Sep 11, 2007 - 11:36 AM

By Jillian Follert

OSHAWA -- A highly anticipated public meeting on student housing was over before it started Monday night, after more than 100 people packed Oshawa council chambers, with dozens more spilling out into the hallways.

“This is somewhat unprecedented,” said committee chairwoman Councillor Louise Parkes, surveying the crowd.

After polling the audience and politicians, Coun. Parkes opted to adjourn the meeting until later this month, when it will be held at a larger venue -- likely Sikorski Hall, which holds about 500.

The decision drew mixed reactions, with some saying it makes sense to wait until everyone can hear the same information at the same time, while others blasted the City for its lack of foresight.

“The City didn’t plan for student housing, why would they plan for this meeting?” asked landlord Shannon Soares.

Despite the adjournment, nearly 100 people hung around the council chambers for over an hour Monday night, demanding answers from politicians.

The meeting was called to gather public feedback on a proposed bylaw to regulate rental units in the neighbourhoods buffering the Durham College/UOIT campus.

Tensions between homeowners and students have escalated lately, as more and more landlords purchase homes near campus, and convert them to student rentals.

The bylaw proposed by the City would require anyone renting out all or part of a residential building, to apply for a City license.

Properties will have to meet building code and property standards, and each licensed home will be allowed a maximum of four bedrooms -- although the City will not regulate how many people can actually live there.

“This bylaw is good for no one, it will reduce property values for homeowners and the City will lose property taxes,” said Paul Vrana, a landlord who is part of the recently formed Homeowners of North Oshawa group. They brought a petition signed by 93 people to Monday’s meeting.

Fellow landlord Brett Bassingthwaite, who owns a property management company specializing in student rentals, said he is both for and against the proposed bylaw.

“I agree with the concept, but it should blanket the entire city to protect everyone,” he said.

Also tentatively in favour of the bylaw was David Bray, president of Windfields Farm Community Association, which represents about 200 homeowners in the Windfields subdivision.

Mr. Bray said it would solve some of the density issues and protect student renters, but he would like to see a limit on the number of licenses that would be issued.

The student government at Durham College and UOIT also feels the bylaw needs work.

According to Student Association President Fraser McArthur, a flat limit on the number of bedrooms would minimize the availability of student housing. He wants to see a formula based on square footage, used to determine the number of rooms allowed.

Mr. McArthur said students also want to feel included in the process.

“Students were not formally consulted for this bylaw, we weren’t kept informed of a lot of the developments that have taken place so far,” he said. “We need a joint task force that includes students, to work on this issue.”

The Student Association is attempting to educate the student body about the bylaw, with a postcard campaign that outlines the issue.

A date for the rescheduled meeting has yet to be decided.