Gov. John G. Rowland has threatened to look for new sites outside of Norwich if the council didn't back the Mahan Drive plan.

But City Council members announced their intention to pass a resolution opposing expansion and consolidation of Three Rivers at the Mahan Drive campus, at the first meeting of the Coalition Against Mahan Drive Expansion Tuesday.

"I'm still supporting the resolution," Alderman Todd Postler said.

The resolution will be considered July 7.

Rowland's staff said Thursday if the City Council passes such a resolution, the state would start looking for college sites outside Norwich.

"We have been committed to Three Rivers and that college should not leave Norwich," Postler said.

Postler said there are good reasons why the site at Mahan Drive does not work, including traffic and flooding at the proposed consolidated site.

Aldermen John Paul Mereen, Ben Lathrop and Bob Booth all agreed with Postler Friday, saying they will still support the resolution in spite of the governor's stand. Alderwoman Sofee Noblick also has indicated support for the resolution.

"It's the right thing to do," Booth said.

Mayor Arthur Lathrop said he would vote against the resolution.

"If the city of Norwich decides to vote against (the Mahan Drive) site, the state will have to look at other locations including ones outside of Norwich," Michele Sullivan, spokeswoman for the governor, said.

Sullivan said $75 million already has been allocated to consolidating the college and the other two sites looked at, both downtown, were not feasible.

The first was rejected because it was too small and could not accommodate the needs of the college and the second because of environmental contamination problems that would increase the cost.

Sullivan said the goal is to consolidate the two college campuses and any other plan is not a real option.

Joseph Levanto of Wayne Street, a member of the Coalition Against Mahan Drive Expansion, said he would like to see the college stay the way it is. He said he would like to see money used to renovate the campuses at Mahan Drive and New London Turnpike.

Levanto, the former principal of Norwich Free Academy, said any extra money should be used to build administrative buildings downtown.

Grace Jones, president of Three Rivers, said she plans to ask the City Council to visit the college to see the problems the school has.

"We don't have space," Jones said. She said any plan that calls for renovating the two campuses could not work because there is no space for classes to go to if renovation takes place. Approximately 3,500 students attend Three Rivers.

Jones acknowledged the plight of neighbors, but insisted things could be worked out.

"If the community works together, we can find solutions to our problems," Jones said.