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June 1...Urban Blight Day around UMD

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An interesting new twist on how-effciently-can-duluth-destroy-it's-own-neighborhoods is that the "nice kids", supported by their helicopter moms,
have started moving in and living here in the summers. The ONLY three months we could have any respite from the bud-lite-fired-chest-thumping-cope-chewing-piss-outside maddness are now gone...why? BECAUSE DULUTH IS COOL!! only it's an illuson of cool because it's really NOT..because now it's ONE BIG FRICKIN DORM without RAs..actually, thats sounds cool....City's response? Oh, I know...let's repeal the only law which addressed this RAPE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS..yeah!...I call out all councilors and mayors who claimed to support neighborhoods during the last election TO ACTUALLY DO SO!!! I tottaly support Reinhardt's efforts...it all sounds great, I'd love to live there..it's called a REAL COLLEGE TOWN...except the process creating the mythical new zoning regulations cant be funded and wont be completed by the time the moritorium on new rentals expires (due to a state law limiting the time which moritoriums can be in place)...go figure...the 300' rule brought all the parties to the table..the local relators and rental companies are active parts of the solution ....NOW... (btw, when's their next meeting?)...because long term residents and families and enlightened councilors held them accountable....WHERE'S UMD IN ALL OF THIS????...the regents and umd administration have missed an opportunity to be a part of the solution, where's your innovative urban planning grad students from the humphry inst...they have one of them urban planning programs there dont they? where's The U of M's support (financially) to the creation of informed and evolved zoning around their campus in Duluth...instead, their continued silence makes them of one of the parties to THE RAPE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. Oh and yeah, all of you who are gonna call me lame and an old fart (or worse), just know II'd LOVE to live in a REAL COLLEGE TOWN...not 13th grade.

Have a great summer everyone.

Comments

baci, you know the regents at UMD don't give a hoot in hell about what happens outside the campus boundaries...so long as they get that blood money from the students.

not surprising. if ever the city admin were to muster the cajones to cal them on their bullshit, they'd likely be ignored because the UMD regents know one very important fact: that financially, they have the city by the shorthairs and are therefore beholden to no one when it comes to the accountability of the youngsters in their charge.

driving around the hood this weekend, i saw tons of garbage piled curbside only to sit and rot and stink and get strewn around by kids and wind and vermin until midweek when Hartells (et al) finally comes to pick it all up.


Well, I understand that you're frustrated, but you're not going to get anywhere by comparing your noisy and messy neighbors to RAPISTS. Who looks like the whackjob in that scenario?

Secondly, zra, tuition is not "blood money," and college students are adults and therefore not in anyone's "charge."

This kind of overdramatized conversation does no one any good.


Whatever happened to having a neighborhood watch or expecting the police department to enforce the laws already on the books? Very little of what has been described by homeowners as nuisance behavior is legal. Thus the problem isn't the law, it is enforcement.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective) no amount of zoning is going to keep bud-lite drinking frat boy wannabes from living in your neighborhood so long as they or their parents have copious amounts of money. So why don't we stop blaming the hard working city councilors and start asking what needs to be done, either at a community level or with our police department to better enforce nuisance laws?

As for UMD, I think we need to stop expecting the city to have any influence with them. The city doesn't provide funding, the state does. Perhaps our state legislators could pressure the U to establish a code of conduct that governs off campus behavior with academic-related consequences?


It should be noted that not every college student living in Duluth behaves in this way. To the contrary, some college students are in agreement on the nuisance created by the frat boys' 100+ person kegger.


Honestly, @ndy, I for one don't believe that the DPD has the resources to actually cite these violations. I've personally called the police before on my college-aged neighbors, but only when I witnessed an act of violence.

They generally arrive too late, beat on the door for awhile (the offenders know that they aren't legally obligated to open the door and they never do), and then leave, because if they don't they might arrive too late at the next crime where someone might be getting terribly hurt.

The cops have better things to do than wake up a judge to get a warrant so that they can issue a noise ticket and a handful of consumption tickets, especially considering that they get (I've heard) 40-50 similar complaints every weekend night.


Possibly stiff fines leveed on property owners where multiple fines or complaints are issued.


barrett, you're right. poor choice of words on my part. however, if students are adults, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect them to conduct themselves as such?

I think I remember hearing that the DPD added 7 new squads solely for the purpose of dealing with college party/noise complaints. Mebbe some verification of this might be in order.


