to effectively enforce laws that preserve the quality of life in family neighborhoods. There has developed a general climate of disrespect for values and municipal ordinances addressing quality of life in neighborhoods. Without taking action now, this scenario will accelerate over the next 10 years as a result of CSU's ambitious yet inadequate Strategic Plan ... Daring
From Within
Neighbors Opposing 31-Story Beacon Hill Dormitory
Demolition
Looms for Landmark St. Louis Dormitory As the spring semester ends at Washington University in St. Louis, so does the legacy of one of the oldest buildings on campus. Despite pleas from preservationists to save 105-year-old Prince Hall, the university is proceeding with plans to demolish the building by early June. Built in 1901 as a men's dormitory, Prince Hall is one of the original five buildings in the university's Hilltop Campus historic district, which was listed on the National Register in 1979 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Designed in the American Collegiate Gothic style, Prince Hall is one of only nine surviving campus buildings that were leased for use by the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. "This building is part of one of the most important landmark districts in the whole metropolitan area," says Esley Hamilton, preservation historian with the St. Louis County Parks department. "Considering that Washington University's reputation is partly based on their beautiful setting, I'm surprised they would demolish this building. ... University
To Raze 1863 House I live in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, in the Northeast Central part of the state, and have recently heard that an important historic home, built in 1863, is slated for demolition. It's located on Main Street in town and was built by Samuel Crist, one of the most extensive lumber opera lumber was the dominant industry in this Susquehana River community. Crist was also owner and president of the Lock Haven Gas Works, a member of School, which later became Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, thecurrent owner of his old home. It's a spectacular, if badly neglected house, with myriad period detail (plaster ceiling medallians, grand stairway, ornate marble fireplaces, glorious hard wood floors, etc.) still intact. The university's facilities manager tells me that the house will be torn down by July 1, and I would just hate to see that happen... Demolition
in offing for historic house Sherman Richardson wants town permission to tear down the house at 115 Battle Lane, which has fallen into disrepair, neighbors say. Edward Kidder Graham co-founded the Order of the Golden Fleece honor society in addition to serving as university president from 1914 to 1918. The town's Historic District Commission must approve the demolition. It will consider the proposal at a meeting May 11. Preservationists used the house to bolster their case for a tougher town ordinance, approved this year, that gives the government authority to compel owners of historic properties to maintain them. Addressing
neighborhood decay That is unlikely for three reasons: academic trends, demographic trends and global trends in energy production. First, the assumption that the number of students living off-campus will only increase is worth questioning. From an academic standpoint, it certainly isn’t desirable; the trend is in the opposite direction. Research shows that students who live on campus are more likely to graduate; they are much more likely to have informal contact with faculty, which can improve their academic performance and make them more satisfied with their college experience. Research also shows that students who live on campus make better use of their time (since they don’t do all the buying and cooking and cleaning, etc.) and develop a better sense of themselves as students. In addition, the money that landlords are currently harvesting from the students of WSU could be captured for the university’s benefit — a fact the university can’t help but notice. Given all this, is it likely that the current abnormally high off-campus housing rates will continue into the future? Or are more units like the East Lake dorms a probable scenario? Second, middle-class Winonans assume that they will continue to value what they value now: the typical large home on the large suburban lot. But in fact this represents a middle-class value only so long as children are in the picture. The trend for the older baby boomer population is in the opposite direction: Empty nesters want smaller houses served by public transportation and close to crucial services such as shopping and health care. The demographics are undeniable: Most of us will soon be old, and we won’t want to mow that acre of lawn and we will be unable to drive at night. Where will we live, then? We are already seeing the answer in places like the Kensington or Washington Crossing. But the viability of such developments, or of continued downtown house ownership, is much reduced when the surrounding neighborhood becomes a slum, which is essentially what is happening. Finally, the willingness on the part of Winona’s middle class to abandon the city core to its fate is based on the assumption that their automobile-dependent, energy-guzzling lifestyle will continue into the foreseeable future. This assumption is becoming very hard to defend, both from the supply angle and from the environmental consequence angle. Whether you follow peak oil scenarios — which claim that we have reached the peak or highest point of oil production worldwide — or you read the very disturbing climate change predictions which claim that runaway global warming has already begun, leading to possibly lethal consequences for our civilization — it is clear that we will soon have to start figuring out better ways to get to work and cheaper ways to heat our houses. Our lifestyle is trending one way, while our resource base and the health of our environment are trending the opposite. There will be a reappraisal of what is affordable, and it will come sooner than most people realize. Winona’s downtown neighborhoods were designed for the energy-efficient, socially compact lifestyle of the 1890s. Most people got around on foot or by streetcar. Shopping districts were dispersed in neighborhood corner markets (many of the storefronts of these neighborhood stores still exist and