By Adam Riggs
On January 23rd, David Lamadrid went through his routine like every other day: he went to classes, he talked to friends, and he grabbed a copy of The Daily Universe. But then something in the paper captured his attention ? his housing complex, Branbury Park Apartments, had lost its BYU Housing Approval.
Since January, Branbury has been struggling to meet the high demands BYU places on university-approved housing in order to regain their approved status.
?We have gone through and cleaned house,? said Richard Knapp, owner and principal of Branbury Park Apartments. ?In the past year we have got rid of anybody and everybody that is not willing to comply with our new rules, which are similar to those that BYU has for its approved complexes. We are doing whatever we are asked to do.?
Lamadrid, 25, from Merida, Mexico, moved into Branbury during August 2003. He moved in without reservations ? the living conditions were comfortable and the location was perfect, he said ? but he had no clue that Branbury had the reputation as a ?party complex? until after he moved in.
?I could see it coming,? he said. ?I saw people drinking and doing drugs more than I would like. There was no doubt that bad things were going on a lot of the time.?
Lamadrid, however, said he decided to stay in his apartment for the rest of winter semester because Branbury offered to take $50 off his rent. According to the BYU Housing Guide, students can finish out their current contract or give their landlord a five-day written notice of their departure when an apartment complex loses its university approval.
Plus, he added, ?I really liked my apartment, my roommates and my friends. It wasn?t that fancy, but it was comfortable. So I stayed.?
Although Lamadrid turned 25 during the contract period and was exempt from living in university-approved housing under BYU?s rules, he decided to re-sign for the summer.
However when his recent summer contract ended, Lamadrid decided he wanted to move because he missed the atmosphere of university-approved housing.
?The grounds and facilities at Branbury are great,? he said. ?I just don?t like being in the same building with married couples. I don?t have to move anymore, but there is a different, happier feeling in a BYU-approved apartment.?
That atmosphere is what Branbury is trying to get back. They have tried to accomplish this by remodeling the apartments, which include new big-screen televisions, tile and furnishings.
?The atmosphere at Branbury has done a 180 degree turn around,? Knapp said. ?Once BYU arbitrarily decided to not renew its approval, any and all tenants who were not totally committed to Branbury were given license to leave and many did so. Those who remained were the best of the best. I feel that we are being punished for the sins of our past.?
Knapp said he recently submitted a 50-page proposal to BYU, which included their application for housing approval, a comparison of BYU?s housing handbook to Branbury?s rules, a list of their ownership, a plan for their eviction process and new safety and security procedures.
Branbury?s proposal is currently under review, but a decision will not be made concerning their approved status for fall semester, said Carri Jenkins, BYU spokeswoman.
Branbury resident Jodi Hunsaker, 20, a nursing student from UVSC, noted the apartment complex is improving. She likes the atmosphere at Branbury with the new changes.
?I don?t notice a difference in the atmosphere from my old place, which was BYU approved, and Branbury,? she said. ?I really like it here. The people are social, but I don?t see anything bad going on.?
Branbury?s student wards, BYU 58th and 155th, have continued to remain BYU wards after losing its university approval. BYU ward boundaries are ?determined geographically and not by complexes,? Jenkins said.
The attendance at Lamadrid?s ward, BYU 155th, has declined since Branbury lost BYU approval.
?We use to have 100 or more people at sacrament meeting,? Lamadrid said. ?Now we are lucky to have 25 or 30.?
Knapp said he is being relentless in his quest to regain BYU approved status for Branbury.
?We have made these changes to show that Branbury is not just a good place to live, but it is one of the better places to live,? he said.
