GA president assails ban on new frat houses

[AGDLynn]

Can't believe Hoosier missed posting this one, lol.

www.ajc.com

By KELLY SIMMONS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/11/06

Athens — University of Georgia President Michael Adams sharply criticized Athens-Clarke County officials Thursday for passing a moratorium that prevents fraternities and sororities from buying or building houses in the county.

The action taken Tuesday night by the Athens-Clarke County Commission will prevent the Sigma Nu fraternity from renovating and moving into property it recently purchased on Meigs Street, a few blocks from the campus and downtown Athens.

The building is the former site of the Salvation Army. Adams said the Sigma Nu purchase "bears the opportunity of improving that site."

Commission members approved the moratorium after receiving complaints from residents who did not want the fraternity in their neighborhood.

It prohibits Greek organizations from acquiring permits to construct or purchase houses in Athens-Clarke County until Aug. 1. Until then, commission members plan to review zoning codes to determine whether fraternity and sorority houses should be allowed in residential neighborhoods.

Adams said the way the commission handled the issue is as troubling as the action itself. The discussion was not put on the agenda until Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours before the meeting.

"This kind of late night immediate reaction to a single issue is not how I think we ought to do business," he said.

More than three-quarters of the university's fraternity and sorority houses are located in residential neighborhoods near the campus, and have been there for years, Adams said. While they have a responsibility to behave as good neighbors, Adams said, "they also have some rights."

"It seems to me the Sigma Nus are well within their rights," he said.

[Tom Earp]

WOW, this is way over the top of reality.

This can be construed as Civil Rights and taken to The ACLU!

This is one of the most Inane things I have ever read coming from some Political Board.

[hoosier]

Originally posted by AGDLynn
Can't believe Hoosier missed posting this one, lol.

I was distracted by some pests.

[shinerbock]

Holy crap, a university administration in the south actually taking up for fraternities. Bout time.

[Firehouse]

Don't kid yourself. The UGA President isn't taking up for fraternities. He wants to clear the old-line fraternities off Lumpkin for his own purposes. This move by Athens might interfere with that if the chapters have nowhere to go. The only protection the fraternities have is the strength of the various alumni organizations. How many times in these forums have we seen university administrations posturing and being sanctimonious about getting rid of fraternities when it's really all about real estate!

[Tom Earp]

Firehouse, Your point is and should well be taken as a near fact!

At My Alma Mater, STG and Sig Ep will be losing their Houses so the Un. can expand. They also tried to move ALL Greeks to a far corner of Campus while Five GLOs have Houses on the Main Street directly across or near Campus.

That was squashed to say the least!

[DeltAlum]

I heard a couple of years ago that the university wanted the Delt House and Alpha Gam (side by side) houses at my Alma Mater since the University owns the rest of the block immediately across from the College Green.

Fortanately, the Galbreath family is still active in the alumni association. The late Brother John Galbreath (Galbreath Realty, etc. nationwide, The Pittsburgh Pirates, several Kentucky Derby winners from Darby Dan Farms outside Columbus) was a Beta Chapter Delt from Ohio University, donated Galbreath Memorial Chapel on the Green across the street from the present Delt Shelter and Brother Wilfred Konniker's family donated the Konniker Alumni Center, a beautiful old brick stucture with white Greek columns a few doors down the street.

Recently, I received a request for donation to refurbish the present house to the tune of $1.5 Million, so I guess the University thought better and backed off.

[Firehouse]

That's the way it works. After WWII colleges wanted fraternities to provide housing for the wave of returning veterans and then the Boomers. Then, the '60s radicals retreated into our colleges and universities and rose through the ranks of administration. Today, they have contempt for fraternities and in many cases want their property. I used to think that having the right rules in place was the answer to protecting fraternities and their houses and rights. But it's not. The answer, unfortunately, lies in politics and political power. Almost every time Greek alumni have intelligently wielded political power they have been successful. Too bad organizing alumni groups has not been a first priority of many nationals over the last twenty years.

