A township planning commission has rejected a zoning change that Villanova University needs to expand its campus with new dorms, a parking garage, a performing arts center and some shops.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the commission rejected the request 8-1 that would have allowed denser development near a residential area next to the 10,600-student campus.
"That might work for Villanova," Planning Commission Chairwoman Julia Hurle said, according to the paper. "But it might have an impact on other parts of the township that we might regret."
Residents are concerned the development would disturb a quiet neighborhood and bring more traffic to the area.
But school officials say the plans are meant, in part, to bring more commuter students onto campus as residents, which would actually reduce traffic in the area.
The township's commissioners must still make a final vote on the zoning request. A school spokesman says the university will wait to see what the commissioners decide before making its next move.
