Trinity Heights, Duke situation heats up as City Council gets involved

One story we haven't talked about here much in the past few days: the involvement anew of Durham's City Council in the growing chorus of concerns over student behavior and partying in Trinity Heights, the neighborhood north of Markham between Duke's East Campus and Walltown.

Trinity Heights saw a focused rebirth in the 1990s, when Duke gained control of a number of properties in the heart of the neighborhood, building housing units (including the attractive townhouses) which, by covenant, still are available only to university employees.

Surrounding property owners have invested and re-invested in the neighborhood, with historic renovations becoming a regular occurrence; Lancaster has of late been one center of interest, along with Green (as one of the FlyerBoard ads at right demonstrates.) And a neighborhood of rental houses is evolving increasingly to owner-occupied status.

Sound familiar? It should. The story parallels, though lags, the resurgence of nearby Trinity Park, where renewal began to take hold twenty years earlier. In that case, there were a number of perceived problematic party houses, largely a number of the larger homes along Buchanan and neighboring streets.

(Though plenty of other students live in the neighborhood, many are in smaller homes that are less conducive to big bashes; it should be noted too that, in my experience, the vast majority of students are terrific neighbors.)

In Trinity Park, Duke stepped in to buy up some of the worst offender party houses from university alum Guy Solie, reselling them to residents and investors who agreed to accept covenants on owner-occupancy and historically-appropriate renovation.

In a pique of irony, Duke's action came just a month before a student party on Buchanan took a turn for the unfortunate and morphed into the Duke Lacrosse melee.

Three years later, though, the last of the homes is being renovated, and many have been turned into beautiful showpieces -- including one of the largest party houses on Buchanan, now perhaps fittingly the home of Duke Chapel dean Sam Wells and his family.

Yet as housing options have declined in Trinity Park, they've picked up in Trinity Heights and elsewhere in Durham. And as demonstrated by the ad above, spotted in Duke's Bryan Center last fall, landlords are still "preleasing BIG HOUSES!!!" targeted to students looking to live with their friends off campus.

And the chorus of Trinity Heights residents calling for action has grown louder.

After months of negotiation and dialogue with campus officials, the matter took a new turn last week in the wake of a reported bash on Clarendon St. right at the tail end of spring break. In response to a letter of exasperated complaint from a Duke professor on the street, City Councilmen Howard Clement and Mike Woodard took a drive down the street.

Among the sights: a mess of garbage outside the Clarendon rental house, including cups that probably held tasty alcoholic beverages, strewn about. Clement, a noted teetotaler, was likely not impressed.

In that tour's wake: a City Council taking a more activist stand, having directed the mayor and city manager Tom Bonfield to bring the matter directly to Duke president Richard Brodhead, bypassing the university's Student Affairs department, as the Herald-Sun noted last week, and in today's follow-up article.

This email (excerpted below, from public records) has kicked off the latest round in the ongoing fracas. The next question: how will the university respond to the latest concerns?

Last night, Sunday 15/Monday 16th March, at about 2:00am, I was awoken...) by the noise of a car travelling rapidly down Clarendon and stopping very abruptly outside [their house], with music blaring loudly and loud voices yelling as people seemed to get out.  Instead of going inside, however, the driver and passengers were just hanging out, with the car parked, driver door open, lights still on, literally in the middle of the road near the junction w Green St, engine off.  This lasted about 5 minutes.  At that point, three other vehicles, bearing students/guests arrived in convoy, also very fast (say 40 mph or faster, this on a narrow block), then pulled to a halt rapidly, blocked by the first car, in the center of the road.  There was also a cab. They have been out of town over Spring Break - this seems to have
been their first night back.

Some car-horn honking followed.  Kids getting out, again, yelling ("Where's Schultz ... I think he's parked round the back" ... SCH -ULTZ" etc.).  Then they all went inside of 822 Clarendon.  Some more noise audible from the back as they parked and went in.

I called 911 to complain about the disturbance.  My neighbor, Janet (Cricket) Scovil did the same, and she came out with her dog to see what was going on.

My impression is some of these students were drunk, and driving drunk.  They were certainly driving recklessly. And - despite previous warnings this year - they certainly didn't give a damn about the disturbance they were creating in the middle of the night on a residential street.

...

Two Durham police officers arrived about 2:30am, and went over to the house and gave two of the students a talking-to on the doorstep.  The exchange was calm, not confrontational. Afterwards the officers told me and Ms Scovil that the students had told them they'd already had police citations.  Apparently they were "sorry" for the disturbance.   Both the officers suggested we take this problem up with Duke University.

