Matt Montemorano informed the State College Borough Council last night of his concern about being evicted from his West Beaver Avenue apartment. His comments were among many raised regarding the new West Beaver Avenue and Fraser Street parking garage.

Montemorano (junior-film) and his roommates received notification that their eviction takes effect on July 31, 2004, and does not honor the lease they signed in October 2003 because of eminent domain.

Montemorano, along with roommates Kyle Repka (junior-film) and Jay Buim (junior-film), said they wanted the borough to delay the onset of construction until their lease ends after the 2004-05 academic year.

"Why, if for the past six months you were planning this, were we not told?" Montemorano asked.

Mayor Bill Welch said the possibility of the house being torn down "hasn't exactly been a secret."

Montemorano said he called council member Elizabeth Goreham last week to discuss his concerns but added that she did not return his phone call.

Goreham said she did not have the time to return his call but would do her best to provide the students with information about available apartments for rent.

She said she sympathized with the students because of the fact that a written commitment to condemn the land was not finished until March.

"We didn't want to kick anyone out -- we were waiting for the leases to expire. The landlords didn't know we'd buy the property ... and unfortunately, tenants are caught in the middle," she said.

"Any leads the borough would like to give us would be appreciated," Montemorano said.

Council member James Meyer said he did not favor delaying the garage project to allow the tenants to live in the building for an additional year.

"I think asking to extend your lease another year ... is probably somewhat unreasonable, based on financial reasons," Meyer said.

"It's fair to say the snowball is rolling downhill. It would be very expensive and time consuming," Welch said.

Borough manager Tom Fountaine said delaying the project would cost an additional $300,000. Welch added that the source of this financial figure was not affiliated with the borough.

"I'd like to see if that document is public and available to read," Buim said after the presentation.

"Re-leasing wasn't part of the thought process because we thought landlords were thinking of their tenants," Kern said.

Kern also said council must draw a line as to when project construction will begin.

"There are pieces that follow a certain sequence," he said.

Montemorano said his landlord was not able to definitively inform tenants of the borough's plans to condemn the property until her attorneys were contacted on March 15.

Council approved a schematic design for the garage, which includes changes requested at its last work session held on March 18. This approval enabled the architect from Timothy Haahs & Associates, the firm contracted to build the garage, to proceed with the design development phase of the project.