Two-unrelated ordinance alters USG platforms

By RACHEL HOGAN
Collegian Staff Writer

As Undergraduate Student Goverment presidential candidates prepare their platforms, they are faced with an unexpected twist --the recent two-unrelated person housing ordinance designed by the State College Planning Commission.

And as candidates prepare to improve relations between students and permanent residents, both tickets must incorporate this development into their platforms.

Presidential candidate Josh Bokee said USG President Mike King has done a good job at holding the Planning Commission and the State College Borough Council off for the year, but he fears the hiatus is coming to an end with RENU -- Ratio, Enforcement, Neighborhoods and University.

The ratio part of the plan would reduce the number of unrelated persons allowed to live in a single dwelling from three to two in certain areas of the borough.

"We're back at square one," Bokee said.

Bokee said he and his running mate, Kerith Strano, plan to seek voluntary legal counsel for such issues.

"USG doesn't have all the answers. I think it's time to stop pretending that we do," he said.

But Commission Chairman Peter Everett said he does not think that legal counsel is the way to go.

"I think we've explored the legal issues quite a bit. I don't know what more Bokee is going to learn," Everett said.

And the important part now, he said, is to come up with good ideas.

"We need creativity and talking to a lawyer doesn't give you creativity. They tell you what you can't do," he said.

While Everett is lukewarm on Bokee's plan to seek counsel, he is only slighty more interested in USG presidential candidate Corey O'Brien's plan for student housing issues. O'Brien also said the ratio part of RENU is troublesome.

"It will segregate students and limit the number of students that can live in town," O'Brien said. "We have to stop it. We can't let it go any further."

To that end, O'Brien said he and his running mate, Kara Annechini, are considering a plan to limit the number of parking spaces per house.

"That seems to be the borough's biggest problem," he said. When a house has two parking spaces and seven cars, the borough gets upset, O'Brien said.

Everett said he liked the parking plan but said it still will not solve the housing issue. He said with an enforcement, neighborhood, University and now a parking plan, still no balance between students and residents is assured for the borough.

"How do you assure over the long run some kind of housing for all kinds of folks?" Everett said.

But Co-President of the Highlands Civic Association Jed Lindholm said he thinks the candidates should worry about individuals.

"It's got to come down to a street-by-street approach," he said. "(For us), it's not the parking so much as the people."

O'Brien said he is prepared to come up against such opposition by creating a middle-of-the-road plan that the borough can accept.

Bokee said he thinks the best way to resolve the issue is through enforcement of noise and vandalism.

O'Brien agreed that the enforcement part of RENU was important. But he added that if the ratio part remains, then students may follow through with threats of a boycott. But for right now, O'Brien sees the boycott as a "100 percent absolute last resort."

He said it is not a good idea to boycott local businesses and then try to deal with the borough council.

"If we go in there with the businesses on our side, it will be much more advantageous," he said.

Bokee said he takes a more nostalgic view of boycotts but fears that the execution would fail.

"Idealistically, it's a great idea to bring back boycotts and protest marches. But if you can't even get people to come out and vote. . . ," Bokee said.

Bokee said he recognizes that the borough is not going to listen to student complaints until they vote for local government positions.

"(Until) we do that, they're going to shut the door in our face," Bokee said.