"We already have enough traffic on that road," said Benjamin Soto, of Manwaring Road across from Three Rivers.

Soto said he understands Norwich could lose the college unless a site can be found.

"It would be like if Norwich Free Academy were to leave," Soto said.

Patty Mondor, of New London Turnpike, had a different take.

"Maybe if there were more cars (on the road), people would drive a little slower," she said. "I don't even let my kids play in the front yard," because motorists drive too fast.

For 10 years, the state Community-Technical College Board of Trustees has been grappling over the perfect location for Three Rivers' consolidation.

That debate seemed over in April 2002, when the state Office of Policy and Management concluded Three Rivers' Mohegan and Thames Valley campuses were viable for the consolidation.

The report ranked the Mohegan campus on Mahan Drive first, saying Thames Valley would take two years longer to realize.

But the debate was revived Monday when the Norwich City Council passed a resolution 4-2 opposing the Mahan site and asking for Gov. John G. Rowland's collaboration in finding a better one.

While the governor and Three Rivers President Grace S. Jones said the vote opened the door to the possibility the college will relocate elsewhere, council members are expressing confidence a deal can be reached to keep the college in Norwich. The governor has allocated $75 million in bonded money for the consolidation.

In December 2001, the Community-Technical College board voted unanimously to endorse the Thames Valley site.

City Council has no direct control over where the college would go -- that decision lies with the governor's office, the state Office of Policy and Management and the trustees -- at least five of seven council members want to revisit the Thames Valley site.

Alderman Ben Lathrop, one of the five aldermen in support of reviewing the Thames Valley location, said the feasibility to have an access road from Route 32 to the campus makes the site work. The access road would go through the Uncas on Thames campus.

"If we didn't have the access road I would agree (with the neighbors)," Lathrop said. "(Thames Valley) is the most viable site at this stage."

"The access road addresses a lot of these folks' concern," Alderman Todd Postler said. Postler said Route 32 would be a main access for students who come from the shoreline. A majority of the students that attend Three Rivers commute from the shoreline.

"I like (Three Rivers) broken up," Ivan Brown of Manwaring Road said. "It would be too much traffic in one area."

Robin Kingston of New London Turnpike said pulling out of his driveway can be risky. "It seems to work fine the way it is," Kingston said. He said he would prefer the college use the money allocated for consolidation to restore and rehabilitate the different campuses.

"Trying to get out of my driveway is murder," Esther Gisser of New London Turnpike said. "What we need are lights or a police (presence) on the road."

Gisser also said the city should improve its public transportation system so not everyone needs a car to get around.

"I always thought the best site was Chestnut Street (downtown)," Barney Caulfield of New London Turnpike said.

Caulfield said building an access road from Route 32 to Three Rivers might help ease some of his concerns.

"But the traffic is already heavy," Caulfield said.

But Caulfield said the most important thing is for Norwich not to lose the college.

Johannah Ellal, of New London Turnpike, had a different take. "The children need to have their college stay here," Ellal said.

Sitting on her front porch, holding her dog Elizabeth, Ellal said it didn't bother her if there were more traffic on the road. Ellal said she would want the trucks and buses that rumble up her block to take another route, however. "It's mostly casino traffic anyway," Ellal said. She had no illusion that Mohegan Sun was moving.

Robert Dau was even more firm on consolidating Three Rivers at the Thames Valley campus.

"They have to put it somewhere, and it would be a better choice then losing the college," Dau said. Dau said sometimes backing out of his driveway is difficult. "But you learn to live with it."