STATE COLLEGE — The borough engineer said last week The Retreat student housing site on Waupelani Drive, which contains soils related to stormwater mitigation, is not a critical concern.

Nolin soils are known to be absorbent and help mitigate floodwater during storms. Because of a borough ordinance limiting development on those soils, the borough must approve an exemption to allow The Retreat to move ahead.

The borough Planning Commission voted to recommend Borough Council exempt The Retreat site, and also for staff to determine whether it’s feasible to keep the Nolin soils component in the ordinance. Many exemptions already exist because development predated the ordinance.

Engineer Amy Story said one-and two-year stormwaters would be managed on the site and that the area previously has been able to handle larger storms. She said many of the Nolin soil areas she considers more critical already are developed.

Borough Council will vote on the exemption at a future meeting.