in fact only went out of business in the early 1980s). Instead of driving to the grocery store, the grocery wagon came to you, as did the furniture maker and the milkman. It sounds insane to claim that this lifestyle would ever come back, and of course it won’t, leastways not in the exact same form. But the future of Winona lies more in its past than in its suburbs. In 10 years, many students may not be able to afford cars, and many seniors will not be able to drive them. Home heating costs may be a major expense. Many of us are already finding out that we can’t afford to heat the size of house that we thought we wanted back in the 1990s. This means that dorms will be more efficient for students, and small and walkable neighborhoods will look very appealing to the rest of us. The city council is attempting to take the long view, whereas both the students and the landlords are assuming that the status quo will remain. That seems to me dubious, and I applaud the bravery of the council for putting long-term thinking ahead of short-term gain. This may not be the best ordinance — time will tell — but the goal it articulates is the sensible one for our collective future. Jim Armstrong teaches literature, creative writing and composition at Winona State University. His two daughters both attend Bluffview Montessori, and his wife is an English teacher who hopes to teach in the public schools here some day. He is a poet whose latest book of poetry will be published by Milkweed Editions in March. Guest views are opinions of the author and don’t necessarily reflect the views of the Winona Daily News. They are published to stimulate thought and to provide an expanded forum on issues of local interest. Small
town will not remain tiny for long It also creates more traffic and air pollution, chews up farmland and makes it harder for people to afford the new homes. The good and bad of the newest University of California campus stand for all to see as an accelerated model of the Central Valley's pride — and growing pains... Residents
concerned about downtown houses And while some of the local and absentee landlords who own these properties see nothing wrong with this phenomenon, there are plenty of residents who are worried about what they view as the deterioration of the character of their neighborhoods and the quality of life in their hometown. "It's a very nice town and I want to keep it a very nice town for the people who come here," said John Alton, who is the chairman of Milledgeville's Historic Preservation Commission and a downtown resident. "From a preservation standpoint...older buildings are one of the centerpieces of tourist attractions in Milledgeville. All the (local) organizations publicized 'Capitals, Columns and Culture.' Well, we're losing two-thirds of that slogan. The culture of the downtown and the character of the downtown is disappearing when those houses become quasi-apartment buildings. "Anytime you put more than a single family in
a single-family house it should go before planning and zoning,"
he continued, referring to all of the current rental properties that
were never officially re-zoned. "Now, if my neighborhood doesn't
care that a house is being converted into an apartment, then it's OK.
But if the neighbors don't like it, at least they have a venue to voice
their opinion. And that's all they're asking for is a voice."... The goal of the rezoning is to maintain the single-family quality of established neighborhoods, limiting the number of duplexes and apartment complexes, said Harry Hamilton, the city's chief planner. Signs erected by the association of landlords in opposition
to the measure said it would affect students' rights in the zone. But
Hamilton said the rezoning has "absolutely no impact on anybody's
right to rent property within the area."... Commission
approves occupancy ordinance Town
views law to save historic homes It shouldn’t have come to that, local preservationists say. But there the historical home sits, at age 96, with yellow caution tape strapped around its front and an insulated tarp hanging where the porch used to be. Graham, a UNC alumnus, co-founder of the Order of the Golden Fleece and former university president, built it. Members of the Historic District Commission hope Chapel Hill leaders will pass an ordinance that might prevent further deterioration of this and other historic homes. At a public hearing tonight at 7, discussions will begin about an ordinance to prevent “demolition by neglect,” allowing a building to deteriorate to the point that demolition becomes the only option. “There’s some sense of obligation to the community when you buy an historic home,” said Catherine Frank, executive director of the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill. “We’d like everyone to go after that carrot. But sometimes you have to have a stick.” That stick would come in the form of a law that would allow the town, in concert with the commission, to require property owners in the historic district to make improvements at their own expense. The only leverage the Historic District Commission has is requiring historic property owners to get the commission’s permission to demolish a structure... Campus neighborhoods make Tennessee's top 10 endangered
list
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Wants Help From The City Bradley's president says the school needs to grow beyond its 75 acres to stay competitive. David Broski says more modern student housing, another parking deck and a new recreation center are part of the long-term plan. The University recently bought several homes in the Arbor District. But the neighborhood is outside the school's institutional boundary and zoned R-4. Peoria City Attorney Randy Ray said, ''What everyone agrees on here is that if they own these properties, they can only use them as is appropriate in an R-4 zoning district and none of the uses that you've just talked about are appropriate in an R-4 zoning district.'' Armond Ciota of the Arbor District Neighborhood Association said, ''Why do they need to keep moving this way, when you could move that way?'' Ciota lives on Maplewood to Bradley's west. He suggests growth to the east is a better idea and in agreement with the Heart of Peoria Plan and Bradley's expected involvement in the Med Tech district. Ray says the city supports development to the east, too. But is the city willing to step in and stop the westward movement? Council members are expected to tackle this debate in executive session tonight. BU
