Responding to a report on borough improvements presented by neighborhood representatives Wednesday, the Borough Planning Commission last night developed a five-part plan to change the suggestions into law.

"My initial reaction is there are many good ideas in (the report), but it has to be simplified," Commission Chairman Peter Everett said.

The agenda includes both commission and public discussion of the recommendation. The first stage, which Everett said is in progress, is to send copies of the report to all groups affected by the proposals, including other municipal boards as well as the University.

On March 8, commissioners will then discuss individual considerations of the report at length, while giving the public the opportunity to react. However, the Neighborhood Project Management Team was supposed to represent the public anyway in preparing the document, Everett added.

In the next stage, borough staff will prepare an implementation report on the proposals made by the commission. This will include studies of the legality, economic feasibility, and correlation of the suggestions with current ordinances and a downtown survey.

The staff will also prioritize the recommendations, Everett said, adding that it is impossible to complete all the objectives at once.

However, commission member Christy Rambeau and Zoning Officer Herman Slayblaugh objected to the idea of ranking the concerns, claiming the entire report is of equal importance.

Slayblaugh added that borough staff should not decide what is important -- the citizens "are the boss."

After completion of the staff study, the commission will again discuss the prioritized suggestions at a March 29 work session before sending it to council.

Several commission members seemed pleased that the suggestions will be considered quickly for law. However, Rambeau stressed the necessity for detailed commission discussion on the report, saying, "There are no shortcuts."

Sheryl Rutolo, representing the Organization for Town Independent Students for the commission, said parts of the report may reflect a bias against students. Ruth Fergus of 542 W. Hillcrest Dr., spoke as a representative of the College Heights Association, saying part of the report may be interpreted as anti-student.

"It happened, and I'm sorry it happened, but it was not the opinion of the majority of (the project management team)," she said.