The State College Borough Council once again is debating the borough's occupancy limit.

At a work session last night, the council discussed alternatives to the occupancy limit. The limit is a part of the borough's zoning ordinance that prohibits more than three unrelated people from sharing a single-family home or duplex in a residential district.

The limit is an important issue with student government officials, who claim that such a limit is unfair to students.

Council member Tom Daubert asked that the council try to create alternatives to the limit at the council's work session on March 15.

Borough Manager Peter Marshall suggested the main alternative to the limit is to discourage the construction of conversion units. A conversion unit is a single-family house that has been converted into multiple apartments.

Marshall said conversion units cause major problems in local neighborhoods, particularly with noise levels and parking problems. He added that conversion unit residents are responsible for about 10 percent of all borough violations per year.

"All you need is one lousy one . . .," Marshall said.

Marshall also suggested that a task force consisting of borough officials be formed to review complaints and violations and coordinate enforcement activities aimed at eliminating problems.

Daubert said he would like to see housing rules be set on factors such as the amount of square footage or the number of bathrooms a house has than on the number of residents.

"I'm trying to get rid of these places that are real terrible," Daubert said. "I'm trying to protect the people."

But Wendy Hurst, Undergraduate Student Government East Halls senator, said the only thing the council accomplished was showing the members are anti-student.

"They're totally missing the point," Hurst said.

The fact that the council is concerned with conversion units -- when only a small amount of the borough's violations are caused by residents of conversion units -- shows the council's disregard for students, Hurst said.

Hurst said the council is misdirecting its efforts because the real housing issue is rent control.

"We don't want to live 10 in a house," Hurst said, but added most students have to because of the borough's high rents.