Students could have more places to live within the next several years as two developers have presented plans to build off-campus housing in Vestal.

The announcements, from Campus Crest Real Estate Management, a North Carolina-based company, as well as local developer Jeffrey Feinberg, come just weeks after the start of the reconstruction of the Newing and Dickinson communities.

While the Campus Crest plans call for the construction of an entire new apartment complex, The Grove, on Bunn Hill Road, Feinberg’s plans propose the addition of three buildings to the already-existing Hayes Community.

Though the Hayes Community was once leased out by the University to house students, according to Binghamton University spokeswoman Gail Glover, the community currently has no official relationship with Binghamton University.

So far both proposals have been met with opposition by Vestal residents, though Vestal Town Councilwoman Patty Fitzgerald stressed that it wasn’t an anti-student sentiment.

Fitzgerald said she was wary of the Campus Crest proposal because of its location, a half-mile past the upper Bunn Hill Road entrance into campus and directly across from a church.

“My main concern is safety for the students,” Fitzgerald said, explaining that it could be difficult to travel up and down Bunn Hill Road during snowstorms. “I just don’t feel this is a good spot.”

To her knowledge, Fitzgerald also said that The Grove would house not only students but local residents as well.

Calls to Campus Crest Real Estate Management Thursday to confirm Fitzgerald’s statement were not immediately returned.

The proposal to expand the Hayes Community will have to contend with both neighbors’ complaints and with the town code.

According to Vestal Town Engineer Gary Campo, Feinberg does not have the amount of land necessary to add three buildings.

“He needs twice as much land for what he’s proposed,” Campo said, explaining that 2,000 square feet per apartment is required by town codes.

Campo estimated that Feinberg would need 6.68 acres to complete his project as proposed, almost double the 3.8 acres he reportedly owns.

“[Feinberg] has two choices if he wants to build,” Campo said. “He can either downsize his proposal to meet the code or try to get an area variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals.”

An area variance would allow Feinberg to complete his plan as proposed.

However, Campo said that if granted an area variance for the buildings, Feinberg would also need to get permission to have less parking spaces than the code requires. The Hayes Community would need 288 parking spots for 144 apartments, but the current plans only account for 181 spaces.

If built, the three additional buildings would hold approximately 70 one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Hayes Community declined to comment on the proposal.

According to Director of Residential Life Terry Webb, BU currently houses about 45 percent — approximately 6,000 — of undergraduate students on campus. Webb said how the number changes in the future depends on whether the campus grows in graduate and undergraduate students.

Once completed, the Newing-Dickinson renovation is expected to add 900 beds to on-campus housing, Webb said.

The first building is expected to be completed in August 2009.