LAKE COUNTY ? After about 20 years in Lakeport, Mendocino College Lake Center may move to Kelseyville to build its home among vineyards and orchards.
The college board of trustees made an offer of $770,000 to buy 14 acres from Greg Hanson on Merritt and Big Valley roads across from the Kelseyville Lumber, which Hanson accepted, Mike Adams, director of facilities planning at the college said.
“It”s a very picturesque site,” Adams said.
If the groups move forward to an environmental impact report and close escrow, construction crews could break ground in about two years and in 2012 the Lake Center could move out of its Parallel Drive site in Lakeport, Adams said. The initial phase of planning and construction will use the $7.5 million set aside from Measure W bond that passed in 2006. As enrollment grows, the college may qualify for state funds to expand the center.
Organizations and community members from Kelseyville and Lakeport disagree whether the college should relocate.
Adams said the Kelseyville site is easily accessible and visible from Highway 29, it”s not on a flood plane, sewer and water are available if annexed into the district and it”s close to Kelseyville.
The college considered going back to buy the foreclosed property on Parallel Drive, but went “another direction” because the board had already made an offer in Kelseyville and members like the site, Adams said.
“We already started some of the review process such as phase one environmental soil testing and cultural evaluation,” Adams said.
The Lakeport Main Street Association board unanimously voted Wednesday to try to keep the college in Lakeport, said Jan Bruns, director of the association.
“We would like to see it stay in Lakeport,” Bruns said. “It”s been here 20 years. It”s a huge asset to our town.”
With the infrastructure ready on the property of the center”s current site and the reduced price because of its foreclosure Bruns said, “It just seems to make more sense to build it on Parallel Drive.”
“We hope it stays here in our city,” Bruns said. “It will be bad if it leaves.”
Bruns asked community members in an e-mail to write to the Mendocino College trustees to request that the center doesn”t move out of Lakeport.
Cheri Holden, owner of Watershed Books, vice president of the Lakeport Main Street Association and conservation chair of the Sierra Club Lake Group, also supports keeping the college in Lakeport.
Holden doesn”t support converting agriculture land, she said.
“I think it”s self defeating,” Holden said. “In our rural community our ag land is important.”
Peter Windrem, member of the Committee for the Mendocino College Lake Center in Kelseyville, started making brochures and getting petition signatures in support of the Kelseyville site, he said.
“It”s the best place to have courses for people who want to be in the agricultural work force,” Windrem said.
Town members have been “ecstatic” and supportive of the college, Windrem said.
“Kelseyville wants to be known as the friendly, country college town,” Windrem said.
The site”s close location to downtown Kelseyville makes it “ideal,” Windrem said.
“Students can have a college experience,” Windrem said. “The Parallel Drive site certainly doesn”t have that opportunity.”
Contact Katy Sweeny at ksweeny@record-bee.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
