As the elected representatives to the Gavilan College Board of
Trustees, we wish to thank the many people in our community who
have offered their opinions and comments on the new college site in
San Benito County. It is gratifying to see the interest our
community has in higher education as we prepare for the future.
Much of the feedback we have received has been very supportive of
our choice of location for the new campus.
Editor,
As the elected representatives to the Gavilan College Board of Trustees, we wish to thank the many people in our community who have offered their opinions and comments on the new college site in San Benito County. It is gratifying to see the interest our community has in higher education as we prepare for the future. Much of the feedback we have received has been very supportive of our choice of location for the new campus. Some, however, have questioned the decision, and have been wondering how we arrived at it.
Over a year ago, we began visiting parcels of available land. We climbed Park Hill. We walked. We looked. We asked experts for their opinions – people who had planned college campuses before, and Smart Growth experts, like Jim Goodell of Public Private Ventures.
We considered the requirements of the state of California, and the communities of San Benito County. We had to be at least 10 miles from any other existing college campus. We couldn’t be on an active fault. We didn’t want to develop prime agricultural land, or land that was designated for housing.
We commissioned a study of the expected population growth in San Benito County over the next 30 years, and how that would impact the needs of the college in the future.
We realized that we were making a decision that will have its greatest impact after some of us are gone. Although it might be tempting to use this purchase to meet short-term needs in San Benito County, it would not be wise or appropriate.
Gavilan College’s primary purpose is higher education. It is the Board’s responsibility to ensure that a college education is available to everyone in the district who wants one, both now and in the future.
More population growth is planned for our area. The city of Hollister has many downtown parcels zoned for high-density housing and the Water District’s new sewer plan also assumes substantial growth over a period of years. The state projections show a 50 percent increase in student population by 2030. Our job is to position the college to serve San Benito County’s long-term needs.
Gavilan College’s plan is right for San Benito County students, who must now commute over Highway 25 if they want to complete a degree or vocational program. The proposed location on San Felipe Road and Highway 156 will make Gavilan College, and it’s opportunities for job training and education, easily accessible to people from all over San Benito County.
The college has been very active in the Vision San Benito group. Gavilan College stepped forward to help assemble this group of committed community members. The members come from different perspectives and different walks of life. The meetings so far have addressed the goals of Vision San Benito, but have not focused on specific issues. No group positions have yet been taken on specific items, such as land use.
Voters gave their support with Measure E bond funding to establish a site in San Benito County. We have an obligation to these taxpayers to spend their money wisely. That means not only taking the cost of the land into account, but the eventual cost of building and operating on that land. Other college districts and school districts have run out of money before completing all of the items on their facilities plans. Some have even had to go back to the taxpayers for a second bond to get the job done. Our goal is to manage our money wisely, to meet, or even exceed, our commitments through Measure E.
All seven of Gavilan College’s Trustees voted to purchase the future campus site near the airport because it is in the best long-term interests of the students, the college, and the community.
Community members are invited, as they are every month, to share their opinions with the Board of Trustees at our monthly meeting. The next board meeting is at 7pm on Feb. 14 in the Student Center on the Gilroy campus. See you there!
Gavilan Trustees
Tom Breen, Elvira Robinson and Kent Child
