But its support for that option is pending environmental and traffic studies associated with the $60.9 million project.

The decision, however, did not discourage Chelsea Community Development Group from pursuing its $62 million proposal to relocate the college along Norwich Harbor.

"We're not dead yet," said Ronald Aliano, lead developer with the group, after the meeting.

The 17 community college trustees met Monday in Hartford at the Capital Community College Woodland campus. After two hours of talk and presentations, the board made a decision.

No done deal

The resolution -- unanimously accepted -- still does not solidify the campus's future location in East Great Plain.

"The trustees have said they prefer the New London Turnpike campus, but cannot accept it because the project proposal is not complete," said Mary Anne Cox, spokeswoman for the Community College System.

"We can't bring closure to this yet because we need to do environmental studies on the New London Turnpike campus," Trustee Jules Lang said. "But we need to consider the students and what this means to a college that has been waiting nearly a decade for a decision."

It was not known Monday how long the studies would take or when they would begin

The Department of Public Works said it hopes to begin construction of the site -- which involves swapping buildings with Norwich Regional Technical School and the Mohegan campus on Mahan Drive -- in early 2004.

If no environmental problems are found, construction can proceed.

Joseph S. Anderson Jr., dean of administration at Three Rivers, said he isn't taking the recommendation for granted, but is glad consolidation is nearer than ever.

"You can't resolve a project that is this big and this important without studying all of the aspects, and we're doing that," he said. "This resolution keeps us moving forward. In the end, we will have an answer that hopefully everyone will support."

If problems are found, the state can consider the downtown proposal, as well as three others.

Other options include an $82 million plan to build the campus in Preston at routes 12 and 2A, expand the Mohegan campus for $72 million, or an earlier plan that includes renovating the Thames Valley campus, but not relocating the technical high school next door.

Costs evaluated

In addition to environmental and traffic impacts, Dean Pagani, spokesman for Gov. John G. Rowland, said officials with the state Office of Policy and Management will need to evaluate "true costs" associated with each of the proposals.

"The DPW presentation before the board that looked at New London Turnpike didn't really go into the added cost to relocate the technical high school," said Pagani, who did not attend the meeting. "A true cost assessment has to be done to put it into the perspective on how much the entire project will cost, because, in the end, whether it's from the community college pot or the education pot, it all constitutes a cost to taxpayers."

According to Marc Herzog, chancellor for the Community College System, the state Department of Education has a $44 million plan to update and renovate the tech school.

But DPW officials said it could cost $51 million to meet the master plan's objectives and relocate the high school as part of the Thames Valley plan.

Not giving up

After the meeting, the Chelsea Group said it plans to meet with various state officials to continue to pitch its consolidation plan.

The group hopes to meet with Rowland, who some say has the final decision on where the campus will be located.

But Pagani said it's hard to say who has the final word.

"You can assume that any project would have to go before the state Bond Commission and in that aspect (the governor) has a great influence over the project," Pagani said.

Chelsea Group member James Duffy said the group has begun to meet with state officials to persuade them, but would not identify the agencies involved.

"I'm not at liberty to say," he said, adding the group would need to talk with representatives from OPM, the Treasurer's Office, Department of Transportation and the state Department of Environmental Protection before requesting a meeting with the governor.

Pagani said a meeting has not been set between the Chelsea Group and Rowland.

"At this point, I don't know it would be appropriate to meet, because the state is in its fact-finding stage, but I would not rule out one in the future," Pagani said.

Downtown studies?

Aliano told trustees his group has already acquired preliminary studies on environmental issues on the downtown site between Water Street and Chelsea Harbor Drive. He said they presented them to the DPW.

But, DPW Project Manager Dennis Tovey told the board he received no such studies, though the department has requested them.

DPW officials said the downtown proposal has changed from the plan they evaluated a month ago, adding if the Chelsea Group has answers to the state's questions on parking, access and use of space, it hasn't provided them.

Aliano told board members if the Community College System was concerned with his plan to use 80 percent of 237,500-square-feet for classrooms was too high, he would make it 65 percent as requested -- with the rest for corridors and lobbies.

Concerns still center on the 27,000 square feet the state would be leasing from the city in the proposed Mercantile Exchange building across the street from the proposed campus.

The Mashantucket-Pequot Tribal Nation will be the primary tenant and in charge of leasing excess space, some of which is expected to be for the college.

Aliano said the room can be found elsewhere.

State Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia, cited a law that does not allow state agencies to do business with Indian tribes until they adopt an employment rights code.