By Pat Sherman Today’s Local News
Thursday, October 30, 2008
SAN MARCOS — Joan Cook stood on the corner of Eclipse Drive and Orion Way in her upscale San Elijo Hills neighborhood. Motioning down Orion Way, she noted several foreclosed and bank-owned houses. More than mere byproducts of the mortgage meltdown, to Cook and her tightknit group of neighbors the vacant structures represent mini-dorms just waiting to happen. Also referred to as rooming houses, mini-dorms are single-family homes that are leased to several people, typically college students or young adults splitting rent and expenses. Cook said the first mini-dorm has already sprouted up in her neighborhood, and with it, excess trash, traffic and loud parties.
On behalf of her neighbors, Cook addressed the City Council at its Oct. 14 meeting.“We’re just at our wits’ end,” Cook said. “That Tuesday night after the council meeting, we came back and there were 12 cars and a party going on. There were two great big bins (out front) … and there were people coming in and going out.”
Mini-dorms are common in neighborhoods near San Diego State University and University of California San Diego. They have slowly started to crop up in San Marcos because of increasing student enrollment at Cal State San Marcos and Palomar College.To deal with the issue, the Student and Neighborhood Relations Commission and the San Marcos City Council created a rooming house ordinance, which went into effect in August. It requires condominium and home owners who lease their properties to five or more tenants to apply for rooming house permits, which cost around $7,200. click here to read the balnce via Today’s Local News » San Elijo residents concerned about mini-dorms
