The State College Borough Planning Commission took the first tentative step in developing a freer dialogue between itself and the borough during last night's worksession.

The commission will recommend to the State College Borough Council before Feb. 5 that two members of the commission -- Katherine Raiser and Dan Wallace -- meet informally with University representatives to "shake hands and get to know each other," said commission chairman Peter Everett.

The decision to meet was made after the worksession bloomed into what commission member Jerry Wettstone called "a freewheeling brainstorming session." The meeting was originally intended for discussion of modifying height restrictions in the downtown general commercial district to encourage growth. In 1985, the 65-foot height restriction on the outer edges of the downtown area was raised.

Wettstone, also a borough council member, indicated that the council would probably accept the idea.

Fear about the University moving many downtown offices back on campus has been expressed by several commission members and may have helped prompt the action.

"The University is the prime mover and generator of what goes on in this town," said John Haas, a local architect who attended last night's meeting.

Everett expressed the widely-held concern that the borough is stifling growth because developers cannot construct large buildings on the small, expensive lots available in the downtown area. Before last night's meeting, eliminating the height restriction was the commission's major option.

However, Borough Planning Director Carl Hess pointed out that the parking situation, the high cost of land, the small sites and traffic congestion may all contribute to the lack of re-investment in downtown State College.

Another factor is that area residents have been polarized over the future of State College, said Borough Zoning Officer Herman Slaybaugh. One group wants to preserve the "old State College," and the other group wants to expand the downtown area, he said.

Though the commission will go ahead with its plans to tighten bonds with the University, other issues brought up last night may be addressed by Land Design/Research, Inc.'s "Downtown Economic Development and Urban Design Plan," scheduled for completion in May 1990.

Hess and Haas both suggested that the commission should wait for the study's results before taking any concrete action, such as revising or repealing ordinances.