By Christine Breen
At its meeting on Jan. 10, the Gavilan College Board of Trustees
resolved to purchase an 85-acre parcel of land out near the
Hollister Airport to serve as the site of a permanent San Benito
County campus.
At its meeting on Jan. 10, the Gavilan College Board of Trustees resolved to purchase an 85-acre parcel of land out near the Hollister Airport to serve as the site of a permanent San Benito County campus. This decision is inconsistent with Hollister’s newly revised General Plan and with the representations that Gavilan College has made to this community concerning how Measure E bond money would be used. If acted upon, it would render Gavilan College a detriment, rather than a benefit, to the community.
The Gavilan Board’s decision to relocate the San Benito County campus out by the airport is contrary to the city’s revised General Plan, which places an emphasis on “Smart Growth” principles. Smart Growth emphasizes reduction of automobile dependence through the development of pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly communities, preservation of open space and farmland and infill within city centers rather than sprawl.
Relocating Gavilan’s Hollister campus out of downtown defeats these Smart Growth principles. Students and faculty would be unable to walk or bike to campus, and the proposed campus is not within close proximity to existing rail lines. The result would be a college campus that necessitated, and perpetuated, automobile dependence and also discouraged the community from utilizing its resources.
Although the proposed airport site might not be “prime” farmland, it is adjacent to agricultural parcels and removed from any public services other than the airport. This location would inevitably invite sprawl as additional services, and eventually housing, would have to move towards the campus to link it to the community.
If Gavilan were to build a permanent campus closer to the downtown corridor, the college could partner with the community to develop one library and one performing arts center to serve the college and the greater community. Gavilan could truly be a “community” college. Cooperative ventures like these would not be feasible were the college to move from the downtown area.
Smart Growth principles only are effective if they are consciously incorporated into redevelopment and new development plans. As Hollister’s revised General Plan demonstrates, local government’s primary objective is to create a healthier, more economically vital community. This cannot be accomplished unless we, as a community, hold local stakeholders and developers accountable and demand adherence to our priorities, which include implementing Smart Growth principles in their projects.
County residents comprise approximately 30 percent of Gavilan’s current student body. That number is expected to increase over the next 10 years. Our community comprises a significant and growing percentage of the college’s enrollment. As the county’s community college, shouldn’t Gavilan’s plans reflect the community’s values and adhere to the community’s priorities where planning and development are concerned?
The Gavilan Board’s decision to relocate the Hollister campus out by the airport also is inconsistent with the representations the college previously made to our community concerning use of the Measure E bond funds. A brief history is informative. In March 2004, San Benito County voters approved Measure E. Measure E is a $60 million bond measure to finance capital improvements to Gavilan’s main campus in Gilroy and to finance expansion of the campuses in Hollister and Morgan Hill. Of these monies, $12.7 million has been allocated for land acquisition in San Benito County. Gavilan President Steve Kinsella previously stated that the money to buy the property was sought through the bond measure in order to expedite the site selection process, but that the college would look to the state to provide funding for actual building construction (The Free Lance, July 11, 2005).
Now, inexplicably and without eliciting community input, the Gavilan Board has decided to acquire property for a permanent campus several miles from its current location in downtown Hollister. The purchase price for the airport property is approximately $4 million, significantly less than the $12.7 million that was allocated for land acquisition. How will the remaining money be spent? Although it has been suggested that the leftover funds will be used to begin the building process, it is clear that construction is a long-term project, and that Gavilan will still have to look to the state to fund the bulk of the construction.
Curiously, at the same time the Gavilan Board resolved to purchase the airport property for $4 million, it also resolved to purchase 55 acres of land in Coyote Valley for approximately $18 million. According to Gavilan’s own Web site, only $8.4 million was allocated to acquire land for permanent, expanded facilities in Morgan Hill and Coyote Valley. Where is Gavilan getting the additional $10 million for this acquisition?
Of the nature and timing of these acquisitions, Gavilan President Kinsella is quoted as saying, “It really all came together at the last minute, and the fact that we can vote on both right now is pure coincidence,” (The Free Lance, Jan. 9). Is it really?
Of the relocation, it has been noted that the airport was the site of the original Gavilan College, after San Benito Junior College was disbanded. However, nostalgia is hardly sufficient justification for the move now proposed if it runs counter to the community’s values and to Gavilan’s prior representations concerning the project.
The establishment of a permanent community college campus in San Benito County is a long-term project that will play a significant role in the future development of our community as a whole. The college will only be an asset to the community so long as it embodies the community’s principles. Its location is a critical part of the equation, and should not be determined without serious consideration of the community’s priorities and values. During the next 150 days, there is an opportunity for community and local leaders to engage with the Gavilan Board and the Measure E Citizens Oversight Committee. It is not too late for these groups to come together and work towards an optimal solution – one that will maximize Gavilan’s future role as San Benito County’s community college and one that will also maximize the health, vitality and culture of the community.
Christine Breen is a Hollister resident who holds a B.A. in architecture. If you would like to write a guest editorial contact Editor Conan Knoll at 637-5566 or ck****@fr***********.com.
