University Drive among most trash and litter complaints in Kent

Many of the litter, garbage and trash complaints of fraternity houses in Kent seem to come from houses located on University Drive, according to the Kent Health Department public records. The complaints varied from simple trash and litter in the yards, to a mattress in the front yard and even a couch on the roof of a house.

There have also been two complaints on multiple locations on University Drive and one complaint each on multiple locations on Main Street and College Avenue.

When the Kent Health Department receives a trash complaint, inspectors have to first investigate the complaint to ensure that there is an actual trash violation.

Kyle Kelly, public health sanitarian of the Kent Health Department, said if the violation is not corrected within 48 hours, the property owner or operator risks a fine of $50 or more.

According to the City of Kent Department of Law’s Civil Penalties for Solid Waste Violations document, a first offense may result in a $50 penalty, while a second offense may result in a $150 penalty and a third offense results in a $250 penalty. The city can also add on costs for any additional clean up.

Kelly said there have been many trash violations near the Kent State University campus. Many include multiple fraternity houses along East Main Street, College Avenue, South Lincoln Street, and University Drive. He also added that the largest number of trash violations in Kent also occur along these areas.

[pullquote]We have a problem in Kent regarding trash violations, but the problem is not restricted to fraternity houses. — Kyle Kelly, public health sanitarian[/pullquote]“A large number of violations have also occurred at properties along these streets that are not fraternity houses,” Kelly said. “We have a problem in Kent regarding trash violations, but the problem is not restricted to fraternity houses.”

Christy Rhinehart, former resident of Ravenna, moved to Kent about three years ago and now resides on University Drive. She lives in a house that “used to be a frat house” and said there are always a lot of trash and litter on many of the properties nearby.

“The garbage is not only in the yards, but also on the sides of the road,” she said. “A street sweeper usually comes through and cleans the edge of the road about once a week.”

Rhinehart said she notices the peak times for litter and trash in the street and yards is anywhere from Thursday evening to Sunday morning. She also said that it affects her personally because she’ll often find litter in her yard and even in the back of her truck.

“I have found beer cans, glass bottles and fast food restaurant bags,” she said. “I don’t mind the cans because I scrap them, but the bottles and bags I feel are very rude and disrespectful. And there’s always trash in my yard. I can go out and clean it up and within a day it’s trashed again.”

Rhinehart added that she has also witnessed many students breaking bottles by throwing them in the road and leaving the shattered glass behind.

Kelly said that in his experience, the average sorority house and property is maintained better than the average fraternity house and property because of the presence of “house mothers” in the sorority houses.

“Each of the sorority houses that I have inspected includes a house mother that lives with the students,” he said. “However, none of the fraternity houses that I have inspected includes this type of authority figure to enforce maintenance rules.”

Jordan Berresford, a sophomore business management major at Kent State University and general member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, lives on University Drive with his fraternity brothers.

Berresford said each fraternity has a philanthropy where members raise money for a particular program or benefit such as breast cancer or autism. For the Lambda Chi Alpha, its philanthropy is the North America Food Drive and members often hold fundraising events involving canned food donations.

He said that there are many stereotypes about fraternities: The partying, the drinking, the hazing and the disorderliness. He also added that the good that they do are often times overlooked and many people only focus on the negative.

“The stereotypes will always be there,” he said. “Until you join a fraternity, you realize that we actually do a lot of good for the community. It’s also a good networking opportunity and you get to meet a lot of people. I’ve joined the fraternity about two years ago, and it’s been nothing but positive ever since.”