Community residents expressed concerns about trash and student housing at the city’s “Our Town” meeting Thursday evening at Venable Elementary School.
The town-hall style meeting was intended for residents of the Lewis Mountain, University, Venable, Rose Hill and Kellytown neighborhoods, many of which surround the University.
Approximately 60 residents attended the meeting and all City Council members were present, except for Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy.
Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer said the meetings allow an opportunity for city officials to directly respond to citizens’ concerns.
“Our Town meetings were instituted several years ago to provide a completely direct connection between citizens and not just the elected officials, but the lead members of our staff who are in charge of addressing citizen concerns,” Signer said.
One of the issues brought to City Council’s attention involved student life in the Venable neighborhood.
“Student culture is sometimes out of control,” Venable resident Martin Killian said. “When you walk through this neighborhood, it’s sometimes very scandalous.”
Killian cited the amount of trash found in the neighborhood, as well as small landlords who allegedly don’t enforce general behavior and building codes.
Although the landlords may not encourage residents’ good behavior, Councilwoman Kristin Szakos said the Charlottesville Police Department does.
“I think our police department is doing a good job this year,” Szakos said. “I think a lot of the issues you’re talking about, the trash, the noise, are a result of [underage] drinking and frankly, most [undergraduate students] are underage.”
Szakos said underage drinking is a University issue, but one the University is working to address.
Several other citizens criticized the amount of trash students leave in their neighborhoods, with some community members offering solutions.
“The amount of trash, not just on Preston Place, but when I walk along Grady, is appalling,” Preston Place resident Marilyn Wright said. “The trash is picked up on Thursday and then most of the trash is made on Thursdays and Fridays and Saturdays. I propose that trash is picked up on Mondays and that may help to alleviate some of those problems.”
Rosewood resident Nancy Carpenter proposed the University use their resources to help resolve the trash problem.
“I think that if their students are taking advantage of housing that is affordable, then U.Va. should be able to kick in a few dollars for trash pickup,” Carpenter said. “They create situations where students have more trash and it’s impacting the people who are living in these areas.”
Paul Wright, a resident of Preston Place, suggested that educating students about trash pickup and recycling could potentially help to alleviate the problem, citing a situation in which he informed his student neighbors about the process and the problem improved.
In response, third-year Batten student Luke Nicholson informed the audience about a new organization he’s starting called “Hoos Cleaning Up.”
Nicholson said the goal of the organization is to assist in cleaning trash in neighborhoods surrounding the University, a comment which was well-received by attendees.
Robert King, a resident of 13th Street, raised concerns that his neighborhood was going to be disturbed by student housing because many students have moved into nearby areas. King said he is specifically concerned about many of the original houses on 13th Street being turned into apartment buildings.
“Where will this stop?” King asked. “We have a nice quiet, community. A lot of our residents are ready to retire. Rugby Road used to be the only place to party. 14th Street/Wertland Street is the new Rugby Road.”
Szakos said changes are actively being made to provide student housing elsewhere, citing The Flats on West Main Street. Szakos also said the University is planning to build new apartments, and the city will look into turning “buildings that were meant to be single-family homes back into single-family homes.”
“There should be students leaving your neighborhoods, not coming into your neighborhoods,” Szakos said.
Overall, a general consensus among council members and citizens was that the community and University have to work together to solve these issues.
Third-year College student and Student Council Liaison to the City Council Maeve Curtin addressed attendees, offering an opportunity for Charlottesville citizens to speak directly to her about their concerns.
“We can work together to better address some of these issues that you are saying,” Curtin said. “I would like to meet up with you and talk about this.”
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