City Council wouldn’t restrict student living, would they?

If you want to live in Morgantown, drop out of college.

According to new language adopted by the Morgantown City Council, no more than two "college students" over the age of 16 can live within certain residential neighborhoods.

The city ordinance defines two 16-year-old students as a "functioning family unit."

What defines a college student, you may ask?

"A college student is a person who attends, at least half time, any college, university, or other institution authorized to confer degrees by the State of West Virginia."

If you follow the logic of the council's language, you'll note the only college students it recognizes are those enrolled in West Virginian institutions.

At first glance, you may think this is just a sweeping and somewhat ageist ruling against Morgantown's lifeblood.

Instead, the Council is clearly trying to corner the market for commuter rentals for other, neighboring colleges.

According to Google Maps data, Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania is only 54 minutes away from the city center.

That's a perfect commute for someone looking to live in a large college town but still enjoy that small, personalized education experience.

Surely Morgantown's City council wouldn't enact policies designed to split a large percentage of the student-fueled economy.

Surely they wouldn't think simply forcing student rentals in city limits to two students would solve anything.

Surely the Council and the frothing crowds of anti-student neighbors wouldn't think two students would have any less motivation for loud parties, get-togethers or other potentially disturbing incidents.

Surely the Council wouldn't forget that in the summer, when the majority of the West Virginia University community are elsewhere, city business revenue drops and parking officers have far less cars to ticket.

Surely the Council wouldn't want to cram thousands of students into mass-produced apartment complexes where the ability of a neighborhood watch would be reduced.

Alas, they are.

The Council believes the new rental policies will achieve the following:

• Preserve and strengthen the quality of life within and the sustainability of the City's range of neighborhoods.
• Protect public and private investments by ensuring the vitality and stability within the City's range of neighborhoods.
• Enhance the character and desirability of and housing choice within the City as a whole.
• Reduce urban sprawl.

The best of these goals is to "enhance the character and desirability of and housing choice within the City as a whole."

There's an easy fix to ensure college students aren't running amok with dilapidated rental properties – don't allow them to become dilapidated in the first place.

It's as if Morgantown is trying to connect the issue of rowdy students (which all colleges must deal with) to the inability to ensure houses are kept within code.

How many times have there been stories of fallen porches or substandard living?

How much money has been driven into Sunnyside Up only for it to continue to look degraded, rundown and battered?

Tighter enforcement of proper rental behaviors would ensure the motivation of the landlord to maintain or improve on the existing property.

Simply shoving college students into dense population areas won't get rid of the problem of "undesirable dwellings."

Morgantown officials may want to stop and consider just what population helps provide a huge, economic engine in its backyard.

If the City tries to enact further restrictions on "a person who attends, at least half time, any college, university, or other institution authorized to confer degrees by the State of West Virginia," it may find the prolonged, sluggish summers extend further into the year.

Unless those Pennsylvania college students move in.