Controversy over new off-campus housing

Elizabeth Dishian — Special to Southern News
Noise of hammers and nail guns echo through the North Campus parking lot as Sound Development Group continues construction for new townhouses on Pine Rock Avenue.
Directly behind North, the townhouses are already leasing for the upcoming fall semester. Students like Donald Cross, a junior mathematics major, said they are interested in finding out what the finished townhouses will look like.
“I’m curious to see what the final outcome is going to be,” said Cross, a current resident in North’s townhouses. “I’ve seen students already on the site inquiring about details, and from the rumors on campus, it sounds like people are already leasing for the fall.”
Thirty units consisting of four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living room, and kitchen are being offered. Each resident will have their own bedroom and a fully furnished apartment, according to Mike Perkins in a recent article in the Southern News.
“It is appealing because single bedrooms is something we don’t offer; that’s something that upperclassmen and graduate students want,” said Robert DeMezzo, assistant director to Residence Life.
The Pine Rock townhouses won’t be offering the amenities that Southern’s housing provides, such as educational programing and academic support. They also won’t have any tools in helping students transition from high school to college, said DeMezzo.
“I feel like students sometimes have a hard time when it comes to adjusting to college. Offering programs can be helpful for students to make new friendships,” said Cross. “Having support in academics helps students achieve the goals that they set for themselves and become acclimated to the type of work they are capable of accomplishing.”
However, the townhouses being built on Pine Rock aren’t the first apartments to be offered off-campus near Southern. Like the Wintergreen Apartments, the new off-campus townhouses are affordable for students and are a good place to grow as independents, said Jason Palazini, a theater production major.
Joseph Dooley, chief of police for Southern, said the Wintergreen Apartments had some issues in the beginning dealing with noise and safety that quickly were handled by New Haven police and other entities.
“I think that the lack of Residence Life or SCSU authority over there will be the perfect opportunity for parties to get out of hand and make their way back to the rest of the campus,” said Palazini.
With early intervention and good communication, among the property owner, residents, Southern and the community, problems will be addressed and handled, said Dooley.
“Some discussion with the property owner, closer to when the new off-campus housing on Pine Rock Avenue opens, will be had about our expectations,” said Dooley.
More living space and a better quality of life are good things, said Dooley, as long as the students that are living in the off-campus housing are safe. However, Dooley also said that if a student living in the off-campus apartments calls the Southern Police for help, they can’t respond.
“It’s not our jurisdiction, but we might assist with Hamden police if they need help,” he said.
Southern police said they will work closely with Hamden police to deal with some of the early-on challenges that may arise with the new off-campus townhouse residents.
“Safety of this is campus is our charge here at SCSU and were not going to back down,” said Dooley.