(Disclaimer: This post, as always, reflects my opinions independently from those of the Trinity Park Neighborhood Association or my employer.)

Comments

[Jon]

The description of the events Saturday night sounds like what many residents of inner-Durham experience with rental housing on their block. The problem is not just related to Duke students. Inconsiderate neighbors encompass all ages, ethnic groups, and socio-economic status.

Excellent point about the most students being terrific neighbors. The same applies to all neighbors, home-owners and renters. Greater than 99% are nice, considerate peopole. It only takes a couple to detract from our quality of life.

[Duke Grad 96]

Sorry, Jon. While I agree that most students are good, respectful neighbors, it is the first and foremost the undergraduates who act like this in these particular neighborhoods. BTW, I thought the house in the picture was traditionally a sports house: soccer? baseball? They even put an above ground pool in the backyard, although I can't even begin to imagine how disgusting it must be by now.

[JDC]

Don't rule out those graduate students. I used to live in a Bob Schmitz apartment directly beneath a Duke grad student. Let's just say Durham's finest were called to the building on more than one occasion after 3 a.m.

[Toby]

@JDC: glad to hear you mentioned the landlord who is apparently responsible for most of the problem houses in Trinity Heights. I was unable to attend yet another confab with Duke administrators yesterday, but the message I sent with my neighbors who did go is that the landlord must take some responsibility for what goes on at his/her property. We're working on getting some teeth in the landlord regulations in the city, but ya gotta wonder how far that will go, considering the political heft of some of the larger companies. I write all of this as a Trinity Heights landlord (one of the garage apartments). I would never allow my tenants to behave that way; and btw, the undergrads I rent to now are wonderful, considerate neighbors, as are many of the students on my block.

[Locomotive Breath]

"In a pique of irony, Duke's action came just a month before a student party on Buchanan took a turn for the unfortunate and morphed into the Duke Lacrosse melee."

Oh how delicately we describe this. In fact, what happened was a concerted effort to send three innocent men to jail for 20-30 years. This effort was organized by Durham's DA, Durham's police and given credibility by an ideologue at Duke's medical center. The DA was twice elected by by Durham's residents when the innocence of the accused was clear to anyone not blinded by hatred of "the other".

Durham's current DA was a participant who has lied about her role and was elected too. Cheerleading this effort were some of the Duke faculty and some Trinity Park residents. The Durham Morning Herald and the News & Observer were also cheerleaders while Duke's administration and Durham's leadership, when not making prejudicial statements, acted like Sgt. Schultz.

The same individuals were predictably silent when a Duke student was, in fact, raped by a Durham resident who was then let out on bail to rape someone else. Unimaginably he was let out on bail a second time. For his crimes the Durham "justice" system gives him 48 to 67 months in prison. I'll bet he's out in less.

With the exception of Mike Nifong, the same bad actors are in still in place or otherwise unpunished. When Durham cleans up its act, you can ask for sympathy. Mote/log, ya know?

Until then, I hope the student parties keep you up all night every night. You've earned it. Given that Duke has lost tons of money, you won't see them buying houses to flip anytime in the near future. You don't want to deal with student rental houses? Don't move into an area next to a campus with a high percentage of rental properties.

The real problem, of course, is the rise in the drinking age to 21 and the alcohol police state implemented on Duke's campus which is where these parties formerly took place and in which location students bothered only other students.

[9/9]

Hmm... since Barry took a break, I guess his troll decided to wander over here.

[Jeremy]

DO yuo realize you are complaining about loud noises that lasted what sounds like all of 10 minutes. How terrible. Why dont you stop calling 911 and diverting Durham's limited police resources. I agree with Toby, you moved a block off campus. Why don't you just concede these houses and move deeper in to Durham, where I am sure the robberies and murders that happen wouldn't really bother you. I heard those CRIMINALS ussually keep it quiet.

[RaleighRob]

Wow...funny how some Duke kids will try to justify this behavior in the above comments. Is it the culture of the school? I've lived in a spit's distance to NCSU for years (in an area full of rentals), and very rarely have heard or seen the kinds of things Duke's neighbors have to put up with. I've known folks living next to UNC who say the same.
I hate stereotypes as much as the next person...but private schools, spoiled rich kids...can't all be a coincidence could it?
I'll try to view it as Jon does--that only a few are giving a bad name to the whole. At least I hope that's the case.

[Locomotive Breath]

Barry, who can't stand to be contradicted, bans anyone who disagrees with him including me. I was banned some time ago when Barry referenced some little puff piece of an article about some activist friend of his who apparently has spent his entire life working to choke off the nation's energy supply. I suggested the activist should be "the first one to freeze in the dark".

