The proposed ordinance would give builders the opportunity to add up to two stories, for a sum total of 65 feet in height, provided they amend the layout of the buildings by choosing from a list of incentives.

Additional discussion and the scheduling of a public hearing were the two main developments of the past month.

Some incentives discussed include restricting the first floor to commercial or retail use, providing office space within the structure or increasing the number of parking spaces, said council member Elizabeth Goreham, who supports the proposal.

Borough council has scheduled time for public comment and review of the proposal for Jan. 20 and a public hearing on the proposal for Feb. 1, Goreham said.

After the public hearing, borough council can enact, reject or make changes to the proposal.

Any changes would require another public hearing before it could be enacted or rejected, Goreham said.

Though council members seem to be supportive of the proposal, much can change after the public voices its view, said Bill Welch, State College mayor.

He added it is important for council to carefully evaluate its decision because the proposal would affect a commercial zone, where restrictions generally are avoided to maintain an attraction for business within the town.

Borough council needs to be certain it is not restricting a property owner's ability to make a profit, he added.

"We need to be cautious about ideas of this kind to be certain not to have an economic impact we don't want," Welch said.

"I'm sure it won't pass exactly as proposed, but I'm sure it will pass," she said.

The proposal is necessary because it ensures the scale of the town remains within the range of that of a smaller community, Goreham said.

But Ed Friedman, owner of Friedman Real Estate Group and partner of Calder Joint Venture, which owns and leases several pieces of downtown property, believes there is another reason why the council supports the proposal.

"It's my belief that one of borough council's objectives is to eliminate further student housing downtown," Friedman said.

In addition to student housing, the proposal would eliminate the possibility for national businesses and hotels to build large office buildings downtown, Friedman said.

His plans for a parking garage and possible apartments on Garner Street have been complicated by the height restriction proposal, he said.

Goreham said the council is not intending to adversely affect students through this proposal. She added more student housing downtown is unnecessary, due to an enrollment cap recently announced by Penn State.