Save Hilltop

07/19/2013

Excellent article on the current hurdles but exciting potential in utilizing manufactured home communities to meet affordable housing needs. The article focuses on retirement age folks, but in State College we have a very unique demographic; non-traditional students, young couples, working families and retirees provide a diverse and dynamic community.

Every day 10,000 boomers are retiring—nearly half with less than $10,000. The aging juggernaut is straining our health care system and reshaping culture.

06/26/2013

GREAT NEWS AT THE COUNCIL MEETING TUESDAY NIGHT! This is the perfect example of the reason why in any business, you should ask for rezoning, get the approval and THEN go and find a buyer for your newly rezoned property. The owners of Hilltop Mobile Home Park presumed too much. If things had went the proper way instead, the workforce could have remained in the homes they owned, the residents at Penn State mobile would have had a place to move some of their homes, the nearby residents wouldn't have to worry about the environmental and monetary consequences that could effect them, etc. A big thank you to College Township and the Planning Commission for realizing the time is now to do something about protecting affordable housing, but just wish all of you would have declined it from the start to keep the residents of Hilltop where they were as it would have protected one of the few affordable housing areas that remain in State College. Next on the agenda, what to do with the not so affordable student apartment rental prices? I know of a few students that bought a house in Philipsburg, because mortgage payments were less than the apartment rentals in State College. The apartment agencies should feel pretty ashamed about that. When more students start buying homes in the surrounding areas, because it is cheaper and worth the commute, I think we will have lots of vacant rental properties in State College. I guess the rental property prices will drop on their own when the students smarten up.

06/25/2013

http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/college-township-to-hold-special-meeting-on-hilltop-rezoning-tonight-1333693/

After months of controversy, evictions, and a bid to build more student housing, the debate over the Hilltop Mobile Home Park could be settled once and for all tonight.

06/24/2013

IMPORTANT! Special Meeting tomorrow night regarding Hilltop rezoning! 7:00pm, please attend!

Council will hold a duly advertised Special Meeting on June 25, 2013, for the purpose of acting upon the Planning Commission's recent recommendation related to a rezoning request for the Hilltop Mobile Home Park. This Special Meeting will begin at 7:00 PM. The public is welcome to attend. Should you...

06/13/2013

Worst case scenario, is a good one, for the desperately needed affordable housing can stay where it is. The issue has been discussed over and over again and it's about time the council does something about the problem, by protecting those that have it and keep it. People's properties were sold for far undervalue or not sold at all, just so others with money could do whatever they wish. That isn't America or anything it stands for. Thank goodness there are people in the world who wouldn't want this for themselves and ruled that enough is enough. You can't say that you want affordable housing in the area and then take away one of the very few areas in State College that was just that. A big thanks to those in the planning commission for finally doing something about this problem. See the latest CDT article about this issue below.

06/12/2013

CDT Report on the meeting last week.

An out-of-state developer’s plan to build student housing at the former Hilltop Mobile Home Park has suffered a defeat, but the door for rezoning remains open for now.

06/05/2013

Some positive news this morning! Last night, the planning commission unanimously voted to recommend that the Council deny Trinitas' rezoning request. Trinitas had come to the meeting with an amended request that reduced the amount of R3 and and added in some R2 and R1 to the parcel. The unanimous recommendation is very encouraging, but it will be ultimately up to the council to make the decision. The council will tentatively be hearing the request at the upcoming meeting on June 20th. Thanks for all who attended; we have many allies in the neighborhoods surrounding Hilltop who are very concerned about the developer's plans to put in student housing.

06/03/2013

This Tuesday, June 4th, there will be a planning commission meeting concerning the Hilltop rezoning. If you want to have a voice in the discussions regarding workforce housing in College Twp., please consider attending Tuesday, 7:30pm at the College Twp. municipal building.

05/29/2013

Only those who got in contact with the Attorney General will be receiving anything from the settlement. If you think you would qualify (mostly if you abandoned your home on site or sold it to the owners for less than $2,500) there is some set aside for Hilltop homeowners who contact the AG in the next week or two.
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The owners of a College Township mobile home park have agreed to settle a lawsuit the state attorney general filed last month to recover relocation expenses owed to some tenants when the park closed.

04/09/2013

ALL former residents displaced and those who remain at Hilltop currently, PLEASE contact the Attorney General's Office at www.AttorneyGeneral.Gov or call the Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-441-2555. They are waiting to help you, the lawsuit pertains to Act 156 and the protection of your rights.

The State Constitution provides that the Attorney General shall be the chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth and shall exercise such powers and perform such duties as may be imposed by law. The Commonwealth Attorneys Act establishes the Attorney General as the chief legal and law enforc...

03/07/2013

TONIGHT!

Members of the Hilltop Resident Association plan to turn out in force for tonight's College Township Meeting. The former residents of the Hilltop Mobile Home Park are anxious to finally face the developer who wants to turn the land they used to live on into luxury student housing.

03/07/2013

The Trinitas Zoning presentation will be tonight at 7PM at the State College Borough Office on College Avenue by the 322 bridge. Come out and stand for a good cause, SAVE HILLTOP!