City Council unanimously introduced a measure that would prohibit more than three unrelated adults from living together in houses newly converted to rental units.
The proposed ordinance was tabled at April's meeting and will go before City Council June 3 for a second reading and possibly final adoption.
Under the proposal, current rental houses will be grandfathered and will not be affected by the three unrelated rule. Only houses converted to rental units after possible passage of the proposal will be affected.
In addition to the three unrelated rule, the ordinance proposes that tenants must have a written agreement with the landlord to be kept at the property that lists all residents at the address. It also proposes that at least one off-street parking space be required for each adult. Currently one parking space is required for each bedroom.
Sherry Ware, president of the Riverside-Normal City Neighborhood Association said the ordinance will help maintain quality neighborhoods surrounding campus.
"The chances of that neighborhood becoming a party neighborhood are far less," Ware said. "When more than three students live together the whole atmosphere changes in the way they respect the community."
Ware said the proposal will be advantageous for students as well. Students will have a better college experience and want to return to Muncie if their neighborhoods are cleaner, Ware said.
Bill Morgan, vice-president of the Riverside-Normal City Neighborhood Association, said changing the housing code will prevent migration to suburbs, which he says is caused by people avoiding students.
"High density in a residential neighborhood is a bad thing," he said. "This ordinance ought to be a no-brainer. Everyone benefits."
Mel Byrd owns several rental houses around campus and said he is opposed to more restrictions on housing.
"It's not a level playing field," Byrd said. "They are picking on college students."
Byrd said city codes already exist to address trash and housing problems, but the city is not enforcing them. A new ordinance will not solve the neighborhood problems, Byrd said.
Byrd said he expects his property values to increase if the ordinance is passed.
Houses that are grandfathered by the ordinanace will become more valuable, Byrd said.
At Monday's meeting, council attorney Joe Hunter said he did not know how changes to the amendment would be monitored.
Ware said monitoring will be complaint driven.
"If there is no complaint, it is quite possible that these properties could slip through," she said.
Building commissioner Glenn Scroggins said he would not be able to enforce such changes in code unless he was provided a larger staff.
Muncie had a three unrelated provision in the zoning code prior to 1995. City Attorney Frank Gilkison said that the Apartment Owners Association filed suit against the city. Gilkison said that the city, then, agreed to a consent judgment and dropped the provision for apparently no reason.
"In boxing it is what you call a dive," Gilkison said.
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