Fullerton : Council Tightens Rules at College Greek Houses

The City Council has decided to require fraternity and sorority houses at Cal State Fullerton to furnish parking plans for special events. The ruling is among a host of conditions set by the city as it gears up for annual reviews to determine whether the houses can stay open.

By Jan. 2, all Greek houses must file for a conditional use permit, which means the houses must abide by a number of conditions and be subject to annual city reviews for the first two years after receiving the permits. After that, the city could decide the houses should be closed or subject to further conditions and review.

The new permits stemmed from complaints by neighboring residents, who said members of several fraternity houses often parked cars illegally, held raucous parties and left messy streets.

The council moved last week to tighten regulation of the Greek houses, first by amending a local ordinance to require the permits. The city also dropped a $100 permit application fee because Fullerton usually does not charge applicants for annual reviews of conditional use permits, officials said.

Asst. City Planner Ted Commerdinger said neighbors should be as “specific as possible” when filing complaints so that problem houses--and not the “general area”--can be singled out.