land grab irks neighbors "If homeowners have to sue the city to get them to enforce their own ordinance, that looks really bad, very embarrassing," said Armond Ciota, president of the Arbor District Neighborhood Association. Meanwhile, Bradley officials admit they are getting "unsolicited calls" from other property owners interested in selling... City
administration sleeps while Arbor District is plowed over by BU Aren't members of the city administration -- the city manager, the corporation counsel and the director of planning and zoning -- supposed to follow the instructions of the the city council? And do not all three of these people serve at the pleasure of the city council? Apparently, that's not the case in Peoria. In late March, the current holders of these positions -- Randy Oliver, Randy Ray and Pat Landes -- made commitments to their bosses to review information they received from residents of the Arbor District neighborhood. These folks are worried that Bradley University is buying up houses. They say it's a violation of city ordinance, which prohibits the university from expanding across Maplewood Avenue across from Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse... College's
growth pains neighbors The college's growth has boosted its reputation and strengthened its finances. At the same time, it has sparked anxiety among residents on Brush Hill Road, one of the most desirable sections of Milton... Campus
Neighbors Propose Historic District as Challenge To University’s
Encroachment And if two residents of Panoramic Hill have their way, their neighborhood will become a federal historic district, a proposal endorsed Monday by Berkeley’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. In a 62-page application submitted to the state Office of Historic Preservation, Janice Thomas and Fredrica Drotos single out 61 homes for specific designation, including Thomas’s own 1911 home at 37 Mosswood Road, designed by noted Berkeley architect Walter H. Ratcliff. The next step comes Feb. 4, when the State Historic Resources Commission considers the application during a meeting in Bakersfield. Maryln Lortie, historian with the state office, is optimist about approval: “In my 20 years with the office, this is one of the nicest residential districts I’ve ever seen. It has all of the stars of California architecture, everyone from Maybeck to William Wurster. It’s really quite beautiful.” Lortie said state approval is highly likely, as is the final step—acceptance by the federal Keeper of the National Register, who typically responds within 45 days. “We have a really good track record in winning approvals,” Lortie said. When landmarks commissioners were informed of the proposal this week, one mused, “I wonder if there’s a hidden agenda behind this.” “Isn’t there always?” quipped another. And Janice Thomas is the first to agree. “Take a look at the university’s latest Long Range Development Plan, Volume IIIA, page 9-1.8, second paragraph, where it talks about historic resources. In the tables listing representative conditions, our neighborhood isn’t identified as having any historic resources,” she said. “We should at least be mentioned. “So much for accuracy and thoroughness.” Hillside neighbors have had ongoing battles with the university and hope that national recognition will give them added leverage against UC intrusions. Thomas and other neighbors stopped a 1999 effort to install permanent television lights at UC Memorial Stadium, winning their victory on the grounds that the proposal would adversely impact the historic resources embodied in the homes on the hillside. A second try by the school was rejected last year on the same grounds. At the same time of UC’s first try for lights, neighbors were disturbed at the construction of new housing on the slope that was starkly out of character with the others. “On one property we went to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and we were told we would have more influence of designs for new projects if we formed a historic district,” she said... Turf
Wars The order required that 70 percent of the university's undergraduates must live within its campus boundaries. (Currently, 38 percent are housed in off-campus facilities.) The zoning board later tagged on a condition designed to enforce its order: No new academic complexes could be built, the board said, until the university met the residential requirement. This past September, after a string of different rulings from the three courts, the D.C. Court of Appeals ordered a solution that might finally put the matter to rest: George Washington must meet the 70-percent benchmark by 2006. Until then, the university is free to build as it wishes... Mending
walls Brown students love a challenge, but this was one they shouldn't have had the opportunity to face. On a campus and in a neighborhood marked by wealth, there is no reason historically significant buildings should be left to decay. The houses are valuable in their own right, and they also occupy prime real estate on the edge of campus - space that should certainly be used for a more productive purpose. Brown's disregard for the dignity of these houses is offensive to neighbors who maintain their own property well... But no matter what Brown ultimately does with its vacant houses, it must first restore them to a livable condition. Some of these historic structures are already in an alarming state of decay, and restoring them will only become more difficult and more expensive the longer the University waits. As a first step, the University should make an immediate and firm commitment to restore the houses. By keeping the campus beautiful and preserving the area's history, Brown will benefit both itself and its community... An
Unfriendly Debate No, the unpleasantness in Davis has a history all its own. The "town" and the "gown" in this case are struggling over the nature of the community itself and the power each side will have in determining its future. The townies want less exploding growth, the university wants, or needs, more... Universities as Developers North Allston, MA
Bellingham, WA Boulder, CO
Eau Claire, WI Georgetown, DC (also see Quality of Life) Kansas City, MO Newton, MA Oxford, MS Tuscon, AZ |
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