HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/28/2025 Item 4a & 4b, Smith
carolyn smith <
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:Planning Commission - May 29, 2025 - Review of Two Conditional Use Permits for
Fraternities
Chair Cooley and Commissioners:
I am a 15 year member of Residents for Quality Neighborhoods (RQN) whose mission is to preserve,
protect, and improve the quality of life for residents in neighborhoods. I would hope that is the city's
mission as well.
Many years ago, the city created the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process for fraternities operating
in R-3 and R-4 zones adjacent to single-family neighborhoods because the city recognized that the
lifestyle of fraternities is very different than the family lifestyle. It's a conflict that must have checks
and balances in order to allow for peaceful co-existence. The conditions of a CUP have provided
residents with the understanding and assurance that these conflicting lifestyles in a neighborhood
would not destroy the quality of life for family residents who work and go to school and/or students
living in the area who want to focus on their education by studying to get good grades. When CUP
conditions are ignored and the disturbances to nearby neighborhoods (sometimes blocks away)
become so bad that family and other residents can't sleep, can't study, suffer from anxiety, and have
lost the enjoyment of their home to the drastic point of having to move to gain peace and safety, the
city's CUP process has failed. So, the city needs to step in to protect all residents living near these
operations.
A CUP issued to a fraternity should be considered a privilege, not a right. Fraternities are given
conditions and rules to follow and understand there are consequences if they violate those conditions.
When they do violate those conditions, their CUP should be reviewed and if they are found to be
purposely and blatantly violating their conditions with numerous large loud parties and events that
they know are obviously disturbing their neighbors, they've proven they can't be trusted to operate
within the parameters of their CUP which should then be revoked. It's disappointing to see that Staff's
recommendation is to give them more chances by modifying their conditions. They've already violated
their existing conditions, so how can they be trusted to follow any new additional conditions?
The violations and extreme disturbances to the adjacent neighborhoods of the two fraternities being
reviewed are demonstrated by the noise complaints and other violations issued for their large parties
and events summarized in Kathie Walker's agenda correspondence. This is obvious disregard for the
city's rules and most importantly their neighbors. These fraternity members knew and understood
they weren't supposed to host these large parties and events, and they knew and understood they
would be greatly disturbing their neighbors, yet they did it anyway. These are not little children. They
are bright young adults who know right from wrong. Giving them more chances will not only send the
wrong message to them and all the other fraternities legally and illegally operating in the
neighborhoods adjacent to Cal Poly, but it will give them a “do over,” which, as history proves, will
only allow them an extension of time to further disturb their neighbors. Please give the residents who
have to work and go to school each day more weight than you give to fraternity members who feel
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they don't have to follow rules if it interferes with their fun and don't care how that fun disturbs their
neighbors.
You might wonder why there aren't more residents stepping up to complain. As you've seen from a
few brave agenda correspondents, many are afraid of retaliation from fraternity members. RQN has
heard from numerous residents about some of these retaliation events ranging from kicking down
front doors, to vandalizing property, to threats of harm to intimidate, and now even cyber stalking.
Many have given up and just moved—basically being run out of their long-time homes. This is
something the city should be taking seriously if they value maintaining family neighborhoods, because
as Cal Poly grows its enrollment without providing adequate housing for their students, these types of
neighborhood conflicts will continue to rise.
During the past few years, fraternities and their satellites have now crept into R-1 and R-2 zones,
causing extreme havoc in those neighborhoods—not only with their loud large parties and events but
with students roaming the neighborhoods while coming and going to the parties at all hours of the
night screaming, yelling, vandalizing, urinating, and vomiting in residents' front yards. Since these
illegal operations violate our zoning code and create a land use conflict, it seems it would be
appropriate for the Planning Commission to agendize the issue of these illegal fraternity and satellite
operations in R-1 and R-2 zones for a public conversation in an attempt to resolve this problem. At
this point, the city has no intention of even having a public discussion about this until a year from
now, during which time residents will have to continue to endure the extreme disturbances from these
illegal operations in their neighborhood. If the Planning Commission would place this on an agenda
in the near future, perhaps the process to enforce our zoning and municipal codes could begin and
hopefully expedite a solution.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Carolyn Smith
45 years SLO Resident
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