1980-09-17 - Laserfiche WebLink

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.330 Worksession re: University Neighbor- hood Study Task Force services are provided in the City would incorporate many of the concerns expressed hy individuals during the meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting, Mayor Buck thanked the commission members for meeting with Council. Council met-~%th members of the University Neighborhood Task Force to discuss the 'rePort of the task for.ce and the recommendations by City staff in response to that report. Responding to questions regarding the need for tha'University to Provide more housing for students, Mr. Avery Catlin,_Executive Vice President at the University, said that it ia an established goal of the University to house 50% of its students, He expect~ there to be no growth in the student population in th~ 'next 20 years; ithis is partly due to a projected decline 'in th~ number of ~oltege-age students statewide over the next two .deCades, wi.th th~.'University continuing to attract students and therefore not~snffering the deCline. Mr. Albro and Mr. Buck expressed concern about Governor Dalton's recent statements about a lack. of money for student housing statewide, but Mr. Catlin stated that no state money is used for student housing, since it is financed with bonds. Mr, Catlin said the Board of Visitors has adopted ~ policy, the goal of housing approximately 8,000 students which would represetn 50% of the student population; they now house approximately 5,0-00. A discussionotook~ptac~hout monitoring student housing growth throughi~he application of zoning regulations. Mr. Satyendra Huja, Director of Planning & Community Development, and Ms. Virginia Schatz, a.member of the Planning Commission, discussed the use of R-3 zoning to increase density in selected locations. They sta~ed it was important for Council and City staff, to make their position known to the Board of Zonlng Appeals, which grants variances to the zoning regulations. Monitoring of student locations through inspections and building peZnnits was also mentioned. Mr. Catlin stated that there was someUniversity Owned property available for student housing and MS. Leslie Eliason, a member of the task force, stated that the University would have no trouble filling up available rooms if they were located on campus or nearby. The question of monitoring fraternities and sororities was brought up. Mr. Catlin called this a delicate areas as U.Va. doesn't control these as they do regular student housing. Mr. Buck asked if the University would be willing to exercise its option to withh~ld or withdraw r.ecognition of fraternities and sororities if they dOn't 'conform to certain standacds; Mr. Catlin responded that th~ University has done'this in the past and could continue. In response' to the ~ngg~stion of a moratorium on future houses, Ms. Eliason pointed out that since sororities are just forming, this would constitute discrimination against women stUdents. She warned about effecting social and political changes in the student population by encouraging or discouraging fraternity or sorority growth. Mr.