Off-campus housing for College of William and Mary students has become a hot-button topic in the campaign for Williamsburg City Council.

Residents are concerned the council's decision to allow up to four people in a rental house, in certain circumstances, poses a threat to the character of their single-family neighborhoods. Students feel the city doesn't hear their pleas for more and varied housing options.

The five candidates running for two City Council seats have differing opinions on how and where to find solutions.

As a member of the Planning Commission, Sean Driscoll has long been an advocate for mixed-use public-private partnerships as a solution. He looks to projects like the recently approved Triangle Retail project, along with increased density in certain areas of downtown near the college.

"It is vital to have the interaction of students and the residents," he said. "It is not houses that are the issue, it's housing." [Daily Press]