The 234 Apartment

As Towson University students prepare to head back to campus this week, university officials say complaints of loud, unruly gatherings near the campus are down by as much as 50 percent in some neighborhoods since the Baltimore County Council passed an ordinance to deter problem behavior . After numerous neighborhood complaints of public urination, property damage and excessive noise in residential neighborhoods, the council passed the Social Host–Unruly Social Gatherings ordinance in January 2016 to target problem landlords and renters through their pocketbooks. The two-year pilot, which was introduced by County Councilman David Marks , will expire in January. With a full school year having passed since the enactment of the ordinance, neighbors, Towson University officials and county police officials say it is working to curb problem behavior . Marks said he will seek reauthorization of the legislation. "I think it's having the effect we wanted and it's had, mor...

ORANGE — As Chapman University helps students move in this week, it will be housing 37 percent of its undergraduates on campus, while many more will spread out into rented rooms and houses in nearby Old Towne Orange neighborhoods . Within four years, the university expects to have 48 percent of its students living in dorms, one project away from meeting Chapman President Daniele Struppa ’s commitment to the community to get half of its students into campus-controlled housing and out of neighborhoods. For years, college life and neighborhood serenity haven ’t always mixed. The volume of residents’ complaints growing until Chapman paused expansion plans in 2015 to first address the friction. Struppa took over the reins at Chapman last year as neighbors’ frustration with parties, noise, parking and bad behavior peaked . He assured residents that getting more students into campus-run housing would be one of his first priorities. Chapman University bought property adjacent to its Pather...