LEWISTON — Rising complaints about loud parties, overcrowding and parking has city officials rethinking code requirements for off-campus Bates College housing.
The City Council will host a public hearing Tuesday, Feb. 21, on a proposed moratorium, which would prohibit establishing a “lodging house” in the Neighborhood Conservation “B” district for six months.
City Planning and Code Enforcement officials say more single-family dwellings are accommodating students, and longtime residents are worried it is changing the neighborhood dynamic.
A number of residents spoke publicly about the issue during a council workshop Tuesday.
“A moratorium will provide us time to obtain input from neighbors, property owners, existing lodging house operators, and Bates College to determine what are the biggest issues that need to be addressed and gather thoughts on how to resolve them,” City Planner David Hediger said this week.
Lodging houses and boarding houses are allowed in both the neighborhood conservation “B” and downtown residential zones, but typically haven’t been used for student housing, said Ward 1 City Councilor Jim Lysen. He said lodging houses are normally defined as short-term or transient housing.
Lysen said the issue came to his attention while campaigning last year, when he witnessed a party at a residence with a live band and kegs of beer. He said buildings are bought by developers and converted to accommodate students.
He said he’s discussed the issue with residents, particularly in the vicinity of Davis and White streets, which are intersected by College and Oak streets.
Mayor Robert Macdonald was outspoken on the issue this week.
“If they want some more housing, they can build some more buildings,” he said. “This is changing the face of the neighborhood.”
According to Hediger’s memo to the council, the city will allow the conversion of structures with a dwelling or dwellings into a lodging house, as long as zoning, parking and building code requirements are met.
Lewiston Fire Prevention regulates one- and two-family dwellings as lodging houses if each dwelling unit is occupied by members of a single family and more than three outsiders, at which time a sprinkler and alarm system is required. If zoning and fire codes can be met, he said, the applicant must also apply for a lodging license from the city.
“This is resulting in homes being converted into lodging houses for Bates students,” he said.
Maura Murphy, of 23 White St., said she grew up in the area. Her parents still live the next street over, on Davis Street.
“To say the character of the neighborhood has changed is a gross understatement,” she said.
She said parking is an issue, but “our neighborhood has become Animal House row.” She said she recently counted more than 100 people coming out of a party on the street two weeks ago.
Murphy said developers who have bought homes in the area in order to convert them have been calling other neighbors, asking if they’d be willing to sell.
Hediger said the city doesn’t necessarily know when a building is being used as off-campus student housing, but will often check in on buildings to make sure they’re meeting life-safety requirements. Code Enforcement has taken action in the past, as recently as last year, he said.
“As far as I know, kids have been living in single-family homes around Bates College for decades,” Hediger said, adding that for some reason, it’s now causing more issues.
Officials at Bates College say they know exactly where their students are living.
According to Carl Steidel, senior associate dean of students, living off-campus is only available to a certain number of Bates seniors each year, and they keep tabs on where students are located.
He said there is an application and lottery process to allow seniors to live off campus; otherwise, students are required to live on campus. He said the number fluctuates yearly, but that about 170 students are living off-campus this year. Based on current numbers, he said, next year there will be 30 fewer.
Steidel said each off-campus location also has a “house liaison,” and that Bates campus security works closely with Lewiston police. He said the college has a “progressive discipline process” for when parties or other disruptions occur, beginning with warnings and possibly ending with revoking a student’s permission to live off-campus.
He said the “cluster” of locations in the area of Davis and White streets has grown by a few buildings, which has caused concern from the residents. He and other Bates officials plan to meet with city planning staff to discuss the issue.
Hediger said if the moratorium is passed, any ordinance amendments will require involvement by the Planning Board and City Council.
He said Planning and Code Enforcement has not received any recent complaints, but it works with Lewiston police on properties “that may have too many students without having an alarm or sprinkler system in place.”
Lysen estimated 12 to 15 buildings are used for students in the area, but Hediger didn’t know the exact number.
“That’s part of the problem or challenge: Unless we receive a complaint or it’s brought to our attention, we don’t know about it,” Hediger said.
Lysen said he’s set to meet with representatives from Bates College next week. He said there’s been “pretty good collaboration” between the parties to begin addressing the issue.