Horry County Council takes a step towards changes that will affect dozens of people living near Coastal Carolina University and many students.
At Tuesday’s meeting, council passed first reading of an ordinance that would put restrictions on parking and the number of unrelated people living in a house in certain areas around CCU.
Chris Dusterhoft, co-president of the Quail Creek Homeowners Association said her neighborhood is designed for single-family dwellings.
And to her, that means one family in a house, not eight to ten people living in one house.
But Dusterhoft said that's exactly what's happening in some of the homes in her neighborhood, not far from CCU and that issue leads to trash left on the street, too many parked cars, and loud noise.
"When you put your bottles and what have you, and it's not necessarily just the college students, there are some rentals that people just don't take care of their yards." Dusterhoft said.
Jamie McCarthy, a CCU senior and News13 intern, said what some residents say about the parking and trash is true, but it's only a select number of people.
McCarthy said a new law limiting the number of unrelated people living in a house and restricting parking is crazy.
"I think we have the same rights, as anybody else, we should be allowed to inhabit this residence just as anybody else should be." McCarthy said.
Patricia Norment, who lives next door to McCarthy and his four roommates, said some of her neighbors have moved away because of some of the issues.
Norment doesn't lay all the blame on the students, but said the neighborhood is not designed for temporary residents.
"The houses were sold to people that were husband and wife and two children or four people, not four people plus their significant others plus their friends," Norment said.
Dusterhoft said she welcomes everybody, as long as they treat the neighborhood with respect.
"If you don't abuse it, then we welcome you, anyone who abuses our neighborhood, we don’t because it causes our homes to be devalued and it's just unpleasant to look at.”
Councilman Carl Schwartzkopf said the next step is for council to have a second reading and a public hearing on the ordinance.
Home Owners Association members said they plan to be at that meeting in strong numbers to show council they are serious about what they say are necessary changes.
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