Barrett, Those who are exploiting and allowing Duluth's weak kneed in-ability to craft and stand by a legislated response are the ones raping our neighborhoods...I'm honored and delighted when I meet fun, active college renters. I've just had far too many experiences to the contrary to take any stance other than the one I now hold. Last October I watched my wife go into the ICU with a stress related sickness which almost killed her...the stress was the result of 4 sophomores living next door who told us on move in day..."This is our first house, we're gonna have some fun!". Yesterday 6 new kids moved in the house behind them and 4 new ones in a new house behind us...now thats 13+ kids in 3 houses directly surrounding mine. and all the moms say "my kid is a good kid" I've heard it so much I'll puke on the keds of the next coon rapids mom who says it to me. 6 kids in a half lot house built for a family. Do the math, lawyer guy from hawaii who owns galt-speak student rentals is making $2400 a month and providing JACKSH!T to the kids/house/neighborhood/city. It is rape


I feel for you Baci. I agree with your comments, including all the refuse strewn onto boulevards this weekend.
I am surprised at the amount of out of town students renting for the summer.
What happened to only having to deal with tourists in the summer?
I am on the fence with this issue. I believe we have laws that deal with noise/disorder. They can be enforced on the individual and the landlord. I also believe the students themselves are expected to live within our laws and conduct themselves as citizens.
Video tape the people arriving or leaving the party and post on the net - maybe some sort of fun underage/idiot drinking party page. Provide a video and a commentary of your attempts in dealing with the DPD.
You could get "Michael Moore" style on them with some sort of documentary.
I live on Superior Street and the house on the end of the block start lighting fireworks now and go all summer - apparently best time is between 11p to 2am.



Baci, your comments are passionate and I feel for you as well.

I had to send my pooch to the hospital for three days and wound up with a 2500 vet bill because of my neighbors. [I know I've mentioned that a million times here but what'evs]

I have actually had a sit down with a Duluth Police Officer and was assured that the house next to mine was put on some sort of "list". This means that every weekend they go out of their way to patrol that corner. We'll see. What I really met with the officer for was the fact that the former tenants left rotting animal carcasses under their deck adjacent to my yard. I contacted the landlord and a whole slew of city officials to get it taken care of. I have never received any communication with the landlord whom I'd LOVE to name here because she's a prominent real estate agent in town, but I won’t let my passion for the subject get the better of me this time. I've contacted her because of public urination and the yard waste that sickened my pup. Nary a call or comment. I wanted to the police officer to facilitate a meeting with her, but that too did not happen. She apparently is a member of the responsible renters association which I think was just created to cover their asses.

What I suggest is to contact the landlords of these properties until you are blue in the face. Make them aware of you and the action you plan to take should the tenants get out of line. Apparently landlords get a limit of calls to the police before their renter’s license in revoked.

Keep copies of all of your communication.

I am planning on writing a letter to the new tenants of this house, letting them know about our neighborhood distain for this rental unit and that the home is on the DPD’s list of houses to patrol. I think they should know what they are getting into before they even walk through the door. These kids don’t even have a chance to be good kids, because the landlord let one too many partiers destroy our streets, property and pets.


I'm not sure what the law actually says, but I say that land lords should be cited or maybe even have their rental licenses suspended if their tenants are a nuisance. Hit them in their pocketbooks and they will be checking references and issuing eviction orders to the folks that are causing the problems. Living in the hillside for a number of years, and in this particular spot for 6 years now I can say that nine times out of ten the problem people are living in the same two houses on my block. THE people change every six months or so, but the problems stay just about the same. Doesn't that sound more like an absentee landlord problem more than anything else?
--
I do hope that the guy manages to have "fanatical" customer service, but I can't imagine how he'll pull that off if he's livin' in Hawaii. Sounds like more of the same to me ... only with a better web designer.


Talking to the renters and landlords and property managers *may* solve your immediate problem...the BIGGER ISSUE must be dealt with by your councilors...who are currently bent on pulling the rug out from under you in the name of "better business". I've been at the council meetings when landlord after landlord (mostly all goatee'd former UMD students themselves who smelled a buck became sh!th0le owners...must be a new degree program up there or something) have come up claiming they contribute to the economic..blah blah..blah...If you want to take serious action...talk to your councilors...they are the ones who are gonna cave and repeal the 300' ordinance..I DONT claim thats a perfect solution but it's one in effect now..As I've said above, I fully support efforts to create a MANAGED GROWTH OPTION..where's there is some intentionality and planning involved..but it's NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. We're out! See you in Hermantown..I hear they have good schools and an actual, homeowner driven, tax base.


Seriously! Why is it so hard to get the man's name right?!? R E I N E R T ! ! ! No bloody H or D or anything else!


