The Domes at Baggins End are currently searching for student applicants to live in five domes that will be open Spring quarter.
There are currently 14 residents residing at the domes, which reopened again in January after being closed down on July 31, 2011. They are currently seeking three to four tenants to live in the domes come Spring quarter.
“If we do not reach our full capacity, we would not be getting the income from those unoccupied domes,” said Veronica Pardo, anthropology graduate student and current resident of the domes. “We would be taking a hit for Spring quarter.”
Residents and supporters of the Domes fought to re-open the Domes last year, after Student Housing shut them down, claiming health and safety regulation issues.
Eventually, Domes residents procured a contract with Solar Community Housing Association (SCHA), in which SCHA is now leasing the space from Student Housing. SCHA now acts as a landlord to the residents of the Domes.
At this time, dome’s residents have not discussed if there will be more payments to SCHA if the domes remain unoccupied in Spring quarter.
“It would be a lag on paying back our loan,” Pardo said.
In order to find new applicants for Spring quarter, the Domes residents have sent e-mails via list serves, handed out flyers, posted information on Daviswiki.org and put out blurbs on KDVS.
Applications are available on the SCHA website and on Daviswiki.org. Applications are due by Thursday.
Many of the current residents at Baggins End are new tenants. A few of the seasoned tenants still remain.
Due to the fact the Domes reopened in January, hopeful applicants have had issues severing their leasing contracts with other apartment complexes in order to live in the Domes.
“It was like any other leasing situation: long and frustrating, but it was worth it,” said Elli Pearson, second year sustainable agriculture and food systems major and applicant coordinator for the Domes. “I had to have someone sublease my apartment. I half-heartedly looked for a sublease before I knew, but when I was accepted, it was an every single day search on Craig’s List.”
Since the reopening of the Domes, rent has increased from $226.00 a month to $395.00, with a one time $200 deposit, Pardo said.
“We have open dinners that students can attend, work parties, we are also working to reopen up the Davis People’s Free School, an engineering class that is involved in designing a new structure, and many other collaborative projects,” said Evka Whaley-Mayda, a sophomore art studio major.
The Davis People’s Free School is an organization with free classes that anyone can take. It lasted for two quarters, but next quarter a group of people are attempting to get it started up again and have classes again at the Domes, Pearson said.
The Domes currently have multiple applicants for the upcoming Fall quarter.
“We are working very hard to fill up those unoccupied space so we are not in any predicament,” Pardo said.
ALICIA KINDRED can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
