2008 Woodie Awards
Kentfield is heard at public forum
Don't sell this campus
Alsterlind
Issue date: 11/28/02 Section: News
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Alsterlind
ET Contributer
Over 100 people filled the auditorium at Olney Hall Thursday, November seven, braving high winds and cloudburst rain to get there. They came to voice their opinions on the fate of College of Marin's two aging campuses, which might be sold off to pay for a new, consolidated campus at a new location.
"Please don't sell the Kentfield campus," was the most often repeated phrase among the more than 20 people who stepped up to the microphone. No one spoke up in support of building an entirely new campus.
Over concern for deteriorating College of Marin facilities, the Board of Trustees of College of Marin recently retained the services of two consultant groups, Conversion Management Associates and 3D International, to evaluate the Kentfield and Indian Valley campuses. A synopsis of CMA's findings, entitled "Building the Community College Environment Marin Deserves," was released by College of Marin in early October of this year, and updated on October 23 to include the findings of 3D International. The services of the consulting groups, according to the synopsis, were "complimentary."
The consulting groups reported that the cost to repair, upgrade, and maintain the existing COM facilities would cost approximately $200 million, about the same amount it would cost for entirely new construction. They also found that classroom space is under-utilized at both campuses, and that the current demographics of Marin County "make it highly unlikely enrollment would expand to justify two major campuses," according to the synopsis.
The consultants set forth several planning options, which the Board quickly narrowed to a list of five. By September 17, the Board had already eliminated the first two of those options: "Defer" which would put off repair projects until needed; and "Restore" which would require raising $100 to $150 million to fix existing facilities.
Three remaining options are currently under consideration by the Board, according to the synopsis. The "Partnering" option would involve leasing a significant portion of IVC to an appropriate organization, such as a health and wellness center, and using the revenue generated by rents to pay for upgrades of existing facilities at both the Kentfield and IVC campuses. The "Modernize" option would sell or lease a large portion of the IVC property to support upgrades at Kentfield. The "New" option would lease or sell both campuses to pay for construction of a new, more centrally located campus.