Published on 4/12/2001

To the Editor of The Day:
I am writing in response to recent letters written by students and faculty of Three Rivers Community College:

1. Recent letters say state Rep. Jack Malone is undermining the efforts of the college to move to a new location.

In response to that, Mr. Malone is only working toward keeping the college in Norwich. As far as exactly where, that is not known by anyone, because studies of the numerous sites that have been suggested are not done. Upon the conclusion of these studies the college will get a consolidated campus.

2. The letters also state the consensus of opinion at the college is to have it go to the Norwich Hospital site.

I am interested in knowing whether any one of the letter writers attend the Chamber of Commerce breakfast that featured Spaulding & Slye and their plans for the Norwich Hospital site? They are the developers the state appointed to handle the hospital property. In its presentation, Spaulding & Slye made it clear that they did not feel any business purchasing the hospital property would want the college as part of it. So its plan for the college is to put it on a piece of property further down Route 12 on the east side across from where the Mohegan Pequot Bridge ends.

A good portion of this property does not belong to the state, so it too must be purchased. Some of the local residents there are opposed to it, and there are also problems with that site that need to be addressed. Also, the state has earmarked that land for a cloverleaf for the proposed business site on the hospital property as well as the casino traffic.

3. The statement about a group of people that are trying to hold the college back in some way is also false.

I belong to a group of people who meet once a week to talk about what the community could do to help the college stay here. We discuss potential drawbacks and assets to the different sites that have been proposed among other ideas. We only want to find a way to keep the college a part of Norwich like it has been all these years. 

Susan Ponder
Norwich