By Andrew Kutzer

In May, the Kutztown Borough Council passed an ordinance banning students and residents from accessing rooftops.

According to the ordinance, all rooftops that have not been designed for gatherings present a hazard and safety risk to the user and public. Any rooftops or rooftop hangings are prohibited except in cases of repair or emergencies.

The ordinance applies to residential, non-residential, owner occupied and rentals. The majority of the KU campus lies in Maxatawny Township except for the Southern edge, which the borough ordinance would apply to, according to Daniel Eslinger, director of community development and zoning officer for the borough.

According to a Morning Call article, a week before the ordinance was passed, a Penn State student was electrocuted when she fell from the roof of a building in State College, Pa.

“The timing of that was purely coincidental. The borough of Kutztown, for a couple of months before that tragedy happened at Penn State, [was] talking about that. We were talking about that ordinance at community development meetings,” said Eslinger.

Building tops that act as porches or decks do not fall under the ordinance, according to Eslinger.