city washington relations relationship pennsylvania spans centuries dating founding city college relationship town college strong citizens washington offered donation college successful attempt lure trustees select washington nearby consolidated location college relationship strained half 20th century college pursued expansion policy clashed residential neighborhood college grew unsuccessfully attempted pass laws prohibiting college certain buildings listed historic district relations bad residents college officials engaged shouting match meeting local unsuccessfully tried block demolition condemned 1990s unsuccessful attempts challenge college tax exempt status washington appealed determination college tax exempt case went ruled favor college response passed new law colleges tax exempt separately passed ordinance levied municipal service fee college students ruled illegal struck late 1990s college town tried fences plan detailed goals future help college city work economic development environmental protection historic preservation early relations history date american frontier early years number prominent residents worked secure future college including leader served early trustee helped build hall principal washington portion modern campus donated college son founder washington citizens washington offered donation college successful attempt lure trustees select washington nearby consolidated location college conflicts expansion college campus master plan called expansion campus eastward wade avenue plan placed conflict residents area years college maintained policy purchasing homes area available able collection victorian homes area added national_register_of_historic_places college opposed designation object time prevent according president district structured prevent expansion college 1990s hard feelings residents college came head residents trying borough enact anti demolition laws block expansion meeting deteriorated shouting match residents college officials maintained expansion beneficial community opposition came small non representative group wade avenue questioned historic value designated homes pointing poor shape vacant college owned properties listed historic district end efforts block demolition buildings including historic district unsuccessful notably year old farm house south wade street college acquired vacant years moved new location outside town safety construction conflicts planning stages campus center college asked close traffic college street way street college concerned increasing frequency accidents pedestrians automobiles street pointing recent incident involving injured maintenance worker fact similar accidents previous years new campus center increase pedestrian traffic street proposal defeated city_council legal challenges college tax exempt status ruled properties owned college exempt property real estate taxes appeal reverse earlier decision denied city appealed august judge reversed board decision ruling order college qualify tax exempt status according trial court purely public charity failing criteria case specifically judge opined college founded purely public charity enterprise big business college appealed overturned judge decision september decision written judge according court satisfy requirements considered purely public charity judges appealed decision affirmed lower court decision november decision written justice according court lower court correct concluding college fact satisfy requirements entity considered purely public charity standard set case advance charitable purpose donate render substantial portion services benefit substantial indefinite class persons legitimate subjects charity relieve government burden operate entirely free private profit motive court said record demonstrates requirements fact college benefits open served members charitable class dissent justice state thought college tax exempt rest court broadly requirements private college university satisfy test obtain tax exempt status legislative response response legal challenges tax exempt status unanimously passed house bill institutions purely public charity act legislation passed days court decision unclear court rule case court decision legislation preserved tax exemption colleges maintaining status quo bill provided uniform standards determining tax exempt eligibility especially private colleges bill clarified law long term impact private colleges including hospitals nursing homes public universities president instrumental getting bill enacted named president experiences president cited election announcement pittsburgh mayor proposed tax college tuition students pittsburgh colleges case argue proposal attempts levy service fee college students passed ordinance established service fee municipal services targeted students college appealed ordinance arguing ordinance illegal tax ordinance authorized statute opinion written judge court ruled service fee actually tax fee label given merely avoid problem presented tax court noted legal basis calling ordinance tax service fee city admitted facing budgetary passed ordinance search new revenue according judge ordinance attempts raise additional revenue creating tax authorized statute case cited legal counsel local governments similar provisions improved relations installed president surprised poor state college relations city washington courtesy visit local officials early tenure mitchell officials minutes blaming college gone wrong years input colleges national initiative designed develop strategies partnership colleges local community efforts college city developed plan detailed goals future help college city work economic development environmental protection historic preservation plan included provisions college offer academic opportunities community explore moving downtown area develop student housing downtown area expand student use downtown eating shopping visiting destinations began downtown project featuring new landscaping fiber cables plan called investors comprising federal state officials banking community commercial interests potential investors conflict april location shifted feet maiden street members voted reject offer college purchase runs campus college offered value following vote mayor washington indicated votes agreement college council accept offer instead accepting offer city_council wanted levy annual municipal services fee student proposal nearly identical service fee ruled illegal fee proposal came vote march city_council voted unanimously vacate allowing college assume ownership free
City of Washington–Washington & Jefferson College relations