Month: August 2017

Press Release from NVWC:

Toll Brothers identifies alternative sites for student housing

Nittany Valley Water Coalition (NVWC) held a follow-up meeting with Charles Elliott of Toll Brothers developers on Wednesday, August 16 to discuss Toll Brothers’ recent review of alternative State College sites for student housing.

On August 2, NVWC presented Toll with detailed information about PSU lands suitable for building closer to campus.

NVWC has been leading a community effort to pressure Penn State, the current landowner, and Toll to relocate a planned development on Whitehall Road to a site that does not risk local water safety. The current 44 acre site is located uphill from the Thomas-Harter wells.

Elliott and his team have now ranked several PSU properties with respect to zoning and infrastructure and identified several as viable alternatives if township officials and PSU officials will facilitate a “land swap” and any needed approvals.

The top ranked site is located on West College Avenue in front of the Blue Course golf property. Elliott stated that while further corporate economic and structural viability assessments are needed, the alternative site was attractive for its proximity to campus and downtown amenities.

Concerned citizens have occupied the Whitehall Road site continuously for 75 days and will continue community efforts to stop the Whitehall development.

Incoming PSU students and their families will be informed of the issue with a water and flyer distribution on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a citizen appeal is pending in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

For additional information, contact Terry Melton, terrymelton321@gmail.com, 814-883-8154, or visit nittanyvalley-eco.org

 

Press Release from NVWC

Nittany Valley Water Coalition meets with developer Toll Brothers today, August 16, at State College Borough Building at 1 pm for a follow up discussion on a potential land swap.

Pursuant to the previous August 2 meeting in which NVWC members presented alternative PSU properties for Toll Brothers’ Campus Living to locate their planned luxury student housing, Charles Elliott of Toll returns to State College to discuss these options.

NVWC has been opposing the planned development on Whitehall Road on PSU land for over two years due to the development’s location over the area watershed near the Thomas-Harter wells.

Penn State will make in excess of $13 million on the land sale.

An appeal by local farmers and concerned citizens is pending in the case in Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Moving in weekend is hard work! We will be providing Nittany Valley Water Coalition water to parents and students moving into the dorms on campus during moving in weekend. We will be letting everyone know about Nittany Valley Water Coalition’s battle to prevent luxury student housing from being built over State College’s watershed. Look out for our bicycles and trailers with water dispensers and, of course, our signs–which will make our bikes stand out!

Does this sound familiar? No wonder the community is fed up with Penn State’s behavior and utter lack of concern about our community.

“Campuses expand across cities, often choosing to bank land, awaiting its appreciation, rather than invest in services and infrastructure that would aid the local community.”

When Universities Swallow Cities

The College That Ate a City

 

Mainstream Media Coverage:

• Wearecentralpa.com
• ABC23
• statecollege.com
• Centre Daily Times

Compiled post-meeting reports by Kelli Hoover and David Hughes:

The August 2, 2017 meeting between Nittany Valley Water Coalition, Toll Brothers and Penn State representatives was positive and productive.

Kelli Hoover, David Hughes and Dave Stone represented the Nittany Valley Water Coalition.

Charles Elliott, Managing Director for Toll Brothers, represented the student housing developer.

Representing the land seller Penn State were Kurt Kissinger, Associate Vice President for Finance and Business; Rob Cooper, Director of Energy and Engineering for Office of Physical Plant; Charima Young, Director of Local Government and Community Relations; and two representatives from communications, including Lisa Powers, Director of News and Media Relations.

David Hughes started off with a presentation on the positives and negatives of the Toll Brothers proposed site. He pointed out on a map all of the sinkholes at the site in comparison to other parts of the region and why it was a good idea for Elliott to consider another location.

Whitehall Road Area – Sinkholes and Depressions – Circled Project Area

Kelli Hoover presented information about Penn State-owned land in Ferguson, College and Patton townships that might be suitable for building student housing, including information water coalition representatives had gleaned from supervisors and staff in those municipalities.

Elliott said he wished stakeholders had had this conversation back in 2012 when Toll Brothers was first looking into State College as a location to build student housing. He also commented that he had looked at other locations in the region but had been told that the travel time by bus from the West Whitehall Road site was shorter than from locations off North Atherton. Elliott also said at the time (5 years ago) there were a lot of complaints from locals about traffic on North. Atherton.

Hughes said that Elliott’s initial reaction seemed “frosty” but that he seemed to warm up as Elliott noticed how much work had been invested by water coalition members; Hughes estimated that more than 1,000 hours of volunteer labor have been put into the campaign, including research on legal issues, water risks and zoning codes.

Water coalition representatives offered their help in talking with municipalities to help gather information and see the process through if any of these other sites may work out.

The meeting finished about 10 minutes early (ran from 11:00 to 11:50 a.m.) and Elliott stayed behind to talk with Penn State representatives without water coalition representatives present.

Hoover, Hughes and Stone went out and talked to the press. Nittany Valley Water Coalition is hoping there will be follow-up in the near future.