City Residents Criticize Law School Social Club

Cambridge residents hauled the members of a Law School social club before the Cambridge License Commission yesterday, complaining that excessive noise keeps them awake on weekends.

Neighbors of the Lincoln's Inn Society, located at 44 Follen St., complained that they are bothered by honking horns, slamming doors and loud students that wake them up on the weekend when the club is most active.

They described particularly noisy weekends when honking taxis, laughing students and urinating men disturbed the peace as late as 4:30 a.m.

"It's like having a bar in the heart of a residential neighborhood, a bar with no closing time," said Henry Lelaurian, a resident of an apartment building at 50 Follen Street, who was one of five residents to join two city councillors in criticizing the club yesterday.

The non-exclusive Lincoln's Inn Society, founded in 1908, has around 200 members, all students at the Law School.

At issue yesterday was the society's lodging license, which allows its officers to live there during the school year.

Lelaurian said the society and its neighbors struck a deal six years ago as a condition for the lodging license. Then, officers of the society promised to reduce their disruptive behavior.

But Lelaurian said this arrangement has not been enough.

"Things have definitely improved from 1990," Lelaurian said. "But still, the noise that we get is waking us up. It's like guerrilla warfare: you wake up, you go to sleep, you wake up..."

Residents complained that the traffic of guests is particularly disruptive after midnight, even when the society does not hold special events.

But the society's members disputed their neighbors' claims.

"This hearing has come as a bit of a surprise to us," said society Chair Peter C. Amuso, calling this a "peaceful year" with only one major social function. "We have made an effort since day one to address any concerns raised by our neighbors."

Amuso, a third-year law student, said Lincoln's Inn has made several changes to accommodate Lelaurian and other residents' complaints.

In particular, the club has limited the number of guests that each member can host and has required members to register each guest upon arrival. Members have also been taught how to conduct themselves respectfully and told that they are responsible for their guests, Amuso said.

He cited one instance in which a student's membership was revoked in lieu of his guests' disorderly behavior.

David A. Wylie, attorney for the club, said it is questionable whether most of the noise neighbors have been hearing has come from the club.

Residents said they brought the complaint before the commission because calling the police did no good.

Richard V. Scali, executive director of the commission, said he did not understand why guest traffic is so heavy.

"Why can't you lock the door so no one enters after midnight?" he said. "Why do people have to come and go at three and four in the morning? When I was a law student, I was in bed by one o'clock."

But Wiley said returning the society to an eating house, which several residents suggested, could prove even more disruptive.

"Where [the residents] live is not going to be heaven no matter what," he stated.

Wiley and Amuso did not express concern about what the commission might decide. "[The lodging license] is the only thing that they have any jurisdiction over," Wylie said.

The license allows seven club officers to live in the house and is conditional on several provisions, such as hiring a police officer to watch over parties, something Amuso said the society did not do at its party earlier in the year.

But even if the commission revokes the lodging license, the society will still have a permanent zoning variance, which allows it to function legally as a club, Wiley said.

And if the commission does strike down the license, all of the standing party restrictions would be dissolved, for they exist only as conditions of the license.

"Ironically, the city would lose what hold it has," Wylie said.

The commission voted to take the matter under advisement and is expected to render a decision today

Amuso, a third-year law student, said Lincoln's Inn has made several changes to accommodate Lelaurian and other residents' complaints.

In particular, the club has limited the number of guests that each member can host and has required members to register each guest upon arrival. Members have also been taught how to conduct themselves respectfully and told that they are responsible for their guests, Amuso said.

He cited one instance in which a student's membership was revoked in lieu of his guests' disorderly behavior.

David A. Wylie, attorney for the club, said it is questionable whether most of the noise neighbors have been hearing has come from the club.

Residents said they brought the complaint before the commission because calling the police did no good.

Richard V. Scali, executive director of the commission, said he did not understand why guest traffic is so heavy.

"Why can't you lock the door so no one enters after midnight?" he said. "Why do people have to come and go at three and four in the morning? When I was a law student, I was in bed by one o'clock."

But Wiley said returning the society to an eating house, which several residents suggested, could prove even more disruptive.

"Where [the residents] live is not going to be heaven no matter what," he stated.

Wiley and Amuso did not express concern about what the commission might decide. "[The lodging license] is the only thing that they have any jurisdiction over," Wylie said.

The license allows seven club officers to live in the house and is conditional on several provisions, such as hiring a police officer to watch over parties, something Amuso said the society did not do at its party earlier in the year.

But even if the commission revokes the lodging license, the society will still have a permanent zoning variance, which allows it to function legally as a club, Wiley said.

And if the commission does strike down the license, all of the standing party restrictions would be dissolved, for they exist only as conditions of the license.

"Ironically, the city would lose what hold it has," Wylie said.

The commission voted to take the matter under advisement and is expected to render a decision today