Calhoun Street resident Fenn French, who just concluded an unsuccessful campaign to unseat state Rep. Neil Abramson, has filed a lawsuit saying that Loyola University’s planned expansion of Monroe Hall violates a 50-year-old agreement to prevent the building’s windows from looking into his home, according to an article by reporter Sam Winstrom of The Maroon student newspaper.
During his legislative campaign, French alluded to his dispute with Loyola in an appearance before the Upper Hurstville Neighborhood Association earlier this month. The association was discussing an unrelated issue, the possible rezoning of the DePaul medical campus owned by Children’s Hospital, and French spoke up to say as a neighbor of Loyola, institutional zoning would allow growth “to the sky.”
statehouse?
In Louisiana, he was a candidate for the House of Representatives.
Other states may have statehouses, but that is not the local term.
G Sanders – you caught me. That was my stint as a South Carolina political reporter creeping in… Duly noted.
Mr. French’s concerns are well founded. Calhoun is not a commercial corridor and to have a hulking monstrosity such as Monroe Hall (which has never been an “architectural treasure”) soaring over the “private” rooms of any residence is WRONG. Mr. French’s requests are not unreasonable… “clerestory” windows above 6′ 6″ will allow natural light into the offices, corridors, and classrooms w/out allowing those inside Monroe Hall to peer into Calhoun St. residences’ homes.
When I wanted to prevent the neighbors from looking in our bedroom… I bought curtains… I didn’t try to tell them how they should redesign their house.
You are missing the point…and you must not be from here or you would know that that building still doesn’t look finished. I remember when there were homes where that building is now. I remember seeing it built and kept asking my parents was it was ever going to be finished. It is one butt ugly building. If Loyola gets its way and builds another building, the very least they can do is not to invade the neighbors’ privacy. Putting in clerestory (or piano) windows seems like a pretty good solution to me.
The whole point is that they are completely renovating the building as well as completly redoing the exterior so that it looks more in line with the rest of the campus.
If they need big windows so that it fits in with all of the other buildings that have big windows, so be it. Don’t try to stop a good thing. Any loyola grad or student can tell you how much we hate the building as it exists and can’t wait for it to be renovated.
What is Fenn French trying to hide?