In the nine months since University administrators turned the Westmoreland Housing Complex over to a private owner, the face of that community has changed drastically.
Residents concur with police records that show crime has risen dramatically in the immediate area of the former University Family Housing development. In 2005, there were 27 thefts reported in a quarter mile area surrounding the complex. In 2006, as the sale was announced and the community splintered, that number had risen to 42 reported cases.
Although numbers in some crimes – like motor vehicle theft – have fallen, the trend shows an increase in crimes that would have been preventable with a strong community watch program, Department of Public Safety Lt. Herb Horner said.
In an area, like Westmoreland, where the community has experienced a lot of short-term resident turnover it becomes harder to maintain a sense of community, said Horner.
That turnover at the 21-acre property has not slowed since the State Board of Higher Education’s final approval of the sale in August 2006.
In a letter detailing the progress of the University’s rent mitigation program, obtained by the Emerald as part of a public record request, University Deputy General Counsel Randy Gellar said the program is within its maximum $134,000 budget – in part because of a perpetual drain.
“Our experience, however, is that students have been moving out at a rate of approximately 10 per term,” he wrote.
Despite the dwindling student community at the complex, University Housing continues to recommend Westmoreland, now managed by Bell Real Estate, Inc., because of a rarely disclosed clause of the final contract. In the first amendment of the sale agreement the University is required to refer students to the “Westmoreland Village” as a housing option until June 30, 2008.
As a new Westmoreland emerges, it appears that the low-income rental housing market has lost a large portion of property.
In addition to multiple improvements to the buildings, new complex owner Michael O’Connell Sr. has moved to re-zone the Westmoreland property from public to private land, beginning in the late fall of 2006.
City Associate Planner Patricia Thomas, a city staff leader for Westmoreland rezoning, said the changes represent a shift in intended usage as well a move to a medium-density residential zone.
“It’s essentially the density that’s there now, and in fact, there could be more density. That’s what the owner is planning,” she said. “The owner would like to do some more development on the site including sub-dividing the property and possibly selling the buildings off to multiple owners.”
The city accepted OConnell’s complete zone change application on Dec. 1, 2006, but the final approval of the changes were delayed until Feb. 28.
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