KIM WILCOX | senior staff writer
photo | SHANNON OTT
Crestview apartments, now owned by APU, provides additional housing for students.


The purchase of Crestview brings APU closer to meeting its goal of providing housing for 70 percent of students.

APU sent out an e-mail in July announcing that Crestview had been bought and would now be used for student housing.

The e-mail contained details about renting apartments from APU and information on students already living in Crestview could renew their contracts with APU’s offices.

Ginny Dadaian, Director of Community Relations, said the APU leadership was involved in open discussions with the city council on their fears, concerns, and hopes if APU was able to acquire Crestview.

“We purchased Crestview with a tax-exempt bond and the local governing body has to give approval,” Dadaian said.

Dadaian said the city council had a few concerns, one of which was the fact that such a purchase would be taking property off the tax roll. This means APU will pay property taxes on Crestview.

The council was also concerned about the displacement of residents living in 64 apartments reserved for low-income housing. However, because of the purchase method, Crestview has to be filled with APU students by Fall 2008.

Dadaian said APU has already begun moving those living in the apartments to other locations. APU helped them move by paying for moving costs and utility hookups.
When the decision to purchase Crestview was made, members of the APU staff notified the school’s neighbors at Citrus College, as well as residents in the surrounding neighborhoods.

As the summer progressed and the property entered escrow, the idea that APU might acquire Crestview motivated the Housing Department to start conversations with students about their interest in moving.

Lanny Cram, Director of the Housing Department said during the summer it became evident that the conditions placed on funding were going to lead to APU having to place students in apartments before Fall 2008.

Students who signed up to live in Alosta Place were called. A poll was taken and students were asked if they would be interested in living in Crestview. Cram said that, at the time the call was made, they were still unsure if anyone was going to need to be reassigned.

Housing did not, however, want to move students in the middle of the semester. Cram said it was a quick decision spanning only a matter of weeks.
“We tried real hard to make it better for them. No roommates were split up,” Cram said.

Cram said he tried to give students apartments with washers and dryers. They had hoped to make Crestview an upgrade.

Junior liberal studies major Krista Woods and her three roommates were signed up to live in Alosta. She said that at first the girls were not happy about being moved. However, she said that after a week of living there, they are all happy with the change.

“We really like the apartment. It has good facilities, a washer and dryer and it’s convenient,” Woods said.

The cost for students to live in Crestview this year is the same price as Alosta Place was previously.

On the other hand, Woods said, there is no Internet. She and her roommates had to research and buy their own.

Associate Director of Customer Service Jeff Birch said there would be no wireless Internet this school year.

“We are committed to providing Internet by Fall ‘08,” Birch said.

Crestview is a community with APU students and Azusa community members living together. Instead of RAs to create community, Cram says there will be a community resource team to create community.

The Residence Life rules, such as curfew, open flame, and check-out rules will not apply. However, the student code of conduct, available online and in student handbooks, will continue to apply to all students.

Deputy Chief of Campus Safety, Anthony Strickland said their office will be patrolling Crestview and providing students with the same services as the rest of campus.
Strickland also wants students to be aware that their vehicles in Crestview must be registered with his office.

“All students need an APU sticker to park in Crestview,” Strickland said.

“If you come in now and say you live in Crestview you will be given a permit. But if we have to contact you, you will have to pay the price,” Strickland said.

Purchasing Crestview enables more students to live on-campus and brings APU one step closer to their initial goal of having 70% of the student body living on campus during the school year.