REINERT!!! Who is that?? I'm talking about Councilor Rheinhardt and his proposal to for every UMD student to not have ANY fun EVER and outlaw higher education...no really..I'm super sorry..my already abismal and atrociuos splelling is even worse when I get hot under the collar. I want to be clear..I support Councilor Reinert and everyone working at a constructive and sustainable resolution to this. Obviously, I'm not being very constructive right now and I appologize for that. One day, I hope to resume adding to the solution but seeing the hillside this last weekend and meeting my 14 new neighbors really set me off! Also I want to say I've been really pleased with the DPD and UMDPD pro-active efforts, this is what is needed to send the message that we ALL have to live together. Sorry Roger fr the miss spelling.


I do agree with JP: the frequent problem houses are the same problem houses. Be it lots and lots and lots of friends that stop over for five minutes at a time or late night Busche Lite shenanigans. Make landlord's life a living hell; repeat.

I know you've got the energy and enough creativity for an entire Bill Murray movie. Get to work.


Wait... I think we missed something important... Baci, you're moving to Hermantown?!?


i wanna move to hermantown,too now.


Dont worry, Tamara...As a Rail (proctor class of '82) I wouldn't be caught dead living in Hermantown. The only reasons I go to Hermantown are to cult watch at Hermantown Community Church and stop at Zen House. I'd NEVER leave Duluth for Hermantown...we're moving to Lakewood!


Will you rent your house to me and my buddies when you move to Lakewood?


"RAPE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS"?!?!? Are you serious??
Usually you're an alright guy, but your whole "only people in my income range can live in my neighborhood!" thing has really gone too far.
There is a big difference between "neighborhood rape" and the fact that you don't like your new neighbors!


Was he saying he didn't like people outside of his income range or the people outside his window?


I like only really rich people outside my windows...I like to be the poor guy inside my windows...my really expensive windows that are part of the 100 year old house I'm charged with taking care of..where my family sits..where my child sleeps...when she's not getting woken up by a bunch of drunk ass rut heads from outerburbia having a brawl on 19th Ave. at 3am on a work night.AGAIN, it's not people "outside my income bracket" that are doing the "raping", it's US!...We're raping our own neighborhoods...and infrastructre in general..through our inaction... I think it's rooted in an irrational,right-wing talk radio induced fear of informed, healthy and effective representative governance....but that's all academic when all of a sudden the home I've chosen, the neighborhood/community I live in is being turned into an under-regulated cash cow for some guy who lives in Hawaii. The renters are getting the shaft as much as I am...6 kids in a tiny house??!? Accuse me of being a hot head, accuse me of being incendiary, accuse me of being out of touch...but please dont accuse me of being an elitist...ok go ahead and accuse me of that too...I'll take it...I just want only nice people outside my window.


I'm not sure what the answer to the rentals issue is. I do know that when we moved here back in 2000 it was a surprisingly expensive rental market. Thus I've always been a little gunshy about jumping on the limit-rentals bandwagon. Of course it's relatively easy for me to say, since we live down in Lakeside.

I thought the 300 foot rule was a decidedly inelegant approach anyhow. With all the resource constraints, I still think strict enforcement of existing laws with fines levied on landlords is the best lever to use.

One thing I've been surprised no one seems to have talked about is encouraging/guilting UMD into adopting the sort of program they have at some other schools, where the institution provides some sort of subsidy to faculty (and staff?) who buy houses in neighborhoods near campus. That's not an instant band-aid, but it seems like a step in a positive direction.


I spent 13 years living in the Ann Arbor MI/Ypsilanti area. Ann Arbor MI is a wholy-owned subsidiary of the University of Michigan. Ypsilanti is where the "help" lives. I lived for 10 years in Ann Arbor near campus, and 3 years in Ypsi with the rest of the "help."

We can allow Duluth to be turned into a campus bedroom community, or not, and if we don't, that's what it's turning into anyway. So -- we kick some butt, especially allying with the Unions (I spent most of that time working for a Union at U of M), because after all the folks that work at the University live here too -- and have a ready made national organization.

Worth a thought, done right.


I can sympathize with the issue of living surrounded by college students, as it sometimes resembles life among a pack of coyotes--yipping, fighting, blatant fornication, dead rabbits all over the place, etc.

On the other hand, I can also sympathize with the "six kids in a tiny house" scenario. In 1991, to save money while attending the University of Michigan, I spent a semester living on a couch in the corner of somebody else's apartment for $50 a month. I'm pretty sure I wasn't on the lease.


