Carol and Richard Devine have lived in their Edwardian heritage home in View St since 1996, where they recently opened the Bard House bed and breakfast. Mrs Devine said "party antics" at a neighbouring property at the corner of View and Tennyson Sts left her and her husband feeling intimidated.
It was not the first time a party at the property had resulted in significant late-night disruption and littering outside their business, she said.
The 2016 decision to extend the city liquor-ban area to encompass View St had not addressed the problems with the behaviour of the tenants this year. She was disappointed with what she claimed was inadequate police enforcement of the street’s liquor ban, along with the lack of action when she complained of "people noise" from drunken party-goers.
"It is going to kill our fledgling business."
The Hulmes Court bed and breakfast in Tennyson St is also a neighbour of the property where Saturday’s party was held.
Owner Norman Wood, who lives next door to his business, echoed Mrs Devine’s concerns about the property and Saturday night’s party.
Mr Wood said he had seen male and female party-goers urinating in the grounds of nearby Trevian House. He said he had seen several police cars and a police dog called to the street on Saturday night after reports of disorder at Otago Girls’ High School across the road. A police spokesman confirmed officers were called to a "breach of the peace" in View St.
"It was a report of a large group of teenagers yelling and running around the school," but police were unable to confirm they were attendees of the View St party.
Both Mr Wood and Mrs Devine agreed the council needed to take more action, suggesting instant fines for those involved with parties which left broken bottles, urine or vomit on the pavement or on other properties.
The hosts should also be made to clean up the mess, Mrs Devine said.
The landlord of the View St property, Colin MacLaren, said hosting parties which were open to the public and disturbed neighbours was a breach of the tenancy agreement for the property, and he would threaten to terminate the lease if it happened again.
A tenant at the property, who declined to give his name yesterday, confirmed it was a student celebration. He thought there had been "no drama" on the night.
"Everyone left by 4am as far as we know."
Related Stories
Comments
Selfish, thoughtless, children who should be punished. Better still, get the property manager to report it to the property owner and toss them out now- not the next time it happens. "Hosting parties which were open to the public and disturbed neighbours was a breach of the tenancy agreement". Dunedin is better off without them.