Parking in residential areas and the conversion of family houses into student homes are the two biggest problems a neighborhood interest group considers crucial to retaining State College's historic residential character.

The Neighborhood Conservation Project Management Team, formed by the State College Planning Commission last year, is polishing a set of neighborhood preservation recommendations for the State College Borough Council to be submitted within the year.

The team, comprised of representatives from neighborhood groups, student organizations, fraternities and developers, aims to discuss whether the University should be more responsible for the student parking shortage downtown.

"You're on your own and there isn't any parking available," is the message Team Chairwoman Christy Rambeau wants to express to incoming students. The team will recommend that students be discouraged from parking downtown.

"The University can and should, not passively, but actively, discourage parking (by students) downtown," said Stuart Forth, president of the Vallimont Association.

Shortage of downtown spaces, cars "warehoused" along residential streets and cars blocking residents' spaces in front of their homes, are the main reasons for the conservation group's recommendation, team members said.

Sherri Rutolo, a team member representing student off-campus programs, said the Organization for Town Independent Students could include parking information along with the standard information they provide about off-campus housing.

The parking information supplement would include the expense and inconvenience of parking downtown, Rutolo said.

Parking problems are also created when single family houses are converted into student housing, Rambeau said in an earlier meeting. Little space is available in the driveways to accommodate additional cars, she said.

Regulating the number of cars parked in a "driveway" to three has been proposed.

The housing conversion also scares away families -- the largest part of the borough's tax base -- while destroying the neighborhood ideal, says James Deeslie, president of the Highland Civic Association.

"(We don't want to) see our neighborhoods turn to rooming houses," Deeslie said in December.

The Design Review Board, comprised of seven volunteers who review prospective downtown projects, was unsatisfied with the conservation team's recommendations.

Board members do not agree a need exists for neighborhood preservation, said Sandy Steltz, conservation team member. DRB members recommended the plan be revised.

"If that's their attitude, it's appalling," said Elaine McKelvey, co-president of the Holmes-Foster Neighborhood Association.

Deeslie said some DRB members have a conflict of interest. The chairman of the board is a developer, and three other members work for developers, he said.

Tom Daulbert, president of the State College South Association, agreed.

"It's an appearance of a conflict," to have so many architects on the board, he said.

The conservation team is planning to recommend the DRB be restructured to include a more representative sample of State College residents.

Some team members are concerned the board's criticism of the plan may cause council members to reject it and overlook the work that went into formulating the recommendations.

McKelvey said the team should submit proposals as they are to the council despite the board's comments.

The team will discuss other recommendations for crime and safety, development of areas surrounding the neighborhoods and historic preservation at upcoming meetings.