SLO revokes permits for 2 Cal Poly fraternity houses after noise complaints
Fed up “playing whack-a-mole” amid a flurry of complaints over unruly gatherings and noise, San Luis Obispo may be entering a new era in its approach to neighborhood fraternities.
On May 28, the Planning Commission unanimously voted to revoke the conditional use permits for both Delta Chi at 1236 Monte Vista Place and Sigma Nu at 1304 Foothill Blvd. after an uptick in noise complaints from both fraternities.
The loss of the permits means the fraternities cannot continue to officially operate houses at those addresses, though they will have the opportunity to reapply for new conditional use permits in the future.
Though the Planning Commission was at first expected to consider updating the fraternities’ permits with heightened restrictions, the seemingly fed-up panel ultimately voted to fully revoke the permits to “send a message” that disruptive behavior wasn’t going to be tolerated any longer.
“This is an ongoing and complicated problem — we are not going to solve it tonight,” Commissioner David Houghton said during the meeting. “What we I think can do is to send a real message and communicate. ... We’ve kind of been playing whack-a-mole with this, and it doesn’t seem like the message has gone through.”
He continued: “What we have right now is not working.”
Why did Cal Poly fraternities lose permits?
Fraternities are required to have conditional use permits to operate official houses in the city.
Sigma Nu has held a permit for its Foothill Boulevard house since 1990, while Delta Chi’s permit actually outdates the fraternity’s tenure at Monte Vista Place, according to a city staff report.
The latter’s permit was initially approved in 1998 for Kappa Sigma, and was taken over by Delta Chi when it moved into the spot in 2012.
The permits restrict the number of members who can live at the home and the size of gatherings, according to the staff report. Over the years, they’ve also grown into a way for the city to help respond to noise, disturbances and disorderly conduct, according to the report.
The recent decision to revoke the fraternities’ permits comes after both houses have been the source of a rising number of noise violations in recent years.
Ahead of the meeting, assistant planner Mallory Patino told The Tribune that Delta Chi was cited by the San Luis Obispo Police Department for noise violations 10 times since January 2022.
During the meeting, Patino clarified that of those incidents, two noise citations and one unruly gathering citation have been issued during the current school year, though one of the noise citations was successfully appealed by the fraternity.
Sigma Nu, meanwhile, has had nine citations since January 2022, Patino said ahead of the meeting.
Four occurred during the current school year, according to Patino: three for noise violations and one for an unruly gathering.
Fraternities disrupt nearby homes with yelling, vandalism and vomiting, neighbors say
Nearly a dozen people submitted public comment ahead of the meeting, including a number of neighbors who said the fraternities are a source of unruly behavior in the area, from loud parties to people congregating in the streets after hours.
“While I was a college student, I had parties and attended parties and was aware of how my behavior affected my neighbors,” one person wrote in an anonymous letter to the commission. “Things have gone off the rails since then, and there is little enforcement of people walking around with alcohol, screaming and being a nuisance.”
Another said the fraternities’ behavior shows an “obvious disregard for the city’s rules and most importantly their neighbors.”
“During the past few years, fraternities and their satellites have now crept into R-1 and R-2 zones, causing extreme havoc in those neighborhoods,” resident Carolyn Smith wrote in a letter to the commission. “Not only with their loud large parties and events, but with students roaming the neighborhoods while coming and going to the parties at all hours of the night screaming, yelling, vandalizing, urinating and vomiting in residents’ front yards.”
R-1 and R-2 are the city’s low- and medium-density zoning regulations, typically made up of single-family homes. Fraternities and sororities, however, are generally required to be located in R-3 or R-4 zones, which are designated as higher-density areas with apartment buildings and larger condos.
Smith also noted that some neighbors may not speak out about concerns because they fear retaliation from fraternity members, while others have been essentially “run out of their longtime homes.”
In light of this, Smith urged the Planning Commission to not update the fraternities’ permits and instead revoke them.
“These are not little children,” Smith wrote. “They are bright young adults who know right from wrong. Giving them more chances will not only send the wrong message to them and all other fraternities legally and illegally operating in the neighborhood adjacent to Cal Poly, but it will give them a ‘do over,’ which, as history proves, will only allow them an extension of time to further disturb their neighbors.”
Fraternity says it has ‘fallen short’ of being good neighbor
During the meeting, Delta Chi chapter president Jakob Zuckermandel read a written statement to the commission, apologizing for the fraternity’s impact on the neighborhood.
“Living and operating in a conditional use permit is a privilege, not a right, and that comes with the responsibility to be good neighbors,” he said. “We recognize that we have fallen short at times and that trust has been damaged. Tonight, we’re here not to make excuses, but to take accountability and start rebuilding that trust.”
Zuckermandel added that the fraternity was unaware it was subject to a conditional use permit until this school year, and has been working to adhere to the city’s guidelines and to reduce noise complaints.
In the upcoming school year, it has also committed to creating a neighborhood outreach chair who would be in charge of communicating with neighbors to help mitigate concerns, he said.
“I want to express again how truly sorry we are for the issues our chapter has caused in the past,” Zuckermandel said. “We know we haven’t always lived up to the standards our community deserves, but we also hope that you see us in a light that our chapter is learning, growing and genuinely committed to making things right.”
Charlie Minor, president of the Cal Poly chapter of Sigma Nu, also spoke during the meeting, saying the organization was “taking steps to be more mindful moving forward.”
“First and foremost, again, we sincerely apologize for the recent noise disturbances and fully acknowledge the frustration that we may have caused,” he said. “We value the families, long-term residents and all members of our community, who make this neighborhood the special place it is. As students, we’re fortunate to live alongside neighbors who bring stability, character and care to the area, and we are committed to doing our part to contribute to that same spirit.”
Minor said he has worked closely with the city and law enforcement to adhere to all conditions of the use permit, including instituting a policy of sober monitors to “maintain a safe and respectful environment to further minimize disturbances,” using phone decibel meters to check event volume and installing temporary fencing to stop people from gathering at the property.
“I recognize that managing an organization of over 130 young adults isn’t without its challenges,” he said. “When mistakes occur, we accept responsibility and the consequences that follow, but we are also committed to learning and proving and honoring the expectations set by you, the commission, as well as by the city of SLO.”
What happens next?
Revoking the permits does not mean that the two houses’ current tenants will be immediately evicted.
According to Patino, it would instead impact the fraternities’ abilities to gather and hold meetings at the houses.
If the organizations chose to continue using the houses as official bases, it would potentially then be a land-use violation and subject to code enforcement, she said.
Because the commission chose to revoke the permits without prejudice, the fraternities will also be able to reapply for a new conditional use permit at any point in the future.
But whether that will continue to be the process by which the city address these sorts of town and gown complaints remains to be seen.
During the meeting, numerous commissioners expressed frustration with the city’s current enforcement process, saying that it does not work and that changes need to happen.
“We need a way to take a bigger step to solve this problem. Maybe it means getting everyone at the table and starting anew, one way or another,” Commissioner Robert Jorgensen said during discussion. “We’ve got to do something to kind of break through this. I just can’t see it getting better with just a tweak of the conditions at this point.”
Though commissioners voted to revoke permits for both fraternities, the resolution putting that in place will not be official until a reading at the next Planning Commission meeting June 11.
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