Barry's team now runs the country and the state and Durham. He skipped town so he doesn't have to take the heat from their continuing series of foul ups. Either that or Barry's in training for the Special Olympics.

Unlike Barry's ranting, this blog and Endangered Durham are generally positive, useful and informative, and I read both frequently. I don't find much reason to comment here, but today's post that whitewashes Durham's behavior is an exception.

[RipTorn'sLacrosseStick]

Man, LB, you give Barry way, way, way, way too much credit!

Yes, most students make for excellent neighbors. Some do not. Many live or lived on Buchanan. I saw a beer keg being tossed off a balcony at 2 PM on a Sunday afternoon once while walking the Duke track. I've had obscenities screamed at me and my daughter just for walking down the sidewalk on a party night. And the behavior at the lacrosse house was way over the top, repeatedly, long before the scandal hit.

We do need to hold landlords responsible and we need to make sure the law includes fast, efficient ways to kick repeat offenders out on their asses if they fail to heed three warnings to behave. Not zero tolerance, but limited tolerance. After that: you find a new place to live and may it cause you a whole bunch of trouble to do so.

[call 911]

white wash the lacrosse team behavior..

ha ha ha... i had one laxer piss on
my front lawn last semester. turned on
the porch light and startled that limp-dicked
farm aninmal real good. ha ha ha.

the laxers set-up their latest party house
a block over, last year.

we called the cops everytime they squeaked.

thank god that landlord had enough sense
to get rid of them. ha ha ha...

that picture is the infamous lax "blue house",
on w markham avenue, just a couple blocks
from the old buchanan rape house.

i quess they can't raise as much hell there
anymore, since provost lange moved in right
next door. ha ha ha ...

bobschmitzproperties...this guy once owned
the gattis st rape frat house. the lacrosse
parents must pay him real good.

[RipTorn'sLacrosseStick]

Wow 911, there's a sort of poetry about your post.... you should consider reading it on Poetry Night at the Pinhook. It's got to be better than the stuff I heard last week at the Indy poetry slam.

[Locomotive Breath]

I didn't know Houston Baker reads this blog.

[barry]

Hey LB, i only ban people who demonstrate an utter lack of intelligence.

[KeepDurhamDifferent!]

I've found Bob Schmitz to be a great landlord (814 W. Markham), and back in the day when I threw wild parties he was actually pretty responsive to neighbors' complaints.

[Locomotive Breath]

So Barry believes that someone who has spent his entire life trying to choke off the nation's energy supply should not be the first person to suffer the consequences of his actions? Using his own criterion, can Barry ban himself from his own blog?

[DRR]

Can we please keep the bickering from Barry's blog over there and not let it take over here, too?

[Locomotive Breath]

My original post was on the deficiencies of Durham's government viz. the Duke student population and was perfectly on topic. There is no bickering on Barry's blog. As I have pointed out previously, people who disagree with Barry get banned. Since he's the one who showed up here and started slinging insults, your problem is with him.

[Michael Bacon]

Eh, blog trolls are like cockroaches. You think you've stamped them out, then you kick over an old bucket and they all go scampering out again.

The differences is cockroaches generally have more interesting things to say.

[Locomotive Breath]

Says Bacon in a scintillating observation worthy of the New York Times.

[Kevin Davis]

Look, regular posters and Locomotive Breath alike: please, just drop it.

I welcome comments from all sides of issues and representing all creeds and beliefs. However, I do not want comment threads devolving into flame wars.

@LB: I have no objection to anonymous commenters at BCR. Most, however, do post their actual email address, which is only visible to me as the blog owner. I appreciate that courtesy in the event I wish to reach out to the commenter on a point of order or other matter. (i.e., I would prefer to send this as an email rather than taking up space on the comments thread.)

[Locomotive Breath]

Despite appearances, it's an actual email address attached to this post.

[KeepDurhamDifferent!]

I think LB's original point is pretty relevant -- that this situation is a result of the NIMBY treatment of student drinking. Duke tried to reach an agreement with the DPD governing student behaviour as it relates to law enforcement, but the lacrosse debacle shows that Duke Public Safety is a lot better run than DPD (understandable, really).

If I were the neighbors, I would cede the off-campus areas to Duke Public Safety who will be a lot more responsive than DPD. However, that would require revisiting the agreement that has become crucial to the defense in the lacrosse lawsuits.

[Brandon]

My favorite part from the Duke Students is the NOW PRELEASING BIG HOUSES!!!!! line.