Neighbors Resume Battle on Fullerton’s Fraternity Row

When Judi Moore joined a committee to end the ongoing war between residents and students in neighboring fraternity houses, she invited about 30 neighbors, city officials and students to meet at her house.

That was three years ago. The meetings tapered off, and eventually everyone forgot about the group.

Now a new committee is trying to end the feud between Cal State Fullerton’s fraternity row and its neighbors. But Moore and other residents are not optimistic. They’ve heard it all before. Although fraternity men say they have toned down the parties and cleaned up the litter, the neighbors say it has gotten worse.

“We can’t sleep at night,” Moore said. “It’s no better, no matter what they say.” Sometimes on party nights, she said, fraternity men run naked through yards, leave beer bottles on lawns and bellow out lewd songs.

Fed up with the battle, representatives of the neighborhood, the frats, the university and the city have formed the new group. And city officials have renewed talks with the university about moving the fraternities to the campus. This time, they said, the campaign to oust the fraternities has gained momentum.

Patrols Beefed Up

In the meantime, extra police will patrol the fraternity area on weekends, city inspectors will continue checking for fire or safety violations at the houses, and residents will continue to keep written logs of what they consider unforgivable shenanigans.

Resident Gerry Riddell said the logs of complaints from three residents dated February, March and part of April prove things haven’t changed.

“When I read these logs, I’m surprised that somebody hasn’t walked out there and shot somebody. I’m a psychotherapist. When I say I’m surprised, I’m surprised,” Riddell said.

After receiving the three dated logs with complaints about incidents such as screeching tires, fireworks, drag racing and loud, late-night chanting, City Manager William Winter met with university officials two weeks ago. As a result of that meeting, the city will continue a monthlong experiment with additional police patrol during the weekend nights, he said.

In the first three Friday and Saturday nights in which officers spent two to three hours a night in the area, officers made 11 arrests for violations such as public intoxication, urinating in public and minors in possession of alcohol, Fullerton Police Lt. Larry Lewis said. They also gave 60 parking citations. “We find that there’s still a problem there,” Lewis said. Although Fullerton police have jurisdiction in the area, as of last month they are working with the campus police in responding to calls along the row.

Frats May Get Police Bill

The additional patrol will continue, Lewis said, but it doesn’t take priority over emergency calls. Eventually, the fraternities may be asked to pay the expense of that extra service.

Residents, however, say they won’t be satisfied until the college men and their antics are out of the neighborhood. Fullerton Mayor Alan (Buck) Catlin said that unless the complaints stop pouring in, the city may declare the fraternity residents a public nuisance and evict them. The logs would provide the written record necessary for such a move, Catlin said.

“Eventually, the solution is to put fraternities on campus,” Catlin said. “The other alternative is for them to be declared a public nuisance and then they’ll be out of business. . . . We don’t want to go to that.”

A year ago, university officials said they had no room for the seven fraternities now on Teri Place, near Associated Row. But last week Roger Nudd, the university’s student affairs vice president, said there are several potential locations, such as a parking lot on the east side of campus. Although the fraternities would have to pay for the move, they might receive help from the city’s redevelopment agency, Mayor Catlin said.

“I’m not saying we can fund this, but we can certainly be a facilitator,” Catlin said. Noting that the city finances 30% of the maintenance for the university-owned Fullerton Arboretum land, Catlin said, “If we can participate in that, there’s a precedent to help the fraternities’ problem.”

Many fraternity men said the move would help them as much as it would help the residents in nearby apartments and houses. On campus, they wouldn’t have to deal with what they called continued harassment from the neighbors. Some of the fraternities own their houses and others rent. But many simply don’t have the money to build new houses, they said.

And the idea is out of the question unless the California State University Board of Trustees lifts its ban on use of state land to house campus groups that are not open to everyone, said David Kagan, state university dean for academic affairs.

Board members discussed allowing fraternities on two other Cal State campuses a year or two ago, but decided that if they provided state land for one group they would have to do so for all student associations, Kagan said. Until Cal State Fullerton officials submit their own proposal, Kagan said, he doesn’t know whether trustees will change the policy.

‘Collectively Terrible’

Residents of the area two blocks north of Cal State Fullerton said that until the seven fraternities leave the neighborhood they’ve shared, in some cases for more than 10 years, the students’ behavior has to change.

“We understand that they have to have their fun. Individually, they’re nice boys. Collectively, they’re terrible. They’re a disgrace,” Moore said.

Moore, a resident for 11 years, complained of broken beer bottles strewn on the street almost daily, noise throughout the day and night and damage to property, such as broken iron gates leading to the 16 apartments she manages across the street from the Greek houses. Sometimes, parties get rowdier than usual, and young men sing obscene songs and run through the yard in the buff, she said.

“Who wants their kids to get their sex education on their front yard?” Moore asked.

Mike Simmons, president of Sigma Pi fraternity, said he’s “never seen a naked body running around the neighborhood--except for babies.”

Simmons said he understands neighbors’ concerns. “I can’t deny that parties exist here. I don’t think that’s the issue. I think there has to be some compromise. The neighbors do have some valid complaints,” he said.

“But people have to be reasonable,” Simmons continued. “The bottom line is that there is animosity.” As a result, the neighbors are more sensitive to things that would be overlooked in other neighborhoods, Simmons said.

Fraternity members and their neighbors do agree that the problems are not new.

Kevin Alber, a Sigma Alpha Epsilon board member, said, “It’s not like we’re brand new and just moved into the neighborhood. It’s a real tough situation.” But since last year, Alber and his counterparts at other fraternities said, life has improved on Frat Row. “We have really toned down,” he said.

‘Nothing Toned Down’

Riddell and other residents don’t buy it.

“Nothing has toned down. The people who live over there are really discouraged,” Riddell said. With the recent implementation of a parking permit program, there is the impression that “everything is fine,” she said. But, she quickly added, “nothing is fine.”

City Council members said they sympathize with the residents.

Councilwoman Molly McClanahan said she would like to see the additional two police officers on foot patrol become a permanent fixture on Frat Row whenever there’s a party--at the fraternities’ expense.

“I think they need to pay to police their parties,” McClanahan said. “I don’t think that’s something the taxpayer should pay.”

Simmons and other fraternity officials say that paying for patrols would hurt the fraternities and wouldn’t solve the problem. McClanahan’s proposal, like the new parking permits for the neighborhood and the fire and safety inspections, are intended to “to make us move out,” he said.

Even if the Board of Trustees approved the move to campus, there would be some opposition from faculty and other groups, Nudd said. Fraternity members predicted an uproar from other students if the houses moved onto one proposed site--parking lot E, which extends from Yorba Linda Boulevard to the freeway.

Parking Space Needed

“There’s already a huge parking problem on campus,” Simmons said.

But residents said the only solution is for the fraternities to move.

“All we want is to be able to go to bed and go to sleep,” Moore said.

Fraternity members said they are doing their best to cut down on the noise and litter. But residents, they said, need to be more tolerant.

“If the neighbors accept that the fraternities are here to stay, then we can solve the problems,” Simmons said. “But they just don’t want to accept it.”