The possibility of future development on a controversial Penn State-owned tract of land may draw one step closer at tonight's Ferguson Township Board of Supervisors meeting.

Ferguson Township manager Mark Kunkle said the township planning commission will seek the board's approval to inform the public about a new zoning district -- a district that will likely result in Circleville Farm's redevelopment.

Kunkle said the planning commission and township staff have been working on an ordinance that would create a "traditional town development" district. Penn State's 155-acre area, as well as the adjacent Imbt Business Park, are the two locations it would initially affect.

"It's a logical next step," he said. "These types of developments are very successful in other parts of the country, and we think in our area there's very much a demand for it."

The new zoning district aims to give Circleville, an agricultural-zoned area at West College Avenue and Circleville Road, a "small town" atmosphere. Penn State's developer, Lezzer/Haubert Partnership, presented a 430-unit residential development plan for the area that would include apartments, condominiums and single-family housing. The development would emphasize a "pedestrian-friendly" neighborhood, relying more on open spaces and public transportation.

"Having the area more pedestrian-friendly gives more of a sense of community in a place," board member Steve Miller said. "A lot of people were interested in something more than just driving everywhere."

Plans for the neighboring 180-acre Imbt property focus more on commercial development, including a town center with 900 dwelling units -- a combination of apartments, condominiums and offices with residential living space above. "It's much more intensely developed," Ferguson Township Planning Director Trisha Lang said. "There was more of a reluctance to build Circleville up."

Lang said the planning commission is not advocating the development of Circleville Farm, which was once a learning center for undergraduate agriculture students, but is simply addressing Penn State's request to rezone the area.

"To sell for agricultural use, you'd not get nearly the dollars as if you'd sell it for development potential," she said. "In order to get top dollar, it needs to be rezoned."

Penn State Associate Vice President for Finance and Business Dan Sieminski said the Penn State Board of Trustees approved selling the land for $2.9 million in November 2003. However, the sale is contingent upon Lezzer-Haubert -- a firm based in Curwensville -- getting the land rezoned for residential units.

He said the university wanted to sell the land 10 years ago because it is surrounded by residential development and is too isolated from the rest of campus. The move led to a student and community outcry, resulting in a group called Friends of Circleville Farm, which rallied against the sale.

If the board approves the request to advertise the new zoning district ordinance, a public meeting would be held Oct. 17 at the earliest, during the supervisors' regular meeting. The board would then wait until its next meeting to vote on the ordinance. "I really don't see anything preventing [the ordinance] from passing," Miller said. "The whole board supports the idea."

But there is a lot to get past before developers can begin construction, he said. After the township staff finishes the paperwork for the ordinance, if it is approved, then developers have to apply for rezoning. Miller said if the whole process goes smoothly, the earliest construction could start is spring 2006.