Borough Council gives rental units new names

By RACHEL HOGAN
Collegian Staff Writer

Rental housing. Student housing. For every suggestion about what to call rental units, there is an objection.

The rental housing issue has dominated many local official agendas lately, from the planning commission to the State College Borough Council. And the banter that seemed to be going nowhere still left students without a home. Or at least, without a name for that home.

But, the latest movement to reach a common ground came to a head last night at the council meeting.

In an effort to clear up confusion about rental unit classifications and to equalize permit costs for these units, the council voted to accept the Code Administration Committee's recommendation to use the Building Official Conference of America use-groups to classify rental housing.

Under the new classifications, motels, hotels and rooms will be classified R1. Apartments and condiminiums will be R2; townhouses R3; single-family homes, duplexes and mobile homes, R4. Fraternities will be classified F.

But with the new labels come new costs. And because the committee assigned new fees for inspection costs, the price for a fraternity permit will double from the current $50 to $100.

Apartments, single-dwelling units, townhouses and mobile units, as well as duplexes, now have permit fees of $30. But under the new codes, a flat $13 inspection fee will be attached to each unit, except R1, which will be $10.

According to the agenda, the costs are needed to maintain the current level of inspection.

Council President Jean McManis said the new classifications are "simpler" and "fairer."

The new fees and classifications will be enacted July 1,1996.