By admin 
Three Southern Methodist University students can’t live together in University Park without violating the so-called brothel law. But residents say the city isn’t enforcing its own ordinance.
Residents of Rosedale Avenue, Asbury Avenue and Milton Avenue have been petitioning the city of University Park since the fall, claiming SMU students are violating the city’s zoning ordinance. The petition urges the city to enforce the ordinance and evict violators to deter future violations.
The ordinance prohibits more than two unrelated residents from living in the same housing unit. It was reportedly introduced in 1973 to prevent problems with parking and waste.
It is not unusual for multiple SMU students to live together in University Park. Students say it’s a way to live close to campus while saving money on high housing costs. Some students say getting housing on campus can also be problematic.
Several residents who spoke at Tuesday’s University Park City Council meeting said students are violating the city ordinance and causing problems.
“On a windy day, it’s very common to find trash in our backyard pool,” says Nassi Agouridis.
Agouridis’ wife, Leslie, filed one of the petitions over a duplex on Rosedale Ave. In the fall of 2021, several duplexes in the area were sued, but the duplex on Rosedale was left out of the lawsuit.
Leslie Agouridis said one of the student tenants living in the duplex said, “We don’t know how we can get away with living here if those apartments can’t do that.”
Jessica Rees, city planner for University Park, said the ordinance is difficult to enforce.
“They think they’re violating no more than two unrelated things, and that’s hard for us to prove,” Rees said.
Lee Glazer, an SMU professor who lives on Asbury Avenue, filed a lawsuit against the city over the ordinance in 2021. Glazer said students who lived near her committed multiple violations — including an incident in which a student urinated on his front lawn in front of her and her husband.
Glazer said the students who violated the ordinance were later expelled. She said the city later filed its own lawsuit against some other duplexes on Rosedale Ave. based on research from the case she filed.
The unit mentioned in the petition was not included in the city’s lawsuit.
“All the problems we had were all in Rosedale,” Glazer said.
Frist Allen, an SMU alumni who lived in off-campus housing, said he is confused why houses like the one he and his fraternity brothers lived in are being built in University Park when there is an ordinance banning multiple students from living together .
He said the houses are geared toward SMU students who want to live off campus with their friends.
“It wasn’t built for a family,” Allen said. “It was clearly built for students. I mean, there’s not even a good place for a dining room.”
The University Park City Council has not heard from SMU students living in University Park. Rees said it was unlikely they were aware of the meeting. All speakers at the meeting were local residents.
“An interesting side of the conversation that I don’t think has been had is hearing from (students),” Rees said. “I don’t think (their) side of it has ever really been represented.”
The University Park City Council listened to public comments but took no action on the ordinance. It is expected that the topic will be on the agenda of the municipal council.
Journalism students from Southern Methodist University and KERA are collaborating on a series of stories exploring the challenges students face in finding affordable housing as universities compete for more housing spaces to meet the diverse needs of growing enrollments.