A local developer has submitted a preliminary plan for a new residential and commercial building on South Atherton Street in State College, but borough staff intend to deny the plan as drafted based on zoning requirements.
Planning Director Ed LeClear said he expects attorneys for the borough and developer to eventually reach an agreement to resolve the issues, but that will have to come after an appeal of the denial. Borough staff don’t have the authority to approve the plan as it stands, he said.
Developer Bob Poole has proposed a four-story building at 734 S. Atherton St. that would have commercial space on the first floor and 144 one- and two-bedroom apartments primarily geared toward students on the upper three floors.
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Out of the Cold: Centre County can move ahead with a permanent site for an overnight homeless shelter in State College following approval of a zoning map amendment by borough council on Monday night.
After a decade of rotating its overnight shelter among faith congregations, the nonprofit organization intends to acquire The Meetinghouse on Atherton, 318 S. Atherton St., where it has leased space and operated a day shelter for the last year.
“We’ve been good stewards of that space,” Sarah Potter, OOTC program manager, said. “We’ve worked hard to be welcoming to all members of our community that are experiencing homelessness while also trying to fit into that neighborhood and be a safe and quiet neighbor. I think we’ve done a good job because this certainly has been a year of need for our homeless neighbors.”
A potential new hotel found a loophole to build a 4th story, and State College residents aren’t happy
Updated Jan 23, 2021;
A potential new hotel has irked residents and caused consternation among some members of the State College planning commission after finding a legal loophole that would allow it to skirt a borough ordinance that limits new buildings in similar zoning districts to three stories.
Design plans for the 122-room hotel, at part of the former Autoport motel and restaurant property ( 1401 S. Atherton St.), show the new building will be four stories, creating concerns for nearby residents about both the aesthetic and the traffic/safety impact. The owner, South Atherton Real Estate I L.P., appears able to build the extra story because of an ambiguous borough ordinance that allows for additional building height for inclusionary housing, or affordable housing designed for low- to moderate-income households.