That's what the city needs right now if it hopes to keep Three Rivers Community College, according to three men who have played in the political big leagues.

They are former state Sen. Gerald Murphy, one-time president pro tem of the state Senate; Stanley Israelite, driving force behind the development of the Norwich Industrial Park, and lawyer Glenn Carberry, who helped land the Norwich Navigators.

"Not being able to agree is the greatest incentive for them not to get it," said Murphy, who represented the city in the General Assembly in the late 1970s into early 1980. "If a community can't agree on something, that's the best excuse for the state not to give them something."

Murphy and lawyer Milton Jacobson were the key figures in securing state funding to construct the courthouse downtown. Jacobson was unavailable for comment.

"When Milt and I worked together on that, we had the support of the council and the community," Murphy said. "You need to have that consensus and support."

The council voted 4-2 Monday opposing consolidation of the school at the Mohegan campus site on Mahan Drive. Five of the seven council members now favor revisiting consolidation at the Thames Valley campus on New London Turnpike.

But the biggest threat comes from outside the city's borders from those who support moving the school to Preston at the former Norwich Hospital grounds on Route 12.

"It can be kept here," Israelite said, "but the first thing is that everyone needs to let things settle down a bit. And then the city needs a plan."

Israelite was a member of the Norwich City Council in the late 1960s who, along with others, heavily lobbied state officials to build the school in Norwich in the first place.

"When things settle down, we just need people to sit down and talk," Israelite said. "I know (Gov.) John Rowland; he's been good to this city. I think if the city asked for a meeting and brought with it some concrete ideas he'd listen to it, and he'd work with this city."

Carberry, who overcame opposition from New York Gov. Mario Cuomo and Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner to bring minor-league baseball to Norwich, agreed with Murphy and Israelite.

"The Three Rivers situation has reached a critical stage for the city," he said. "I'm a little skeptical that the state, given its current budget crisis, is in a hurry to spend money, so there is little time.

"But given where we are right now, I would say the city needs to take a comprehensive approach to the Uncas-on-the-Thames/New London Turnpike site," he said. "I think that's the way we should go."

Carberry said the council should involve the city's planning department, drawing on its talents to put together a proposal to present to the college and state officials.

"Obviously, a well-designed site downtown would have the greatest advantage to the city," he said, "but I think the best move for the city now is to get behind the New London Turnpike site."