The rezoning of the Regency mobile home park for luxury student housing has been a controversial topic on the City Council agenda and two organizations have chosen to collectively make an effort to get students involved with this issue.

A small group of students from Grass Roots Organizing Mizzou, a recently formed student group, created a petition aimed at giving students an opportunity to voice their disapproval with the rezoning. The petition had more than 700 signatures as of Monday.

GRO Mizzou represents the values of Grass Roots Organizing, a group that works for economic justice for primarily low-income citizens, and has collaborated with them on this petition.

The petition calls Columbia Mayor Bob McDavid and the City Council to vote against the rezoning of Regency and calls on Chancellor Brady Deaton to speak out against the displacement of Columbia residents for the development of student housing.

The creators of the petition joined with Regency tenants Monday and last Wednesday in Speakers Circle to obtain signatures from primarily students and staff. They plan to collect signatures from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday and Friday and present them to Chancellor Deaton on Friday afternoon.

Graduate student Andrew Bisto, who has been collecting signatures for the petition, said once most students are informed of the issue they do not want the rezoning done in their name.

“This development in the name of students is unacceptable,” Bisto said. “Most students won’t even be able to afford this luxury housing if it did go through.”

Senior Kam Phillips spoke against the rezoning last month at a council meeting.

“This is not something that we as a city or a student body can support,” Phillips said.

The Regency issue is on the docket for the City Council at its next meeting on Nov. 21.

Sixth Ward Councilwoman Barbara Hoppe said Monday she was unaware of the petition, but said she thinks it should be considered when the council makes their decision.

Regency resident Michael Brown said he believes the student petition will influence the city’s decision.

“I didn’t think we had hope until the students showed up,” Brown said.

Bisto said he doesn’t have a specific solution to the problem, but he would like to see a collaborative community effort.

“I would like to see the whole Columbia community come together to make the best decision for these people,” Bisto said.

Brown acknowledged Regency residents will almost certainly have to move at some point, but said he wants to see fair time and resources given to make the move less difficult.

Churchill Group Inc., which owns the Regency mobile home park, recently gave tenants notices that the park would close Feb. 29.

Bisto said the notices don’t force the city to move forward with the rezoning.

“The city still has many opportunities at their disposal,” Bisto said.

Along with approving the rezoning, Hoppe said the council is still considering denying the rezoning and keeping the property for mobile home use, ideally with a new, more cooperative ownership group, or approving the rezoning but with additional amendments.

“We pay more rent there than anywhere else in town and they do the least upkeep,” Brown said of Churchill Group.

Bisto said the manner in which the tenants initially found out about the situation was disappointing and the handling of the situation has continued to be poor.

“How can one company continue to get away with this?” Bisto said.