Though the project is still in its infancy, the intended site
for a satellite campus of Gavilan College adjacent to the Hollister
Municipal Airport has already managed to spark a considerable
amount of debate and, at first glance, experts in airport land use
are expressing concerns over the proposal.
Hollister – Though the project is still in its infancy, the intended site for a satellite campus of Gavilan College adjacent to the Hollister Municipal Airport has already managed to spark a considerable amount of debate and, at first glance, experts in airport land use are expressing concerns over the proposal.
“The two main things that we’ll really be looking at are noise and safety concerns,” said Ron Bolyard, Aviation Planner for Caltrans Aeronautics. “Sometimes a project like a public school and an airport just don’t work well together.”
Since the Gavilan Board of Trustees voted to purchase the 85-acre parcel near San Felipe Road and Highway 156 on Jan. 10, the college has entered a 150-day due diligence process, which gives various state agencies time to determine whether the parcel is really a viable location for what will one day be a fully-functioning campus.
In the meantime, however, the Hollister Airport Advisory Commission has voted to formally oppose the location, citing zoning problems and possible conflicts with future airport enterprises. While the airport commission is only an advisory committee and cannot enforce its decision, City Council members have said they take such a recommendation seriously, and aviation officials say such opposition is cause for serious consideration.
“I would have to support the commission’s take on things,” said Carl Honaker, Santa Clara County Director of Airports. “If they think non-aviation related use of the land would mean an encroachment of airport activities in the future, then that sort of development should be avoided.”
Gavilan College officials say that neither Caltrans or the Federal Aviation Administration, which will ultimately determine what sort of affect such a development would have on the airport, were contacted by the college before the board voted to go forward with the purchase of the land.
“We have not been in contact with any of those agencies, because it was not the time,” said Jan Bernstein-Chargin, Gavilan director of public information. “Now is the time for the due diligence process, now is when we ask the experts to come in and address any issues that may arise… The purchase of the land is not final until that entire process has been carried out.”
According to Bolyard, Caltrans will do a formal review of the situation after the Aeronautics department is contacted by the California Department of Education. Should the Caltrans review come back as unsatisfactory, Gavilan could technically go ahead with construction – the Board of Trustees is authorized to change zoning laws if they determine that they absolutely need the land in question. However, it would become much more difficult for them to secure funds from the state if they were to move forward with a project that Caltrans had deemed a poor decision, Bolyard said.
“The safety zone in question is less restrictive than other zone categories, because it is significantly safer,” he said. “But it does say ‘don’t put any schools there.’ So unless there’s no other choice, you really probably shouldn’t.”
Honaker cautions that a college campus could bring more development out toward the airport that could eventually conflict with airport business, as was the case with the Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose. After a plane crashed into a nearby golf course that had not existed when the airport was established, a fairly vocal movement began, attempting to shut the airport down.
“An airport can be a huge economic engine for a community, but if you don’t go by state guidelines, you’re marginalizing its utility,” he said. “It’s best to just avoid those sorts of conflicts from the beginning.”
While Gavilan College is confidant that the site will pass muster with the state, school officials are optimistic that should the site pose a problem, it will be identified quickly.
“If there is an issue with the airport, hopefully we can deal with that before we spend all our money on environmental impact studies and move forward,” said trustee Kent Child. “If we have to start over, so be it, but I am confidant that the site we chose will ultimately be workable and beneficial for both the community and the college.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or
ds****@fr***********.com
