Dye's letter stirs anger

Landlord David Sonner spent Thursday afternoon rifling through the trash in Wilder mailroom, hunting for a discarded copy of College President Nancy Dye's most recent all-campus mailing. The letter named the rooming house landlords who have either refused or failed city inspections for fire code compliance. Sonner's name was among them.

"When I find it, I'm going to take it to the Workshop and ask for it to be framed," Sonner said. "This is going to be an heirloom. I think it's a wonderful thing. I'm blessed by the stupidity of my adversaries."

Dye's letter is the latest segment in the continuing saga of city fire codes. Fire Chief Dennis Kirin and City Manager Rob DiSpirto have strengthened the codes considerably in the past three years. Some landlords, including Sonner, claim the city is acting in violation of state law.

The College has always thrown its support behind the city.

"We are really concerned about safety," Dye said. "There have been so many fires of late."

"What in goddamn hell does that fire in a family dwelling have to do with fire safety?" Sonner said. "Why has the city manager been using the death of those people to strengthen a very shabby case?"

A fire at 21 Morgan St. claimed the lives of two people last month. In her letter, Dye refered to the fatal fire and two fires in student homes.

In the letter, which was also sent to parents, Dye wrote, "Unfortunately, some Oberlin landlords refuse to recognize the authority of the city to inspect rental housing and to enforce local and state fire safety codes...no Oberlin student should live in unsafe housing."

Assistant to the President Diana Roose said she hoped students would consult Dye's letter before sigining a lease.

"We give them a hunting licensce, and we want to make sure they don't choose unsafe housing," Roose said.

Junior Hannah Cabell said she was surprised to see her home listed as an unliscensed rooming house. Cabell rents her house from Van Kirkendall, who has repeatedly refused city inspections.

"I'm not worried," Cabell said. "The fire alarms do work, and there is a ladder. I don't know if it will worry our parents."

Sophomore Jason Sokol doesn't entirely share Cabell's faith. Sokol lives in another rooming house owned by Kirkendall.

"I guess it's a bit worrisome," Sokol said. "But the landlord seems to think its fine and the new standards are ridiculous."

"We are not refusing inspections," Sonner said. "We are refusing illegal inspections. Dye is aiding and abetting illegal behavior."

On Feb. 25, the Ohio Board of Building Appeals ruled that the City of Oberlin cannot retroactively apply state building codes to rooming houses. The ruling was handed down in favor of landlord Glenn Gall, who was named in Dye's letter.

Kirin said he believes the city's inspections are more than fair.

"The typical resident takes the attitude 'it won't happen to me,'" Kirin said. "As my people would say, wear my boots for awhile and see what it's like to have to save someone."