Gavilan College has been the topic of several articles and
editorials in the past few weeks. I would like to provide
additional information so that community residents have a better
understanding of our vision for the future. Providing high-quality
educational services to best meet the community’s needs requires
that the college efficiently use available assets. Among those is
the property located on the Gilroy campus that is currently leased
to a private company for use as a golf course.
Gavilan College has been the topic of several articles and editorials in the past few weeks. I would like to provide additional information so that community residents have a better understanding of our vision for the future. Providing high-quality educational services to best meet the community’s needs requires that the college efficiently use available assets. Among those is the property located on the Gilroy campus that is currently leased to a private company for use as a golf course.
In early 2005 the Gavilan College Board of Trustees evaluated the golf course arrangement to determine if there was a better use for the property than renting it out for $30,000 per year. After examining several ideas, the college developed a vision: to convert the property into residential age-restricted housing, complementing our mission as a provider of life-long learning. In addition to age-restricted housing, there is a desire to provide low-cost housing to local students who could complete their educational programs faster and with greater success if they had access to student housing. (By paying less for housing, students could work fewer hours, and therefore spend more time on their studies.)
Many colleges convert surplus property to commercial use, generating rental income, but no other California Community College has yet developed an active-adults learning community. Gavilan’s planned residential development would meet the needs of older residents seeking to downsize yet stay in the community, while providing them access to the college’s older adults educational program which has become extremely popular.
Income from the residential housing would be used to enhance Gavilan College’s overall educational programs, as the money would be additional to state funding. The item is in the Gavilan College long-term master plan, which does not call for a specific time frame. No formal proposal for housing has yet been developed, and current market conditions are not favorable for immediate development.
Gavilan College already receives water and sewer service from the city of Gilroy, through an agreement dating back to 1965. It has been determined, following extensive consultation with Santa Clara County and the City of Gilroy, and the counsel of experienced attorneys and consultants that the most advantageous approach for all three governmental agencies would be for the city to annex the college.
Gavilan College, as a state agency, is not subject to the property taxes and impact fees. In lieu of these fees, Gavilan College is proposing to pay an appropriate fair share of cost under a separate cost sharing agreement so that the burden for services does not fall on the City of Gilroy.
The City of Gilroy recently put forward a draft EIR focusing heavily on the impacts of using residential housing to support the college’s Life Long Learning Program. When describing the college, the city failed to identify the fact that Gavilan College is a public agency, and therefore entitled to certain exemptions, as the college is providing services to the community.
For example, impact fees are not assessed to community colleges. Additionally, the DEIR fails to state that the college is already developed, and is already receiving water and sewer services under existing agreements. The DEIR is filled with references to Gavilan as having obligation identical to these of commercial developers, when the situation is clearly different. For these reasons, Gavilan College withdrew from the DEIR.
In summary, Gavilan College’s long-term plan envisions conversion of the golf course to provide age-restricted housing, student dormitories, and educational services. This would be of enormous benefit to the students and residents of Gilroy.
First, however, we are hoping to be included within the Urban Service Area of the City of Gilroy, with which we have had a productive and mutually beneficial relationship since 1965.
Guest columnist Steve Kinsella is the president of Gavilan College.
