Gavilan College is inviting the community to offer input next
week on the site it has chosen for its new Hollister campus.
Gavilan College is inviting the community to offer input next week on the site it has chosen for its new Hollister campus.
We trust the college’s board of trustees will take time not only to listen but also to really digest what the public has to say before making a final decision.
Gavilan officials announced last week that after much consideration they had selected an 80-acre parcel at Airline Highway and Fairview Road as the site for the new satellite campus. The purchase price of the property, owned by Fairview Corners Dividend Homes Property, will be revealed today, according to the college.
The agenda announced for the Gavilan board’s May 8 meeting in Hollister indicates that the trustees will accept public comment and then vote on the purchase of the property. However, if the trustees act that quickly, without taking time to fully consider the comments, questions and concerns offered up by the public, it would give the impression – right or wrong – that this was a done deal no matter what people have to say Tuesday.
The board would be wise to allow time for some reflection and further research if it’s warranted before taking a vote on the site.
Remember that the college was ready to pull the trigger on a campus site near Hollister Municipal Airport before that choice met with local opposition. The trustees did listen to the public’s concerns and backed out of that deal.
In December, the college announced a new list of 16 properties under consideration as potential campus sites. The process of narrowing that list and finally arriving at the choice of the parcel at Airline Highway and Fairview Road took place out of the public’s view.
We understand that negotiating a land deal is a sensitive process that works best for all interested parties – including the community – when it is not allowed to become a public spectacle. But now is the time for the college to fully explain how this choice was made and consider the public’s input.
We have no overriding problem with the chosen site. We certainly like it better than the airport site.
If Hollister’s past growth patterns continue, it could well prove to be an excellent site for meeting future needs. And we like that it’s near land already owned by the San Benito High School District for a future high school, which could make it convenient for local students seeking specialized or accelerated learning programs at the college.
Since it’s asking the public for input, we trust the Gavilan board will fully weigh what the public has to say before making its decision.
