High-rise buildings will be part of the State College borough's future skyscape, once developers take advantage of a new zoning district passed last night by borough council.
The State College Borough Council voted 6-1 to approve a commercial incentive zoning district (CID), designed to attract new businesses and permanent residents downtown.
"We need to diversify our building ownership downtown," council member Jeff Kern said. "We need to increase our tax base and increase our commercial opportunities."
The zoning changes the former 65-foot height limit to 95 feet for an area between South Garner Street and H Alley between Railroad Avenue and Highland Alley. The current 45-foot height limit in the area surrounding South Allen Street and College Avenue would remain in place. Developers are allowed the extra height if they use environmentally friendly designs, underground parking or other features.
Council also voted 6-1 in favor of "signature" buildings that would allow developers to build up to 145 feet, or about 12 stories, in most of the CID area. There are five sites in the zoning area that meet design requirements for a building of that height. One of those sites is a $38 million council-initiated project that would create a 10-screen, three-story cineplex with retail and office space and high-end condominiums.
Council member Cathy Dauler said the project's developer, Susquehanna Real Estate, needed the zoning passed to begin work on the cineplex.
"The developer wouldn't have stuck around if they felt we weren't going to act on the zoning or if there were going to be substantial changes," she said.
In contrast to the rest of council, member Elizabeth Goreham voted against both ordinances after she failed to pass two motions that would have amended the zoning. She read a prepared statement before her vote.
"[The zoning] could have disastrous consequences, in my opinion," she said. "A worst-case scenario would bring a Beaver Canyon look but with less parking."
Planning Commission Chair Art Anderson spoke to council last night and said the commission still feels that it's better to start with a smaller area.
"Maybe we should go slower at this ... rather than having the frustration of a having a large area and then saying 'whoops, maybe we better pare this down,' " he said.
He also said 145-feet buildings would change the quaint feel of downtown.
"It strikes me as being a little extreme when you're talking about keeping the character of College and Allen at 45 feet," he said.
Council heard from several borough residents who said the ordinances were needed for the borough to have a strong economy.
Mike Freeman, who lives at 723 W. Nittany Ave., said it would move the town "in a new direction."
"Please allow buildings to go higher in the air so we can have less sprawl," he said.
However, Ken Gray, 325 W. Park Ave., addressed council in anger.
"In my opinion, council has not done what it needs to do ... to inform this town [of the CID]," he said.
In other business, council approved Penn State's noise waiver request for six amplified-sound events on a proposed permanent stage on the HUB lawn. Although council has expressed concerns with the waivers because the stage would face downtown, Council President Tom Daubert said the university amended their request to meet the needs of council.
"They're going to be very careful," he said. "We still would like the stage to be at the bottom [of the lawn] facing the top, but we knew that was a lost cause."
The university agreed to work with the borough to keep the noise at 70 decibels at monitoring locations downtown.
Penn State plans to build the terrace-style stage at the top of the lawn below the existing patio as part of an overall redesign of the lawn. Construction is slated to begin on the stage in spring 2006.
