The take over is happening slowly but surely. This is referring to all of the students who now call Royal Crest their temporary home. Royal Crest is a public apartment complex in which families, elder couples, students and others live. However, over the past few years it has become occupied by more and more students. With more students, becomes a larger population, less parking, and more noise. These points are not necessarily a problem, but if they continue it may become a much bigger deal.

The first and most obvious effects of having college students living in the apartment complex is the growth in population. The growth in population is due to student apartment holding four students each. Although it is only four additional people, this is more than the elderly couples or single renters who house one or two people in one apartment. This is not accounting for the friends and family who make frequent visits into Royal Crest. From experience, I know how students prefer to hang out off campus because of the additional space it may provide for them. Also, it provides students with the feeling of relief when leaving campus grounds after a rough day full of classes. This aspect of the takeover falls into the next two issues starting with the parking vacancy.

With more tenants and people in Royal Crest, the problem to find parking is becoming much more frequent. To better explain this issue, here's quick example of how many cars that one apartment of students can have. With four students in one apartment, the chances that each student has their own car is pretty fair. Where on the other hand, one apartment of a single family might have one car to share. This is a four car to one ration if the given example was true. By adding more students it adds more cars in general. The next piece that feeds this issue is how friends or families of tenants use Royal Crest as a parking lot. On campus students often park their cars in the apartments, which prevents them from getting a parking ticket on campus. If a handful of students a day park in Royal it would not be the end of the world, but it has become more than that. I find it funny how these students feel that they are the only ones aware of this loophole. Unfortunately for them, tenants have complained and forced management to take action in reducing the amount of outside cars parking in Royal.

The last problem with more students living in Royal Crest are the noise complaints. Yes, it is clear that with college students comes noise, but it does not mean that tenants will tolerate it. In some areas of the park, this is not a problem because students are surrounded by other students and younger families. On the other hand, there are some college students who share the same hallway and building as elderly couples. Not to say that elderly families are mean and don’t allow students to have fun, it is that the noise and disturbance does not fit their peaceful lifestyle. For these tenants, it is a problem that students party, make noise, and play music at late hours of the night. It is hard to put oneself in the shoes of both sides because as a college student, it is almost in our nature to want to have a good time all the time. In the tenant’s perspective, there is a time and place for loud music and partying, but when night time comes it is time for peace a quite for them and their families.

After explaining each problem it could help to offer a solution or something that may help contain the issue. For starters, the growth in population is something that can only be monitored and maintained. By only placing four individuals in each apartment I feel that Royal Crest and Merrimack is doing a great job maintaining a healthy population. Next issue addressed is the lack of available parking spaces. As mentioned before, Royal Crest’s management was forced to take action and they did. Earlier this year they sent out warnings before going on a towing spree. The management call and had cars towed away if they did not have a Royal Crest issued parking pass. The advice I would give is to continue to crack down on violators so it allows tenants to have more available spots when needed. The last issue expressed is the noise from college students. I believe if Royal Crest slowly began to separate the students from the rest of the tenants then this issue could almost become extinct. The main reason this problem exist is because of the mixture of students, families, and elders all in one building. If there was a separation between the three, I believe that complaints due to noise would drop significantly.

As a student living in Royal Crest, I enjoy and encourage Merrimack College to continue to house students off campus. The location is great, as well as its environment and people. Also, the proper transportation is being provided with a shuttle and the newly built crosswalk. With these components, I believe the take over will continue and more students will call Royal Crest home in the next few years.