W&L, local residents form coalition to resolve residential conflicts
The sun sets on Woodridge, a new community situated right next to a cluster of Washington and Lee student off-campus houses. Photo by Scott Voelker
by Scott Voelker
The sun setting over Windfall hill—a small community of Washington and Lee student off-campus houses outside of Lexington—is a pretty sight. But for some neighboring residents, like those in the newly-constructed Woodridge subdivision, the setting sun signals the beginning of a long night.
Off-campus parities—complete with kegs, bonfires, and loud music—are fun for students but are a nuisance for many local residents. On the night of one such party, Hunter Hill Road resident Cindy Wiseman had had enough.
“I was tired of the partying,” Wiseman said, “and after talking with some of my neighbors, I realized there were many of us with the same complaints.” Wiseman decided to voice her objections, and she contacted Washington and Lee to see if the university would be willing to work alongside the small neighborhood group she had formed.
At W&L, Dr. Jane Horton and Dean of Students Dawn Watkins had just received a grant to form a “campus-community coalition” in an effort to improve relations between students and local residents. According to the grant document, the “campus-community coalition ‘working group’ [will be] made up of campus and community representatives to reduce…high-risk drinking by Washington and Lee students and the associated negative impacts on the surrounding community.” In the CCC, Wiseman and her neighbors found exactly the forum they were looking for to express their concerns.
According to Watkins, the group has worked proactively to bridge the gap between students and residents by including in the coalition many other members of the Lexington community. The CCC’s contact list includes Washington and Lee administrators, law enforcement officials, local governance officials, and property owners in addition to the students and concerned citizens. By bringing members of all these groups together, Watkins hopes to be able to tackle every aspect of possible solutions to the problem of noise and other effects of “high-risk behavior.”
Some possible solutions that were mentioned by both Watkins and Wiseman include a reconsideration of the existing Rockbridge County noise ordinance and better policing of the Greenhouse Road area—a densely-populated area just north of the town of Lexington. Wiseman and the other “concerned citizens” on the CCC all live in this area, as do many W&L juniors and seniors.
According to Watkins, the coalition has met twice in the two months since its inception, and the gatherings have gone well. “I would like to see more student involvement,” she explains, “but the students that have come seem dedicated to our goals.”
Charlie Yates, a Washington and Lee senior and CCC member, echoes that sentiment. “At the first meeting, I felt that the tone was largely negative to W&L students, but by the second meeting [when more students were present], there was a lot more give and take.”
The CCC has taken steps to increase awareness of its group and to work toward resolving existing problems. Watkins has already made a presentation to the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors explaining the impetus behind the CCC and its aspirations. More presentations and continuing the monthly meetings are the next steps. Members from all parties feel that by opening up dialogue between the groups, the coalition will be able to better determine potential problems and work toward solutions.
Early signs indicate that members of every group involved are interested in working together to come up with solutions. Also, it appears as if the Coalition will live on even after the grant well has run dry. According to the grant document, “Once grant support for the community coalition has ended, Washington and Lee University is committed to continuing regular meetings and collaboration with the campus-community coalition working group.” Also, “the working group will continue to look for opportunities to develop and implement additional strategies to further the mission of the community coalition.”
Only time will tell if the campus-community coalition will be able to fully bridge the gap between Washington and Lee students living off campus and the local residents that they call neighbors. Yates, Watkins, and Wiseman all questioned the ability of the coalition to bring about immediate changes, but the three also all recognized the real potential of the CCC to make a positive impact on the community in the long term. “It’s going to come together, it might just take some time,” Wiseman said.
Listen: CCC leader Dawn Watkins discusses the goals of the coalition
Video: CCC member Charlie Yates shares the student point of view
View the grant document straight from the desk of CCC Co-coordinator Dr. Jane Horton
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Claudette Artwick
Reporting supervisor: Prof. Doug Cumming
Editing supervisor: Prof. Pamela Luecke
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd