Baltimore County?s zoning commissioner has ordered a Towson landlord to evict half his tenants, a victory for neighbors who say an influx of student-occupied boarding houses is disrupting quiet neighborhoods.
Granting one man?s request to rent a home to four tenants instead of the standard two would set a precedent that could “open the floodgates” for student housing in residential neighborhoods near Towson University, said John Murphy, the zoning commissioner. The news thrilled neighbors, who packed a hearing room earlier this month to challenge the request, citing instances of noisy parties, indecent exposure and limited on-street parking.
“I think it sends a strong message that boarding houses don?t belong in residential neighborhoods,” Ed Kilcullen said. “We don?t have sufficient code enforcement in the county to investigate them, and it puts the burden on the community to prove it.”
Alex Sulakvelidze, a city resident who owns the boarding house in question on Knollwood Road, did not return a phone call. His attorney said he plans to appeal the decision.
At a March 3 hearing, Sulakvelidze said he did not realize he violated the county code ? which says no more than two unrelated occupants can live in a boarding house, and no two rental houses can be side by side ? until a neighbor filed a formal complaint in October.
He encouraged community members to support authorized boarding homes, rather than suffer a stream of illegal rentals as demand for student housing increases.
In his ruling, Murphy suggested community associations lobby the university for on-campus housing and suggested boarding house owners attend community meetings. He recommended that leaders develop guidelines for rentals which they will accept.
At least one activist rejected the recommendation as worthless.
“There?s no teeth to that,” said Fay Citerone, president of the Knollwood/Donnybrook Improvement Association. “We have guidelines. We don?t want over-renting.”
