College Heights Association

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Hi All,

Last Wednesday (9/24), Council met to continue its review of the draft zoning revision. As always, I am speaking in my individual capacity and not speaking on behalf of the full Council as an official report. Here's a recap of where I believe Council is at based on discussion at that meeting. 

Lot Width for R-2

To start, Council dove right back into the discussion around lot widths. In a sharply divided straw poll vote, the slight consensus on Council seems to be that the minimum lot width size for R-2 (and others) should be 36 feet (as opposed to 40 feet -- 3 members voted for 40 ft.). It was argued that the 36 feet change allows for property owners (of large lots) to split their lots into two lots, which can create more density on a small scale. If this change is made, in just R-2, nearly 2900 lots will be conforming lots, which represents an increase of 842 lots that are now conforming. Reducing the amount of non-conforming lots helps to save homeowner restrictions and other administrative issues. The issue of 40 ft. vs. 36 ft. will come back up for final vote after more detailed information about the effects of the proposals later on. 

R-4

Next, in R-4, the base story height is three stories, but to recap, the Council consensus seemed to be that there would be incentives to allow two additional stories if incentives are met (1-story bonus for LEED Gold certification, and/or 1-story bonus for a deed-restricted non-student floor, OR a 2-story bonus for LEED Platinum certification). LEED certifications are awarded to developers that build energy efficient or water-use efficient buildings that use renewable/green building materials for construction.

Cottage Courtyard

The next topic of discussion was the cottage courtyard zoning use -- and whether the use should be permitted in R-2. As a reminder, property owners must have a minimum 0.35 acre lot size to do a cottage courtyard. The Planning Department did some modeling and found that 618 lots in R-2 (and what used to be R-1, but will now be R-2) can meet the requirements to construct a cottage courtyard (image below). There is a requirement for cottage courtyards to have an HOA. Additionally, there will be a deed restriction against student housing and short-term rentals for this use. There was Council consensus on allowing cottage courtyards in R-2 with these terms.

ADUs

Council then moved onto ADUs. At previous meetings, Council largely agreed with the guardrails surrounding ADUs (deed restricted to avoid student housing and rentals, no more than one ADU on a lot, sale restrictions, the owner must live on the lot). The student home rule still applies to the main dwelling (there are only 515 student homes in the Borough, and there are limited options to get a new student home permit). For attached ADUs, Council gave assent to changing the maximum size for an ADU to 800 square feet (or 40% of the principal structure/main house, whichever is less). 

For detached ADUs, the proposed setbacks for the ADU from the lot boundary line is same as it is for R-2 -- 25 feet set back in front, 8 feet from the side, 15 feet rear yard. A distance of at least 10 feet must separate the ADU from the main house. As it stands now, that proposal -- which garner spirited debate -- prevents detached garage owners from making that detached garage an ADU.

For attached ADUs, Council agreed that the standard occupancy restrictions should be: the main family in the main dwelling + no more than two unrelated persons in the attached ADU. For detached ADUs, Council agreed that the standard occupancy restrictions should be: 1-bedroom: no more than two additional unrelated; 2-bedroom: no more than three additional unrelated.

Standard Occupancy Rate (family + unrelated persons)

Council then explored the standard occupancy rate for single-family or two-family dwellings across the borough -- which is currently restricted to a family + no more than two unrelated persons. If Council were to adopt a zoning ordinance that allows for a family + no more than three unrelated persons in a SF or 2F dwelling w/ a rental permit, an additional 975 people could live in the Borough -- in existing rental permitted homes. [This figure is also if Council were to adopt a code that allows for third floor occupancy in existing structures that have it]. There was consensus to allow this change.

Fraternities

Next up was a brief discussion on fraternity houses. There was Council consensus on the draft ordinance's proposal to require that 80% of occupants in the fraternity house were members of the organization, and to eliminate the fraternity use from R-3 and R-4 (only permitted now in R-O). 

At-Home Occupations

The definition for at-home occupations was next on the agenda. After some healthy debate, Council largely agreed on this basic plan: for all residential districts, for permitted accessory home-occupation uses, up to two non-family employees would be allowed to work with the home occupation taking up to 25% of the floor area. For R-3 and R-4, for permitted live-work uses, up to three non-resident employees with the workspace below the dwelling area and taking up to 50% of the floor area. The question of parking spaces for these uses will be on a later agenda.

Mobile/Manufactured Homes

After a short discussion on mobile homes and manufactured homes (which Council agreed to only allow in R-4), the downtown districts were introduced and discussed. In the Downtown-Allen/College district, taking up the stretch of Allen Street between College and Highland Alley and stretching to include the lot of Addison Court, Council gave assent to requiring a 20 feet build-to-line space for new structures here, and capping building height to a maximum of four stories in this zone (after incentives). 

Downtown

In the Downtown-Central (taking up most areas that was previously in the CID and core of downtown), there was Council consensus on a base building height of seven (7) stories with a maximum of nine (9) stories (after incentives). The incentives here would be: 2 story bonus from the base height for an off-street parking structure (underground or built in); 1 story bonus for LEED Gold certification; 2 story bonus for LEED Platinum certification; 1 story bonus for green building materials referenced in the draft; and 2 story bonus for a floor of restricted market-rate (not student) housing.

In the major east downtown end zone -- the Downtown-Collegiate district, Council agreed to a base building height of seven (7) stories with a maximum of eleven (11) stories. Additionally, it seems as though the direction was towards requiring a 20 foot build-to-line space. Incentives here would be: 2 story bonus from the base height for an off-street parking structure (underground or built in); 1 story bonus for LEED Gold certification; 1 story for green building materials referenced in the draft; and 2 story bonus for LEED Platinum certification.

As always, you can attend any or all of the upcoming Council review meetings and speak during the public comment section; email zonestatecollege@statecollegepa.us for any further questions or comments; or email the full Council at sccouncil@statecollegepa.us (or individual Councilmembers by using the first letter of their first name and their last name @statecollegepa.us -- example: Josh Portney would be jportney@statecollegepa.us).  There will be another Council meeting tomorrow evening (10/6) at 7pm, with a brief regular agenda and then scheduled discussion on the zoning draft. Thank you for your participation and engagement!

C-NET's coverage of the special zoning work session can be viewed here: 9/24/25 State College Borough Council Work Session.  

Thank you again for the opportunity to serve and represent you!

Best,

Josh