The City of College Station is considering allowing neighborhoods to vote for a Restricted Occupancy Overlay or ROO, which would further limit the number of unrelated people who can share a home in that neighborhood. The Council is considering what percent of property owners would be necessary for a ROO to pass and what kind of grandfathering the city may allow. Grandfathering refers to how a property was used before the ROO came into place. For more information on the ROO, please visit the City of College Station website.
4 minute video summary of College Station Restricted Occupancy Overlay and local comments
Full conversations with College Station residents
Charles Coats, host of the Think Brazos Podcast, interviewed four local residents to hear their opinions about the Restricted Occupancy Overlay (ROO):
- Fred Dupriest represents the College Station Association of Neighborhoods. Dupriest argues for the ROO, as he believes it will help families outbid students for homes in certain neighborhoods.
- Jeremy Osborne is a current College Station Planning and Zoning Commission Member. Osborne describes how he believes the ROO does not address the real housing needs for residents.
- Elianor Vessali is a former College Station City Council Member. Vessali expresses concern for unintended consequences and describes the enforcement of this type of policy.
- Leslie Donovan is a College Station homeowner who rents out spare rooms in her home to help may the mortgage and medical bills. She states that she could lose her home if she were not allowed to rent out the rooms.
The full conversations are on the podcast episodes below.
