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| College district closer to picking local site |
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| Written by Jonathan Partridge / Patterson Irrigator | |
| Saturday, 17 May 2008 | |
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At a glance Other sites that have been considered:
No decisions have been made, but Yosemite Community College District officials appear to be leaning toward an area south of Patterson as the future site of Modesto Junior College’s West Side outreach center. A land donation of 10 acres west of Ward Avenue near Elfers Road could house 10 to 12 classrooms and additional open space, and the district would have the option of buying up to 30 additional acres, according to Yosemite district Trustee Anne DeMartini. The district plans to pay for the outreach site with $5 million obtained through Measure E, a $326.1 million general-obligation bond passed by voters in November 2004. “It would allow us to put all the bond money toward buildings,” DeMartini said of the Elfers Road property. District officials say there are many details to be worked out, but they hope to have an agreement soon, with an announcement possibly coming at a board study session Wednesday. If all goes well, DeMartini said the goal would be to have classes at the location open by fall 2009. The new site would contain prefabricated modular buildings similar to those used by the Ceres Unified School District. It potentially would sit behind a small retail center on the west side of Ward Avenue. The Yosemite district, which oversees MJC and Columbia College in Sonora, has actively sought a 20- to 40-acre site for a West Side campus after a deal with developer Michael Miroyan fell through in October. The district has received several offers from landowners since that time, and each site has its benefits and detriments, DeMartini said. In addition to the gifting of free land, advantages of the Elfers Road site are that it is in close proximity to city infrastructure at the T.W. Patterson Sports Complex and allows for the possibility for expansion, according to DeMartini. On the other hand, it is outside the city’s sphere of influence and has no direct access to city sewer and water services. YCCD Chancellor Roe Darnell was out of town late this past week, though he said earlier that getting a West Side outreach center up and running was an immediate priority. Patterson City Manager Cleve Morris said a service agreement would require approval from the county’s Local Agency Formation Commission, which oversees changes in government bodies and spheres of influence. A similar agreement was reached for Walnut Grove School on the east side of town. Morris expressed enthusiasm about the potential campus, calling it a “very positive project.” The Elfers site was only one of many options, but because of infrastructure challenges and funding questions, Elfers emerged the best bet. Jon Maring, who owns the property at Elfers Road and Ward Avenue, was cautious when talking about a potential land deal, saying he did not know what the college board was thinking at this point. “I just want to see a school opened up,” he said. “I want to see something good happen to this town.”
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