The fact that "problem" neighbors attend college is kind of not the point. It is their behavior- whether or not they go to UMD. Enforcing existing laws would of course help, but we've lived under a Reagan-style no tax is good tax economy for almost 30 years and have not been willing to pay for things- like a police force and judicial system that keeps up with the work load. Crappy neighbors suck whether they go to school or not. UMD is a bit of an island, to boot. IF they would put some effort into educating students on the finer points of neighborliness, it could certainly help. Just don't hold your breath, though.


Tim I always knew you were a commie. Hey, I have another weird device idea...it's called "The Neighborly Educator"...some huge capacitors inside a keg of weak beer...a tap-like knife switch and ... hmmm .. we should talk....Go Bulldogs!


I blame UMD for this mess. I've lived near college campuses in other cities in other states and the problem is worse here than anywhere I've lived -- including Carrboro, NC, the paris of the piedmont, on the wrong side of the tracks from Chapel Hill. UMD doesn't give a shit what's going on beyond the campus. I wish they'd consider Big E's proposal -- that's what Stanford does, that's what Penn does. Baci I feel for you, it sucks that you have to move out of your home that you love b/c that damn university is a bad neighbor.


Although I feel for you on being annoyed at noisy partying neighbors(I've lived in a duplex with this issue), as a UMD student who has spent the past 3 years as a quiet non-partying respectful renter, I find it a little offensive to hear your stereotyped. And also keep in mind that just because some crappy neighbors have caused you problem, it is extremely unfair to the rest of us that don't fit into your generalizations to enforce stupid laws like the 300 foot rule. The problem is not with UMD students in general, but rather up to the landlords in your neighborhood to do a better job of screening and enforcing their tenants. Sorry you have had poor luck with that. Take your issue up with the landlords, not demanding laws that screw over the rest of the respectful student neighbors and making claims of us raping your neighborhood. You want a good way to MAKE angry disrespectful neighbors, being a prick is a good way to do it.

Again, sorry you have had such poor luck with neighbors, but if you take up you issue with the landlords, or if there were a law rather to enforce that the landlords keep a better check on their renters, hopefully you can realize that not all UMD students are menacees. Keep in mind that there are 3 other colleges within the area, it's not just UMD. And not all students are crappy as your current neighbors.


Dani has a point. I don't mind students, I just mind assholes. We've been pretty lucky, our block is 50-50, and we've only had problems with one group. They're gone now. Thank god. I don't blame the students, they're kids, what do they know. I do blame UMD for growing their campus like it has, and allowing this situation to develop. And allowing landlords to take advantage of the situation.


The current laws allow the city to send a letter to the property owner after 3 noise violations in one month or 5 in a two month period. After the letter the property owner is charged for future police calls. An article in the DNT last year says that several letters have been sent but no one has been billed since the landlords have evicted the tenants once the warning was issued.


Baci, Sorry to hear of the problems on the Hillside (or Woodland maybe? not sure where you live now). I was one of those poor (polite! quiet!) grad students in a $350/mo apt on 15th and 3rd twenty years ago--and lived in Central/East hillside most of the rest of my time in Duluth (until we moved to the old farm way west on Maple Grove Rd--go Proctor!)

Sounds like things have gone from bad to worse for Duluth and the 'hoods near UMD. I now live in Cincinnati (#9 college town on podunk's list) a few blocks from University of Cinti and I can confirm that the college crowd has deteriorated in general in recent years. We were pretty successful working with UC to get some egregious frats moved onto campus. Our solution has been strong neighborhood organizations going, united, to the academic powers-that-be. Sadly, many helicopter moms and dads are buying junior and juniorita their very own condos and homes to destroy until graduation day, which is a whole 'nother problem.

good luck.


I like students...I like renters...I like UMD...I LOVE everyone...really!! I hate myself for being that prick that shows up at 3am on a WEd. night and busts the rent party...but SOMEONE HAS DO DO IT! And when my family is threatened and my home and neighborhood and the character of the city I grew up in is threatened, I'll stamp my feet and shoot daggers at heli-moms and spit vitriol until theres a sustainable solution. Dani, I've had the great pleasure of living next door to awesome students, I've rented for years here. I must not be very clear...we're ALL vicitms..renters, students, long term residents...until this is resolved, we're ALL vicitms


Or should be [soon will be] . . . .


Baci, you are soo wrong... You say taking a step like the 300 ft rule is great because is is a "step". Well, that step is backward. Now your block will always be like it is. How is that better?

On top of that, go back to Proctor. Why buy a house surrounded by college kids and then complain? There needs to be a law that limits the amount of people who can live in a house based on the parking and square footage - NO GRANDFATHERING!

