HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/26/2026 Item 5a, Czech
FW: Upcoming Neighborhood-Student Behavior Challenges, Item 5A, City Council
meeting,26th May, 2026
From: Genevieve Czech <
Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2026 10:19:49 PM
To: Stewart, Erica A <estewart@slocity.org>; Marx, Jan <jmarx@slocity.org>; Shoresman, Michelle
<mshoresm@slocity.org>; mbosw@slocity.orgell <mbosw@slocity.orgell>; emailxcouncil@slocity.org
<emailxcouncil@slocity.org>; Courtney Leigh Kienow <ckienow@calpoly.edu>
Subject: Upcoming Neighborhood-Student Behavior Challenges, Item 5A, City Council meeting,26th May, 2026
Dear City Council Members, Lady Mayoress, and Courtney Kienow:
Please reject overlay zones or zone changes being proposed by the Inter Fraternity Council President in
view of the expansion of fraternities commensurate with the university student population growth. The
City general plan pledges to protect neighborhood liveability for its permanent residents and taxpayers.
The University dismisses the neighborhood problems with illegal fraternities as the city and home
owners' problem.
May we remind the University that such an attitude is in direct contradiction to their "San Luis Obispo
Neighborhood Wellness/Community Civility Report" published in Spring 2015, after extensive
research/meetings/consultations/reference to best practices in other higher ed. institutions (e.g. Univ. of
Massachusetts, University of Colorado Boulder ). There were 6 explicit objectives identified. For over 3
decades the Student- Liaison Committee has worked with city officials and neighborhood residents, and
a unified attempt was agreed upon under the direction of Dr. Armstrong and Dr. Stork and then Mayor Jan
Marx. New programs were instituted like the Off campus Living Education Program with videos and
literature on matters related to noise violations/garbage disposal/house maintenance. It was even
suggested that judicial information be released to off campus entities, citing Plymouth State University's
example. There was an effort to generate a neighborhood map of housing rental properties. These efforts
do not reflect the University's refusal to disclose student off campus addresses in order to protect their
confidentiality; Cal State Universities Chico,Fresno,Sacramento do not use this excuse in
disclosing addresses. It would seem that the co-operation of city police and campus police would
benefit with more precise knowledge of off-campus student residents, particularly those which are in
fact"illegal" fraternity chapters, ensuring the safety of the students and permanent residents.
The City, the University and Cuesta College, together with the SCLC must review their earlier pledges to
meet the 6 objectives identified in a unified effort to sustain positive relationships. Before any changes to
existing zoning rules, make this review using all the recommendations the "Champions" of the
committees advised. When their extensive work began in 2013, the illegal fraternities were not as
widespread, nor were there so many fraternities altogether. Nevertheless, neighborhood wellness will
not benefit with zoning changes, but rather with a vision to achieve harmony and mutual respect within
the existing community.
Respectfully, Genevieve Czech, 612 Stanford Drive, San Luis Obispo
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