Vote set on Three Rivers consolidation
The City Council will consider a resolution to put the college at the Thames Valley campus. By FRANCIS McCABE
Norwich Bulletin; fjmccabe@norwich.gannett. com
NORWICH -- A consolidated Three Rivers Community College at the Thames Valley campus has unanimous support.

The City Council will vote on a resolution Tuesday that names the Thames Valley campus as its choice for an expanded and consolidated college.

Six of the seven council members -- Mayor Arthur Lathrop, Aldermen Ben Lathrop, Todd Postler, Sofee Noblick, Jacqueline Plowden and Robert Booth -- have committed publicly to the Thames Valley site. Out of the six, Plowden is the only council member that consistently has endorsed the Thames Valley site.

Alderman John Paul Mereen said he would continue to support a downtown campus to help revitalize that depressed area.

But he said he "more than likely" would vote for the resolution endorsing the Thames Valley site next Tuesday.

"(The resolution) speaks for itself," Ben Lathrop said. "Now, I hope we can sit down with the governor and present our conclusions."

The ad-hoc committee was made up of lawyer Michael Lahan, Norwich Community Development Corp. member Stanley Israelite, City Manager Richard Podurgiel, Planning and Neighborhood Services director Peter Davis, and Public Works Director Joseph Loyacano along with the city council.

The committee's first resolution, passed Aug. 4, was a mea culpa to the governor to reopen the lines of communications, according to council members.

"The city of Norwich wishes to make clear that it will cooperate with the administration of Three Rivers Community College, the Community College Board of Trustees, the Office of Policy Management and the Governor's office to ensure that Norwich will remain the home of Three Rivers Community College," the resolution stated.

That resolution also stated that the city recognized the Thames Valley and Mahan Drive campuses as the two sites with the highest potential and the city was willing to work with the state on both campuses.

The new resolution is aimed at convincing the governor that Thames Valley is the best location for the college.

"The resolution, as it stands, says exactly what we are working towards," Postler said. "And that is keeping the college in Norwich."

The resolution also lists seven reasons why Thames Valley is their preferred site. They are:

  • Traffic issues could be resolved with building a connecting road from the campus to Route 32.
  • Planned improvements of Route 82 and Interstate 395 will accommodate increased traffic to the area.
  • Wetland resources will be less affected by the Thames Valley site.
  • Improvements to the storm-water drainage system on New London Turnpike already has been done.
  • The Thames Valley consolidation plan would cost less than the Mahan Drive plan.
  • The Thames Valley site has access to state property that will allow for future expansion.
  • The Thames Valley site already has been endorsed by the Community Technical College Board of Trustees.

    Originally published Thursday, August 28, 2003
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