Remember: Tonight is the night to make your voice heard about Iona College’s plan to extend the permission it has to house 150 students more than zoning allows in its dormitories on the west side of North Avenue.
The City Council will hold a public hearing on the matter at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall, 515 North Ave.
The idea came from a committee of representatives from the college, its neighborhood and City Hall. It would extend the permission five years beyond when it is currently expected to end, a year from now.
The 850 students now housed in those buildings, across North Avenue from the main campus, do not exceed building or safety codes, but they do exceed zoning laws, which would allow 700 students.
The idea behind the temporary permission is to give the college time to build new dorms elsewhere.
At Mayor Noam Bramson’s request, the City Council added a couple of conditions. The permission would be granted if and when the committee offers a final report on an overall dormitory plan, accepted by at least 8 of the panel’s 12 members. The report would have to re-state the request for the extension.
