Act now to stop land development

Long-time residents of the Centre Region may have originally come for jobs, but we stay in part because of the area’s natural beauty. Central Pa. has good schools and other amenities, and the beauty of the Appalachian landscape and the proximity to nature make us proud to call this area home.

However, sprawling development undermines our reasons for living here.

The Nittany Valley Water Coalition has appealed to PSU and used citizen action to stage a 100-plus day occupation countering Penn State’s contract with Toll Brothers to purchase 44 acres for luxury student housing along Whitehall Road. This development includes extending the regional growth boundary for stormwater management facilities on land that is not zoned for this kind of use, in violation of Ferguson Township’s zoning ordinances, which could lead to development of the remaining farmland.

It is reprehensible for PSU to keep increasing student enrollment without considering impacts on the community. PSU owns thousands of buildable acres near campus. The NVWC wants to keep PSU’s growing student body housed on PSU land situated within walking distance of campus and has initiated negotiations between Toll Brothers and PSU to find an alternative site for student housing closer to campus on less environmentally sensitive land.

Opening up development to nearly 1,000 acres of farmland between Whitehall Road and Route 45 is not inevitable. Action now is critical. Email the board of trustees asking them to support a land swap with Toll Brothers at bot@psu.edu or contact President Eric Barron directly.

This story was originally published September 19, 2017 at 9:35 PM with the headline "Act now to stop land development."