Last Thursday’s hearing was supposed to be the final one for Georgetown’s 2010 Campus Plan, which has been before the D.C. Zoning Commission for more than a year. But for the third time, the commission postponed its final decision on the plan, claiming that it was still uncertain about the effectiveness of the measures the university implemented last year to address neighborhood concerns.

While we appreciate the fact that the commission would like to have the most evidence possible before ruling, waiting does more harm than good. The board’s inactivity effectively paralyzes the university so that it can neither properly implement elements of the plan in a timely fashion nor file an appeal. The Zoning Commission and the various neighborhood organizations are failing to address the real issue, which is that many neighbors are opposed to students living off campus because they perceive us as disruptive and unpleasant.

The commission’s demand for further evidence of the university’s success in its efforts to appease neighbors is essentially a stalling tactic. The university and various neighborhood organizations, including the Advisory Neighborhood Commission, the Burleith Citizens Association and the Citizens Association of Georgetown, appear to be talking over each other, leading to stalemate rather than actual negotiation.

What it all comes down to is that neighbors simply don’t want students living in their midst. No matter how many hearings we have or how much testimoney the university submits, there will always be opposition to the idea of student life spilling beyond the front gates. If the debate over the 2010 Campus Plan is stripped down to its core, it hinges largely on this single issue. Rather than pretending that the lack of concrete proof to back up the university’s measures is the point of contention, the Zoning Commission should focus its attention on the matter of students living in Georgetown neighborhood.

There is little information left to gain over the next two-plus months, and frankly, we would prefer to receive a negative decision and move on to the appeals process rather than continue to wait. The neighborhood associations consider the mere presence of students in the community unacceptable. This logic, which would have the university house all students on campus, leaves no room for concessions and is unlikely to shift before the commission’s next hearing. The ongoing and unnecessary filibuster of the proposal needs to end.

We challenge the various neighborhood organizations to stand by their positions instead of hiding behind requests for more evidence. If our neighbors believe that the presence of students among them is detrimental to the area, and that student attitudes and behaviors are fundamentally harmful to the greater Georgetown community, let them present their arguments and abide by the legal process.

In the meantime, it is our opportunity and responsibility as students to prove that we cannot be so easily stereotyped.