The eviction order of six Binghamton University students last month from their home on 8 Lincoln Ave. has sparked renewed concern from landlords and City council members over the City’s zoning laws.

The City’s Zoning Board of Appeals ruled that the students were in violation of Binghamton’s R-1 zoning ordinance, which stipulates that only people who are considered to be a “factual and functional” family may live in certain areas of the West Side.

Ellie Farfaglia, president of the Landlord Association of Broome County, said that she believed current problems with the law could have been prevented.

“We [the Landlord Association of Broome County] presented a bill to the City council that would allow no more than three or four unrelated residents to live together within the R-1 zone,” said Farfaglia, who presented the bill about four years ago. “At that time, R-1 was half the size it is now.”

Farfaglia said the bill also called for other zones within the City to allow landlords to rent to as many people as the house and the New York State code permitted.

Though Farfaglia said the legislation was never brought to vote, she is now more confident in City Council member Teri Rennia’s current efforts to correct the zoning laws.

Rennia, who held a meeting with the Landlord Association of Broome County and Binghamton landlords Tuesday night, said her goal is to make Binghamton more friendly to students while preserving traditional neighborhoods.

The meeting’s objective was for landlords to give Rennia input and to come up with ideas together that could rectify any flaws in current legislation.

“The way the current law is written, there are very few places where students can live together,” Rennia explained. “My hope is to amend that.”

Rennia compared what she hoped to accomplish with current zoning laws of other college towns such as Ithaca and Oneonta, where laws allow for high numbers of students to live in specific areas of town.

Some of the landlords in attendance however, were skeptical about any actions taken by the City council.

“We don’t have a warm and fuzzy that the City council will stay by their word,” said Jeff VanGorden, who owns properties throughout the West Side.

Tensions were high during the meeting as the landlords kept interrupting each other and Rennia to get their points across.

Scott Abrams, who owns property on Oak and Seminary Streets, emphasized his investment in the City.

“I have set my eggs in this basket,” Abrams said, noting that the money he invested in his properties was money away from his family. “This is my wallet.”

Later Rennia stressed how important it was for her to find a solution that everyone was comfortable with — Binghamton residents, landlords and students alike.

Both Rennia and Farfaglia said they hoped to take the ideas from their meetings and turn them into legislation that would correct housing problems.

There will be another meeting on Tuesday, March 11, at the Methodist Terbanacle Church on 83 Main St. Farfaglia said she hopes to have other City council members come and speak. Rennia also emphasized the importance of students in the process and said that she would welcome input from them as well.