News-Letter

Baltimore homeowners, including Hopkins students, may face the threat of eviction if found in violation of the city's noise ordinances twice in a two-year period, according to a new City Council proposal introduced on Monday.

The measure would threaten landlords and homeowners of properties found to be in violation of the city's ordinances against excessive noise twice in the two-year period with foreclosure of the property for one year.

The proposal, currently being considered by the council's members, comes at a time when tensions between University students and local residents have reached a sustained peak over such contentious issues as noise violations and parking restrictions.

When asked about the proposed initiative, Student-Community Liaison Carrie Bennett said that, while most students don't own the houses they live in, they could still potentially face the threat of eviction from their landlords.

"I would imagine," she commented, "what would happen is that the landlord would send tenants a letter explaining what happened and say 'I have no problem evicting you.'"

Because landlords would face the threat of losing a year's worth of income from rent, Bennett explained that "property owners might take proactive measures to make sure their occupants are behaving themselves."

But she tempered that statement by cautioning that the imposition of the policy would face serious obstacles. "It's a problem that's so difficult to enforce," she said.

In order for a police officer to catch potential violators of the code, Bennett explained, "That person would have to be stationed in an area to observe and record the repeated violations."

Nonetheless, she admitted that, if a resident wanted to, he or she could plausibly exert enough pressure to get authorities from the Baltimore Police Department involved.

Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, who represents the 14th District of Baltimore, which includes Charles Village, is a co-sponsor of the proposed initiative. She explained that "after two convictions in two years, the police commissioner will have the authority to shut a house down."

"[The proposal] was inspired by noise from students and loud parties in the northern part of the city," she added.

Clarke noted, "It's only about 26 'noise boxes' that drive our neighborhoods crazy."

"Most students that we live with and among are good neighbors," she added.

Clarke attempted to assuage concerns that the initiative was meant to target University residents. "In some areas it's bars that are the problem; in some areas it's fraternity houses. ... The problems are out there in different parts of the city."

She lamented that she saw a lack of support from the University. "Basically, if the University can't solve the problem, then we need the city to help us solve the problem."

Those sentiments come on the heels of a recent raid by the Baltimore City Vice Squad last Saturday on a student residence on the 2800 block of N. Howard Street, in which three student residents were arrested and charged with illegally serving alcohol to persons under the age of 21.

Sgt. Craig Gentile of the Vice Squad explained that the residents "admitted an 18-year-old police cadet and served that cadet alcohol, the vice squad went in, the event was shut down, the University was notified and three residents there were charged with furnishing alcohol to a person under 21 years of age."

When asked about the incident, Clarke commented that she was unaware of a specific event over the weekend, but that she had been mindful of a much more general problem regarding the area in question. "I know there's been problems on that block," she said.

She further explained that a resident on the block that week had called her personally asking for contact information for the Vice Squad. She said the neighbor lived on the 2800 block of N. Howard, and that "that's where there have been problems."

When asked if she had been in contact with the student residents, or known that they were holding a public party at their residence, Bennett confirmed that she "had been by an address in the 2800 block of N. Howard Street," and that "the police were present at a student residence over the weekend and that it is still under investigation by the University."

Bennett explained, "From the outside, I didn't find it to be loud. I didn't have any issues with anything going on in that block on that night." As far she knew, there weren't any community complaints.

"This is one of those things that I feel its part of my job to try and avoid in the first place, but sometimes, obviously, that's not going to happen."

Though she cautions that the problem rests with only a handful of University students, Clarke attributed the contention between students and local residents to a lack of cooperation between the two.

"I think they're beginning to do more, and we're pleased to see that," she said. "But we still need a good night's rest while they're getting their act together."

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