COLLEGE TOWNSHIP — A local developer must continue an uphill climb for approval of a new student housing complex it hopes to open this fall.
The Villas at Happy Valley, advertised online by developer Keystone Commercial Real Estate as opening in time for the 2012 fall semester, would sit between Trout Road and Dreibelbis Street. The 149 townhomes would be targeted toward just shy of 450 students.
Steve Bisbee, project manager from Keystone, has appeared before Planning Commission several times since November, giving hours of presentations on the project.
But township planning officials said the project continues to raise concerns about parking, pedestrian safety, stormwater facilities, and how student housing will affect existing homes in the area, with Julian Drive to the west and Washington Avenue to the east.
Because of those concerns, the Planning Commission on Jan. 17 voted 4-2 to recommend Township Council deny the plan. Alfred Barbour, Janet Sulzer, Hayes Gearhart Jr. and Anthony Fragola approved the rejection while Ray Forziat and George Khoury opposed, and Eric Bernier abstained from voting.
Council likely will receive the plan for review at its Feb. 16 meeting.
Bernier said he abstained because he works for the Centre Area Transportation Authority and transportation was another central issue to the plan discussion, particularly related to how many Villas residents can be expected to use CATA. Bernier assists in submitting comments about land development plans and also helps with the contract for a complex to include bus passes in tenant rent. Keystone is working on such a contract for The Villas.
“There was the perception among a couple of people that this development creates a windfall for CATA,” he said of concerned neighbors to the site. “It may be a cop-out on my part, but these are really passionate with people. I didn’t want to draw CATA into this.”
Based on concern at a December meeting, Bisbee discussed a revised traffic study showing an estimated 20 percent reduction in traffic based on CATA ridership. The original figure was 41 percent. Bernier pointed to the assumptions necessary to reach such a figure, because no similar developments exist in that part of the State College area.
The plan has received pages of comments from the township engineers and planner. Some commission members said Bisbee must resolve more of those comments, which took the form of conditions on their recommendation to deny. That gives Keystone the opportunity to address those issues before the council review.
Bisbee said Monday his team is working to comply with those comments and is confident they can resolve the conditions.
“We’ve really put a lot of effort into this,” he said. “The plan has gotten better and better.”
Council first saw a preliminary plan in November and member David Koll said Monday it hasn’t yet received the most recent information. He wasn’t sure if council will favor the plan.
“Though sometimes we might disagree with Planning Commission, their opinions are highly respected and looked after,” he said. “It will definitely weigh into everybody’s decision.”
Jessica VanderKolk can be reached at 235-3910.
