Members of a special committee formed to implement the State College "ambience" report plan to select a consultant to analyze the downtown economy and create a development plan to increase the plan's viability.

The committee, composed of representatives of borough staff, downtown businesses, developers and University students, met yesterday to create a scope of work for the plan. Members say the committee is designed to act in a supervisory capacity to the consultant.

The consultant will assess the impact of further development, assuring an architectural variety downtown and establishing marketing strategies, according to a draft of the committee's tasks by the borough's planning director. The plan must be compiled within the guidelines of the Centre Region Comprehensive plan.

"The consultants are going to have to tell us what the (downtown) should be like, what tools to use, and whether they are legal," said Peter Everett, planning commission director. "It's not going to be easy."

Bob Hoffman, president of the American Institute of Architects, said he will make a list of five or six consultants for the committee to select.

Committee members said that a combination of large scale development and an increasing downtown student population is destroying the atmosphere and economic viability of the borough's business district.

"We are catering to a significant regional shopping center and we have to ask how can we manage it to meet the goals the region wants," Everett said.

Brent Pasquarelli, president of the Downtown Business Association, said downtown businesses are in danger of being taken over by "student-oriented development."

"I think the days of the locally independent business owner are in danger," he said. "It distresses me to see that the downtown may become a student playground."

But Sherri Rutolo, president of the Organization for Town Independent Students, said students cannot be held entirely accountable for the rate of development. She suggests that the committee select a qualified representative of the University administration to discuss the problem.

"You have to know what the University is thinking or our plans aren't going to mean that much," Rutolo said.

Everett said the University's decisions have a large impact on the downtown area and added that the committee will seek to find a Penn State representative.