[David Alan Coe]

Here at UT we have a great alumni group at my chapter. Fortunately, we haven't had too many problems with admin. going for a coup of our real estate. Hopefully, UGA fraternities and sororities won't get the bureaucratic screw like the ones at Columbia did on the dry party scheme. Why can't we just have fun, give back to the college community, be leaders among our peers, and live together without some insane academic who is pissed at the world because he never got a bid 30 years ago giving us hell?

[Firehouse]

What happened in Columbia (USC?)?

[David Alan Coe]

Columbia up North, the Ivy League school. I don't remember the details, but I read about it in Fortune or Newsweek or something.

[Coramoor]

On my campus (WVU) the school is trying to buy all the fraternity houses. Right now about half have either been purchased or are in the process of being purchased by the school. The other half are adamently opposed to selling their house to the school.

The school says they are buying them in order to help fraternities. They plan on renovating them and making them nicer...

However, I have the feeling that is BS. My campus is hungry for new space, especially dorms. Frats occupy some prime real estate. Additionally the school is not offering to pay even close to the appraised value of the house, only about a quarter. The school then sets the housing capacity and reserves the right to move in random people if the chapter can't fill the house. They will also move in an RA to oversee the house. The fraternity will have first rights to purchase the house should the school decide to sell it...however, I'd bet my left nut that it would be at the then appraised price and not what the school originally bought it for. Meaning we could never afford to buy it back.

[33girl]

Coramoor, I think you are absolutely right.

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by 33girl
Coramoor, I think you are absolutely right.

Agree. It's my suspicion that many major campuses (campi?) are landlocked and at the same time trying to expand. About their only choice is to snatch up any unowned land within their overall boundries.

My best guess is that most of them aren't going to do fraternities and sororities any favors during their landgrabs.

[notyouraverage]

I got this e-mail from an older (by older I mean non-student) woman who lives in my historic neighborhood. She obviously forwarded it to everyone's e-mail she could get her hands on. I know her action was encouraged by an article in the alternative weekly, Flagpole. http://flagpole.com/articles.php?fp=...SUE=2006-03-15

Here's the e-mail:
UGA is kicking a pile of frat houses off campus (while
compensating them very nicely with large cash to fund
their relocations) and these boys are rabid to find
new digs. Any in-town property zoned multi-family is
up for grabs and the KAs have already secured an
apartment complex on Hancock. This is the fraternity
known for it's adherence to "Southern Traditions"
which include flying the Confederate flag and prancing
around in Civil War attire-- they'll be settling in
the heart of Athens historcally black neighborhood!

Another fraternity has bought the former Salvation
Army building (behind Big City Bread and a block
behind Daily Groceries) but the ACC gov has put a hold
on this transaction for the time being.

We all know the havoc a large groups of frat boys can
wreak (travel down Millege Ave on any given football
weekend), and the way the zoning currently stands, any
apartment building in the middle of any quiet
neighborhood is fair game. Not only does this pose a
threat to the quality-of-life for many in-town
residents, but it also threatens the availability of
in-town affordable housing and the eclectic diversity
of our neighborhoods. Boulevard, Normaltown, and
Cobbham include quite a few small apartment complexes
and large old homes converted to apartments which are
very vulnerable to offers from fraternities. Please go
to the website below and urge our commissioners to
protect our neighborhoods from the invasion of the
frat boys. And pass this on....

> Urge ACC Commissioners to vote yes on the amendment
to zoning
> regulations to classify fraternities and sororities
as special use.
>
> http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/880489643
>
> When you 'sign' the petition, you will be asked to
> enter your email
> address and physical, street address. The
> PetitionSite keeps this
> information confidential.
>
> Thanks!


What action, if any, do you think UGA Greek Life should take to retaliate?

ETA: The image of the KA house in the Flagpole article is of their current house, not one they are planning on building on Hancock.
silly newspaper.