Lastly, those helicoptor parents can't buy a second home any more. With tightened restrictions it is really hard to get a second home/mortgage today.

The 300 ft rule is too little too late. Quite complaining about it and MOVE!


whoa!! Andrew please read my above statments. Without much difficulty you find that I DONT see the 300' rule as a perfect solution...far from it...And I'm activley working to get the 2nd homestead loop hole addressed by the state legislature. I agree, the main thing that could be done by the city council is to create zoning which requires off street parking for rental units and resident parking permits. But the 300' rule forced more players to the table...that's why I support it and until there is some other toughtful solution in place it's all we have...BTW, you've convinced me to stay...where's your house? I want to party!


why complain about the activities of a bunch of college kids who move to the area for nine months...while I've been here for nine years?

Andrew, chances are, most of baci's neighbors college kids when he bought his house XX years ago, and like a lot of neighborhoods here, the number of rentals have increased exponentially...which is a large part of the impetus for ordinances like the 300 ft rule.

And Proctor? Really? Proctor isn't on the radar of places most of us would even consider living, for a myriad of reasons...the least of which being the cost of commuting.


Good point on the commuting, but actually my main argument with Proctor is the whole "rail" thing. I mean, what kind of a mascot is that, anyway? Also, I heard that they had quite the gravel pit parties there back in the 80s, maybe Baci should see about shipping his unruly partying neighbors out to Proctor where I'm sure he could teach them a thing or two about keg-standing and brawling far enough away so that we don't have to hear it at 3 am. As for the good students, and the good landlords they can stay here in town. As a bonus, that would prevent Baci from an almost certain early death of boredom out in Lakewood (Not to mention the increased commuting costs, thank you Zra)


Request: I'd like to see the "myriad of reasons" why zra considers the community of Proctor to be a place "most of us" wouldn't "even consider living."


Around 2000 or so, a friend of mine and I both worked at Blackwoods in Proctor.

One night, after getting really drunk after our shift with some townies @ Rascal's, we came up with an idea to print off a bunch of t-shirts that said "I Rocked Her In Proctor."

The townies loved it and, for one night, we thought we might get rich.

Alas, it never happened.


Yeah, what is wrong with Proctor? Might as well include Superior in that as well. What makes certain Duluth neighborhoods sooo much better. Sounds like they have the same problems of every community in the Twin Ports.


I'm just going to propose to Baci that next year at Homegrown, rather than having the traditional post-kickball game at the Shaky Ray, we have it at his house. I think UMD has finals the week after Homegrown, right? Turnabout being fair play ...


I'm honored and horrorfied at the same time..I ceratinly didn't want this to become a slag fest on Proctor...I dont think anyone else did either. I will say that the proctor city council wouldn't cave to the inevitability of the it's neighborhoods becoming a dorm like Jeff Anderson claims will happen to the ones surrounding Duluth campuses..the proctor council would show some rail yard nards and stand up for the majority of property tax paying citizens who live there. Cork, you're going to propose to me next homegrown...I didnt think you cared. BTW mr ashley, my neighborhood isn't special or better...It's just stuck in it's sophmore year of party school


What I hate about the 300 ft rule is that it keeps things status quo... If you live next to 10 party houses that have crappy landlords now you are stuck FOREVER next to crappy landlords and party houses.

The sad fact is that the landlord who cares nothing about your neighborhood or the slum he/she owns now has NO incentive to do anything. The rentals become a monopoly and the single family homes around it lose their value.

Baci, if you support this you will let the landlords take one more poke into your rear. The 300 ft rule just lets the rich landlords around the campus have a monopoly on rental property.

What does the 300 ft rule do for loud parties, overfilled houses, or parking?

You claim it brings people to the table, but it didn't. THANK GOD it might end soon.

I'm sorry, but like I said before we need NO GRANDFATHERING and limit the amount of people based on square footage.

The reason why this won't happen is because half the City Council owns rental properties. The landlords need to run their BUSINESS properly.

You've been lied to somewhere to believe that the 300 ft rule is doing any good. You are making the same guy who owns that party house money out of YOUR pocket.

The last thing, like I said before, 2nd mortgages for houses is not common anymore. Those parents can't afford them any more. Let the FREE MARKET take care of itself. This socialist Council needs to stop with laws like this.

If you needed to sell your house to move and you live in a rental area who is going to buy your house now? Good luck moving anywhere as long as the 300 ft rule is in place. You will never sell your house for its value if you lie within that school zone.


Live long in Proctor


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