2008 Woodie Awards
County to examine housing problem
Ben Slivnick
Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: News
More students along Route 1 would help foster activity around retail developments and would reduce traffic by decreasing the number of student commuters, the experts said. They criticized "recent student residential developments," however, and encouraged the city to look to other universities that have achieved a "balance between transportation, housing, retail and open space."
The "Route 1 Sector Plan," as officials refer to the 2002 course of development, laid out a vision of what should be built in the city, but experts wrote last year that "it is now clear that the great place they expected is not being built." City officials have cited vague details in the plan for producing inconsistent proposals.
Although the county budget officers have yet to approve the Route 1 re-evaluation process, District 3 County Councilman Eric Olson said he expects the process to begin this summer.
"It's clear the Route 1 Sector Plan isn't entirely working," Olson said. "We need to make sure that it's consistent with the needs of the community."
When officials reexamine the plan, SGA President Emma Simson said she hoped student leaders could build on the momentum from their protests to emphasize rental housing needs. But it's still unclear how the county can create incentives to promote the community's housing needs.
Simson proposes lifting a limit on the density of housing, possibly allowing developers to house more students in a given apartment and opening the door for more high-rise apartments. Although the University View partly negotiated around the code's recommendation for height when it opened last year, Simson said formally cutting the provision could encourage similar projects.
Senior environmental science and policy major David Daddio, editor of the city development blog RethinkCollegePark.net, suggested lowering the requirement on the number of parking spaces developers need to construct per unit in an apartment might also lure potential developers. Parking often incurs high costs that are unnecessary in student housing projects where residents frequently don't own cars, he said.
The "Route 1 Sector Plan," as officials refer to the 2002 course of development, laid out a vision of what should be built in the city, but experts wrote last year that "it is now clear that the great place they expected is not being built." City officials have cited vague details in the plan for producing inconsistent proposals.
Although the county budget officers have yet to approve the Route 1 re-evaluation process, District 3 County Councilman Eric Olson said he expects the process to begin this summer.
"It's clear the Route 1 Sector Plan isn't entirely working," Olson said. "We need to make sure that it's consistent with the needs of the community."
When officials reexamine the plan, SGA President Emma Simson said she hoped student leaders could build on the momentum from their protests to emphasize rental housing needs. But it's still unclear how the county can create incentives to promote the community's housing needs.
Simson proposes lifting a limit on the density of housing, possibly allowing developers to house more students in a given apartment and opening the door for more high-rise apartments. Although the University View partly negotiated around the code's recommendation for height when it opened last year, Simson said formally cutting the provision could encourage similar projects.
Senior environmental science and policy major David Daddio, editor of the city development blog RethinkCollegePark.net, suggested lowering the requirement on the number of parking spaces developers need to construct per unit in an apartment might also lure potential developers. Parking often incurs high costs that are unnecessary in student housing projects where residents frequently don't own cars, he said.
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