When Pleasant Street resident John Graves moved into his house 20 years ago, he knew he would be living in a college town. What he didn’t know was how hard it would be to get a good night’s sleep.

“I knew students lived here, but I wasn’t ready for quite how bad it was,” Graves said. “And it was bad when we first moved in … we couldn’t get any enforcement. We couldn’t get anybody to do anything. The police were very lax. All night the noise was going on, and no one was doing anything.”

But times have changed — especially in the last two years.

In September 2004, the Common Council passed a noise ordinance that allows police officers to issue noise violations without a neighbor’s complaint. Last May, the town of Ithaca made similar changes to its noise ordinance and doubled its fines. The noise hasn’t been eliminated, but Graves and other permanent residents of South Hill say they are finally seeing a difference. As students who live in these neighborhoods are faced with increased police enforcement and up to a $500 fine for a first offense, loud music and packed parties have become less of a problem.

Ithaca Chief of Police Lauren Signer said the police have changed their community policing practices, making officers more responsible for their neighborhoods. The outcome is hard to measure quantitatively, she said, but people have been kept safe and are better able to sleep through the night.

“I’ve been happy, and the [city of Ithaca Common Council] members have been happy, and most of the people in the neighborhoods have been happy,” she said. “So to me, that’s a win.”

Signer and Brian McAree, vice president of Student Affairs and Campus Life, credit much of this success to improved communication

between permanent residents and college and city officials. McAree said the IC/Community Workgroup, which includes students, residents and college and city representatives, has met for the past few years to address issues like off-campus student behavior.  McAree said some students have reacted strongly to the police being stricter, but he finds they are open to discussion and are respectful of what the city is trying to accomplish.

Signer said though permanent residents seem happier, many students seem to resent increased enforcement. At an Ithaca Town Board meeting last October, nine off-campus students presented a petition with more than 145 signatures to change the town’s noise ordinance. They said the law was worded vaguely and allowed officers to go after students who weren’t necessarily causing trouble.   

Pat Leary, a member of the Ithaca Town Board, said the petition was more of a general request and there was nothing specific they could act on immediately. Leary said the town’s Codes and Ordinance Committee does plan to reconsider the noise ordinance, especially after seeing how things go this season.

“We wanted to give it a little time to play out, but it’s definitely on our list,” she said. “We haven’t forgotten about it.”   

Signer said everything the police do is based on law, and she doesn’t understand complaints that they are abusing their power. The officers are just trying to keep the peace and are not out fishing for students, she said.

Pam Mackesey, a resident of Pleasant Street, said she has been impressed with how the city and college have responded to the community’s concerns. She said before the noise ordinance, students were given the message that certain behaviors — like damaging property — would be tolerated. Holding students to the same expectations as other residents will help students adapt to any community, she said.

Mackesey said the biggest problem has always been the behavior of students who are under the influence of alcohol.

“I hear the most intimate details of their lives at full volume,” she said.

Signer said she is especially concerned about this now that the South Aurora Street bridge is closed, as students will have to take a detour through the neighborhoods when they return from downtown. The late night walks back from the bars are when students are most disturbing to residents, she said.   

With such different lifestyles and schedules, day-to-day interaction between residents and students usually does not extend beyond greeting one another while out for a walk, Mackesey said. But senior Pat Cooney, who lives in the Charles Street Townhouses, said he has a close relationship with one of the families next door to him — Ann Brooks, her boyfriend and Brooks’ granddaughter, Julianna Rooks.

The family has cooked for Cooney and his two roommates and they frequently visit each other’s houses to watch TV, play video games or just sit around and talk, Cooney said. He likes living among mostly permanent residents because it is quieter.

“They are never noisy, and I know I always had problems with noise when living in the dorms,” he said.

Such close relationships may not be the norm, but many residents report living in an overall friendly environment. Jim Verhagen ’93, who lives on Hudson Street with his wife and 5-year-old daughter, left the area after graduating from the college but decided to move back to South Hill. He said he has no complaints. He likes the students in the neighborhood and forgives them for their occasional bad behavior.

“You tend to characterize them all in a negative light because they come down in a big mob and they make a mess when they come back,” he said. “But the actual neighbors who are close to us are usually friendly, nice kids, polite.”

Mackesey said students are involved in community projects, such as the annual clean-ups of the South Hill neighborhoods, where there is always a great student turnout. She likes to see plays and follow the sports teams at the college, she said.

“I like students,” she said. “[I like] having all that young energy in the neighborhood. … You can remember when you were that young and having a great time and how sweet it was.”

McAree said last fall, two brunches were held for students and residents — one in the city and, for the first time this year, one in the town of Ithaca. Zack Ford, president of the Student Government Association, said around 20 students attended the city’s event, but he was the only student at the town’s brunch.

Ford said having one event at the beginning of the year isn’t enough. He said he wanted to organize a wine and cheese event this spring for students and permanent residents, but it had to be put on hold because of the lack of response. 

As in the past, one of Signer’s other main concerns is the hundreds of students who come down to Prospect Street on the last day of classes. This year, the last day of classes is the same day as Cornell’s Slope Day. But, Signer said, since Cornell has taken more responsibility in controlling the event, two-thirds of the police department will remain on Prospect Street.

Signer said the street will be kept open and laws will be strictly enforced.  She said last year there were few confrontations until students began to throw beer cans.

“As soon as we start to see behavior that’s well over the line, we form up,” Signer said. “[The police] move in a line together … and that takes about an hour, to move that one block, to get people going along.”

McAree said this year will mark the third annual IC Kicks Back, a college-sponsored event that allows students to enjoy themselves while remaining on campus. It is important to try different events, see what works and learn for the future, he said.

“It shows good initiative on our part to try to have students and permanent residents come together and create good relationships,” he said. “When all is said and done, [that’s] what we’re trying to do here no matter what.”