Public was a no-show as trustees mull housing plans
GILROY
The Gavilan College Board of Trustees was met with silence. Looking for comments and concerns regarding the potential development of the Gavilan College golf course, not a single member of the public spoke up at Tuesday night’s board meeting.
Not sure what to make of the lack of conversation generated by the public on this topic, Gavilan College spokeswoman Jan Bernstein Chargin said it could be due to a lack of knowledge about the plans and the meeting, not necessarily a lack of interest.
The opportunity for the public to speak was on the agenda because several people expressed concerns to the Board outside of the meeting, said Board of Trustees President, Mark Dover. “As the project moves forward, we’ll probably hear more discussion. I don’t know if the indifference was a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe it’s a nonissue.”
So far, the plans for developing the golf course into student, faculty and senior housing are still “very conceptual” and need to be “fleshed out” said Bernstein Chargin. At this point, the college has renewed its year-long lease with Gavilan Golf Course LLC, the current golf course operator, so golfers will still have their course for another year.
Although the college won’t see any visible changes in the next year because of the renewed lease, the college is still moving forward with development plans. The discussion surrounding plans for the golf course has been underway for years but the project remains unchanged. The cost of housing in the Bay Area often deters teachers and students from settling in Gilroy. The housing project, still in it’s developmental stages, will offer affordable housing to students and teachers and enrich campus life.
Patrick McCallum, a lobbyist for California’s community colleges, spoke at the board meeting about the attitude in Sacramento toward student/faculty housing and education.
“The most important thing that happens in California is education,” McCallum said. “The most important part of that (education) is teachers … and they can’t afford housing.”
Preliminary studies show a need for student residential facilities, faculty and staff housing, and active adult housing. The college also projects substantial financial benefits from transforming the golf course into a housing development. The income generated by the development will support educational programs.
