Fullerton : City to Consider Permits for Fraternity Houses

All Cal State Fullerton fraternity houses--often the objects of complaints by neighbors--as well as sorority houses will have to have permits if the City Council approves a new ordinance Tuesday.

Under the ordinance, fraternity and sorority houses not covered under an existing 1981 ordinance requiring permits for new houses will have to apply for a conditional use permit within the next two years, a measure city officials hope will end neighboring residents’ gripes that fraternities on Teri Place are the source of noise and litter.

The suggested fee schedule is $600 initially and $100 for annual renewals.

Fraternity leaders have complained that the permits are discriminatory and are an attempt to do away eventually with the houses. A house that does not meet the conditions set by the city could lose its permit--and thus, its house.

In another matter, council members are scheduled to give final approval to an ordinance they hope will eliminate the use of motels as apartment complexes. Often overcrowded, motels used as permanent homes have the potential for health problems, officials said. Last May, for example, they said, a minor outbreak of hepatitis was reported among residents at one Fullerton motel.