University of Dayton students living in UD-owned houses received the following email, Tuesday, Jan. 22, from Vice President for Student Development Bill Fischer:
From: UD Housing and Residence Life <housing@udayton.edu>
Subject: University Of Dayton Houses & Apt Occupancy Limits
Date: Tue, Jan 22, 2013 at 11:38 AM
Dear Upperclass Student:
The University is mindful of recent events in the student neighborhood when large numbers of people have been inside a house, and floor damage has resulted. We commend the students involved in these incidents for their quick and responsible action. We are thankful that no one has been hurt.
In light of these events, upperclass students who reside in University-owned houses and apartments will receive notices of occupancy limits for their particular residence later this week. Effective immediately, your housing contract will be amended to include these occupancy limits. These limits have been developed based on the recommendations of a structural engineer, and the limits will vary by structure.
What this means is that, if you are a tenant of one of the houses in the student neighborhood, you are to manage the number of people inside your house or apartment to ensure that the number does not exceed the occupancy limit. We expect you to be responsible tenants.
What this also means is that, as a responsible member of the UD community, if you see a house or apartment that appears to be overcrowded, you should not enter. If you notice any extra stress on a house or apartment floor, or an obvious occupancy limit violation, we ask that you report that immediately to public safety at 229-2121.
Students will be held accountable for failing to comply with their assigned occupancy limits and may be held financially responsible for any damage to their University-owned housing that may result — just as any tenant in a typical landlord-tenant relationship would be.
The University is taking this step of issuing occupancy limits as a means of preserving the unique integrity and character of the student neighborhoods while protecting the safety of students. These houses were built as residences and using them for other purposes, such as hosting very large gatherings, could compromise their safety. We will continue to investigate ways to preserve the integrity of these dwellings while educating the student body about ways to keep their living environments safe. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
William M. Fischer
Vice President for Student Development
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On Sunday, Jan. 20, Flyer News reported via Twitter that two floors broke between the evening of Friday, Jan. 18 and the morning of Saturday, Jan. 19 in separate incidents in UD houses on Lawnview and Frericks. Both houses were built in 1905, according to the Montgomery County auditor’s website.
In a separate incident, fire crews felt the floor of 423 Stonemill Rd. “sink several inches” during an Oct. 27, 2012 fire, according to the Dayton Fire Department. The department stated the floor sinking “caused a gas line to break causing fire at furnace.” The fire broke out during a Halloween party of approximately 20 people, according to whiotv.com. The house was built in 1900, according to the Montgomery County auditor’s website, and has since been demolished by the university.
On Nov. 7, 2010, a university-owned house at 223 K St. collapsed during a party of approximately 250 people. According to the Montgomery County auditor’s website, the house was built in 1913.
Flyer News will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
