New construction plans within the State College Borough may soon require the addition of pedestrian walkways stretching from front doors to the sidewalk along the street.

The potentially new ordinance, which was discussed at last night's State College Borough Council meeting, aims to improve the safety of local residents.

Council member Tom Daubert explained why he proposed the change.

"We were reviewing a plan for some low-income housing," Daubert said. "They had this enormous parking lot and no way across it."

Creating walkways from the front doors to the sidewalk would limit the amount of exposure people have to traffic, Daubert said.

"There's a lot of people there with little kids," he said.

The majority of the change would take place in new housing developments along Waupelani Drive, he said.

"Basically, you would only cross a driveway instead of a parking lot," he said.

Single or double-occupancy homes would be exempt from the change.

According to the proposed ordinance, walkways running parallel to driveways and parking lots would have to be made visible by a change in materials or a 6-inch difference in elevation.

Parking would not be permitted on any of the walkways.

A 12-inch border of unpaved dirt might also be required for sidewalks running beside parking lots.

If passed, the ordinance would also prohibit the use of painted lines to designate walkways in parking areas.

Additionally, the walkways would have to be made of a semi-permeable material, such as brick, in order to improve water drainage.

"It's not retroactive," said Council member Elizabeth Goreham.

Existing buildings and residencies without walkways would not be affected if the new ordinance passes.

Borough Council will vote on the new ordinance during their meeting on Feb 3.