Email sent to David Gray by Kelli Hoover this morning:
Dear David:
I sent these questions to [Director of Community Relations] Charima [Young] on Friday, November 17.
Both the Nittany Valley Water Coalition and Toll Brothers would like answers to these questions before Thanksgiving.
These questions are:
A. Does Penn State have a list of what is expected from Toll Brothers to enable a decision to sell the West College Ave. parcel in lieu of the West Whitehall Road parcel?
B. Was a timeline established for Toll Brothers to respond and if so, what is that timeline?
[Penn State Senior Director of News and Media Relations] Lisa Powers’ list in the Centre Daily Times on November 17 was that Penn State needs:
C. “Written feasibility studies.” More than one?
D. “Zoning inquiries or recommendations…to Penn State.” Does this mean you want in writing what Toll Brothers was told by Ferguson Township staff about how the West College Ave. parcel might be re-zoned to permit student housing and light commercial? I.e., mixed use? [Toll Brothers Campus Living Managing Director] Charles Elliott can provide this information since Toll Brothers has had at least two discussions about this with Ferguson Township staff.
E. “Overall analysis of the site.” What does this mean? This is pretty vague. Can you be more specific?
The information required from Toll Brothers needs to be clear, inclusive, and a timeline stipulated that would allow Penn State officials to review and make a decision about whether to take the offer to the Penn State Board of Trustees.
F. Who is the decision-maker about what is needed and whether or not to take this to the Board of Trustees?
G. Can you provide Penn State’s land purchase protocol/checklist that requires this list of written information Penn State needs from a buyer before they can enter a sales negotiation?
H. Would Penn State be willing to hold funds in escrow from Toll Brothers and postpone the close of the Whitehall Road contract while information and negotiations over the West College Ave. site continue? Richard Keyser, [Toll Brothers Vice President of Commercial Acquisition and Development] calls this “warehousing.”
I. We would still like information about the Penn State Real Estate Task Force, when it was created, who’s on it, and what their qualifications are.
J. Most importantly, we are requesting a meeting of yourself [representing Penn State], and representatives from Toll Brothers, Nittany Valley Water Coalition and Ferguson Township, using an agreed-upon mediator, to work out a solution that all parties can accept. Lara Fowler, who is an expert mediator, is willing to serve this role. She will be contacting you as well.
Thank you,
Kelli Hoover