Cheryl Allison once again gives us a splendid article summing up a hot topic. And that topic is student housing.

Article reprinted courtesy of Main Line Life and Main Line Times and many thanks for being our voice in the community:

LM moves toward changes in student housing codes
By Cheryl Allison

Despite some Lower Merion residents' concerns that it might weaken hard-fought restrictions on student housing, township commissioners last week voted to go to public hearing on a zoning code amendment that would permit the use of units in some apartment houses as student residences. A hearing and possible adoption was set for Feb. 20 at the Township Building, 75 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore.

The proposed legislation would affect apartment houses within R7 residence districts in the township, the largest examples of which are located along Montgomery Avenue from Bryn Mawr to Ardmore.

However, township officials have made it no secret the changes are intended to be useful in an area near Bryn Mawr College.

Restrictions built into the code amendment make it almost exclusively applicable to that institution....Bryn Mawr College administrators....asked the township to look at student housing provisions to investigate the possibility of allowing students to occupy a limited number of apartments near campus.

Although it's unclear how much of a factor it may have been in the request, the college's decision to sell the Glenmede estate, formerly used for student housing, may contribute to the need for some additional housing.

While it would certainly be a less costly option for the college, planning staff have been considering the zoning provision as a potentially less disruptive alternative for neighborhoods that might be impacted by the construction of new dormitories.

"We think we have come up with restrictions to mitigate the impact of student housing" off-campus, Duncan said.

Among those restrictions:

• A college or university would be permitted to occupy a limited number of apartment units in a building, provided the college leases the units or owns the building.

* Up to 40 percent of the units in a building, but no more than 20 units, could be occupied as student home units by up to three students per unit. The students must be currently enrolled in the college leasing or owning the units, and rules and regulations applicable to on-campus dorms would also apply to students living in the off-campus units.

• To be eligible, the apartment building would have to be located within 700 feet of campus, and any building in which student units were approved under the ordinance would have to be separated from another student home by a minimum of 1,500 feet.

In perhaps the strongest limiting factor, the 700-foot requirement could be measured only from a property on which the principal administration building of a college or university is located.

According to Duncan, that provision would, for example, eliminate the possibility of the ordinance being used by Villanova University. No eligible R7 district properties are located close enough to St. Joseph's University, he said.

Looking at Bryn Mawr specifically, he said six apartment building properties on the north side of Montgomery Avenue could qualify. "Once one is occupied by students," however, "the others would not be eligible," Duncan said.

There is the possibility that one building, Pennswood House, might be eligible for use by Harcum College, Duncan said.

Speaking at the meeting, Carla Zambelli of Haverford said the changes need careful review. "You can't guarantee that in the future they will only apply to Bryn Mawr College," she suggested. In addition to changing conditions for apartment residents who leased their homes not expecting that their building could be used for up to 60 students, she said the option could also end up making apartments in portions of the township less affordable. Landlords might see an opportunity to get higher rents from colleges.

The proposal "could have an adverse effect after all the years of tightening up our student housing ordinances," Zambelli said.

Leigh Ann Smith of Bryn Mawr said she shared Zambelli's "concern that too many people [potentially] affected by this ordinance" would not be notified of a hearing. Not only property owners, but tenants "need to be included in the loop."

Smith said she is also concerned about parking provisions in the legislation. Two parking spaces would be required for each unit used as student housing, even though up to three students could occupy each one. Additional cars might end up on neighborhood streets where parking is already limited.

Commissioners also had some questions. ......"It disturbs me anytime an ordinance is tailored to apply to one building in one area. I'm not comfortable with that as a lawyer," said Commissioner Phil Rosenzweig. Board President Bruce Reed saw no mechanism in the proposed ordinance for enforcement of rules.....A copy of the draft ordinance is available on the township's Web site, at www.lowermerion.org

Ohhh...and one other tasty item from that same meeting night:

O’Neill to LM board: Get on with the show’
By Cheryl Allison