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A drive through the Jefferson Park neighborhood north of the University of Arizona campus reveals a neighborhood struggling to retain its character while bursting at the seams with students living in "minidorms" and rental properties. Residents who have lived in the same house for years struggle with constant turnover of student tenants who have no real connection to the neighborhood.

Many college students move at least once a year and view their living quarters as a place to stay, not a place to live and put down roots. It's the transitory nature of university life. But the problems of noise, traffic, litter and general decline that high-turnover rental properties can create for neighbors deserve a more permanent solution.

The move to create what's known as a "neighborhood overlay zone" shows promise. An overlay zone is essentially an area where construction must meet specific zoning requirements that don't exist elsewhere in the city. The key is how to create the framework to encourage families to live there while putting the brakes on new minidorms.

The longtime residents of Jefferson Park have been host for years to scores of college students. Many students are great neighbors — they're quiet, keep up their rentals and are considerate. But in a compact neighborhood such as Jefferson Park, it doesn't take many thoughtless people to create problems for others.

Part of the issue is the construction of minidorms, large structures often built behind existing rental houses that rent out bedrooms and can house sometimes 10 students. The density brings with it parking issues from tenants and their visitors, plus problems with trash and noise.

Police respond to noise complaints and have stepped up their enforcement of neighborhood complaints. When called out to break up loud parties, police often issue "red tags" to the residents. The citations cost $100, and the red tag must remain visible for 180 days, to alert police if they're called back for another noise violation. Subsequent fines escalate up to $1,500, according to a story by the Star's Eric Swedlund.

The UA is now taking a more active role in off-campus relations between students and surrounding neighborhoods. Students who receive a red tag citation can now be disciplined for violating the UA student code of conduct.

While this tack may dampen the noise problems in the short run as students realize that Big Brother is watching even off-campus, it won't solve the underlying problem.

Some students complain that any gathering in the neighborhood, even just a few friends over after finals, can result in a red tag fine. People often don't realize how even late-night backyard conversations can carry and disrupt those next door.

Good-neighbor relationships take consideration and tolerance on both sides, but once the line is crossed it can seem almost impossible to start over.

Residents begin to see students as annoyances, while students see the residents as nags, trying to get them in trouble over what they see as nothing more than having a good time.

So Jefferson Park's work with the Drachman Institute and the city to create the overlay zone holds the most promise.

It may not fix all of the existing problems, but it can help control how rental properties are developed within its boundaries and should help the problem from worsening.

In a Star story by Tom Beal, Drachman Institute Director Corky Poster suggests linking the square footage of new buildings to the size of the land parcel — known as the "floor-area ratio" — as a way to limit large buildings hulking over small lots. This is an incomplete solution, but it's a good starting place.

The challenge will be to craft language that prevents minidorms and overpacked rental units from completely overrunning Jefferson Park while allowing property owners to improve and use their homes.