Just ask any student who failed to get a housing contract for the 2007-08 school year, or one who had to resort to an off-campus apartment that is so far away they forget they actually go to Penn State: Student housing is a hot commodity in State College, and it will always be in demand.

Therefore, it is difficult to understand why the State College Borough Council is standing in the way of zoning changes that would allow for more apartments on Beaver Avenue.

Recently, the Borough Council deterred the first step necessary to create new apartments on 256 E. Beaver Ave., the former home of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. HFL Corp. asked the borough to reevaluate the current residential zoning of the building and change it to commercial zoning so it could develop its plans to build a 250-person high-rise tower. If the building stays residential, only four apartments could occupy the space; however, if the zoning is changed to commercial, up to 48 apartment units could be located on the property. The council voted not to send the specific proposal to the planning committee, though they did vote to review the zoning for the entire block.

Borough Council President Cathy Dauler said the community had "made it clear" that no more student housing was needed downtown. This statement begs the question "which community?" The Borough Council did not consult with the university to make this decision other than to cite its promise that it would deter an increase in the incoming freshman class. The fact is that this university is going to continue to grow, and the Borough Council saying they do not want more students is not going to put an end to increasing admissions.

Residents do not want students moving into their community, but this year's record-setting freshman class will need housing in the future. Transfer students from branch campuses will need housing in the future. The Penn State campus is growing every year, and with a growing campus comes more students. And they need housing.

Restricting the amount of housing in the downtown area is not going to stop students from coming here, but it will encourage students to sprawl into the nearby communities. This encroaches upon the areas surrounding downtown State College that have traditionally been residential, contributing to the very problem that the Borough Council hopes to curtail -- a student takeover.

Council members said they hope to turn the space in question into office or mixed-use buildings.

But what company is going to want to have their office in an area that has long been claimed by students, smack dab in the middle of Beaver Canyon?

While several new apartment complexes have been and are being built, building more will keep real estate downtown affordable and help prevent the outward sprawl by the student population that State College residents seem to be so adamantly against.

The borough needs to realize that this is a town built around a college -- not the other way around.

The very livelihood of this area depends heavily upon the revenue students bring in.

Besides, college students don't want to take over; we just need somewhere to live.