COD gives Western Valley Center nod to Palm Springs

Public Record, The, Sep 25, 2007

The College of the Desert Board of Trustees decided last week to select a site in Palm Springs for the home of a future satellite campus in the West Valley. The Campus will be located on 142 acres in three parcels on the northwest corner of Indian Canyon Drive and Tramview Road. The parcels include a developed park with a community center, seven acres of ready-to-be developed city-owned land, and a 115-acre parcel owned by the Bureau of Land Management.

The board, chaired by Dr. Bonnie Stefan, issued the following statement upon reaching its decision.

"After much deliberation and study and through analysis and reports of our consultants, the Board of Trustees hereby authorizes the President to enter into negotiations for acquisition of real property with the City of Palm Springs for the West Valley Campus to be located in Palm Springs; and to enter into negotiations with the City of Desert Hot Springs for study and analysis to provide additional educational opportunities to be located in Desert Hot Springs."

The announcement followed the last in a series of closed meetings with consultants, who spent months studying the alternatives and advising the Board. Anticipating the vote, mayors and other leaders of both cities appeared before the Board in open session to state their case to the Trustees. Mayor Ron Oden and City Councilman Steve Pougnet were among the city officials who appeared for Palm Springs. Mayor Alex Bias and new City Manager Rick Daniels were among a series of speakers who spoke in behalf of Desert Hot Springs.

After the closed session, the Board reconvened and announced its decision. The college's motion authorizes President Jerry Patton to enter into negotiations with both cities; Palm Springs for a permanent West Valley site, and Desert Hot Springs for study and analysis that could lead to some programs and classes also being located in that city.

Patton said there is no specific timeline for construction of the new facility. In prior Board meetings, the Trustees have told both cities that the new site is some years away.

The COD board also issued the following statement regarding the background of the situation and the rationale for their decision:

"With the passage of Measure B, the citizens of Coachella Valley voted to fund facilities to provide space for our educational programs. Our Educational Master Plan reflects the need for educational programs and facilities to serve a growing population throughout the entire valley. As the Coachella Valley growth reaches further in all directions, the access to the Palm Desert Campus becomes more difficult from the outer regions of the Valley. Our main campus in Palm Desert will reach its capacity for enrollment. Measure B provides funding for campuses in the east and west valley. Because of the complexity of selecting a college campus location, we engaged outside land planning consultants to assist us in the process of site selection.

Through an intense selection process, the College received a gift of almost 100 acres in the Thermal area. Before long, we will announce plans to break ground on temporary facilities for our new East Valley Campus.

For the past two years, our consultants and staff have also been researching a location for a satellite campus in the west valley. Two cities, Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs, notified the college that each city was interested in being the permanent home to such a campus. Our consultants studied many aspects, but eventually narrowed the search to four key evaluation criteria:

* Ability to serve the west valley population

* Suitability of the property for a college campus

* Financial considerations

* Certainty and probability of a successful transaction

The Trustees are well aware of the significance and impact of a campus location. We are also very aware of the educational needs of the west valley and our desire is to provide opportunities for the entire west valley."

"On behalf of the City Council, I would like to thank the College of the Deserts Board of Trustees for its decision," said Mayor Ran Oden. "The City of Palm Springs, City Council, our business community, and our citizens are totally committed to the new College and are in a position to provide immediate and long-term financial support to ensure the College's development, growth, and success."

The City has widespread and significant support for the new campus from the Business Community, including the Palm Springs Economic Development Corporation, the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Main Street Business Association, and dozens of private businesses.

"The City has made a major commitment of financial support to the college, including the use of Desert Highland Park and the James 0. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center facility, which represent a multi-million commitment of City resources to the Western Coachella Valley Campus," said Mayor Pro Tem Steve Pougnet, who serves with the Mayor on the City Council Subcommittee for the Western Coachella Valley Campus project.