The key issue with OSU's proposed student population growth is community livability.

A community of 55,000 has livability attributes that a larger community cannot have. With increased growth come increased traffic congestion, increased public safety issues, decreased neighborhood character, decreased surrounding green space and a decreased sense of knowing your neighbors.

Corvallis has some unique neighborhoods listed on the National Historic Register, including some classic and beautiful homes. It is one of the few places where neighbors still know their neighbors and have block parties in the summer.

I have been disheartened to watch the slow deterioration of neighborhoods as absentee parents purchase homes for their student children. These temporary students have little or no sense of pride in ownership, so homes and yards go into disrepair. If OSU were to grow from 21,000 students to more than 35,000 over the next 15 years, that is a 3.5 percent growth rate.

With the same balance of students to residents in the city, that is a growth rate not experienced over the past 25 years: Corvallis would grow to 92,000, Where would these new folks live? In the hills? In new tract home developments that consume more green space and farm land? Corvallis has a lot of unique livability attributes due to its size. These attributes have landed it on several "best places to live" lists in recent years. Much of this would be lost at the larger size, so what exactly are the benefits to the community that OSU's proposed growth rate will offer to offset these losses?

Gary Angelo

Corvallis