GLENDALE : College’s Satellite Campus to Be Sold

Despite pleas from students and residents calling it a valuable asset, the Glendale Community College trustees voted Wednesday night to sell the college’s satellite campus in Montrose to an Armenian parochial school for $2.1 million.

The 3.1-acre campus at 2361 Florencita Ave., a former elementary school, is home to dozens of college credit and adult non-credit classes and seminars, including all classes in the nursing education program. But college officials said it has been considered “surplus property” since 1988, and it does not fit into the college’s plans to centralize more classes at the main campus in newly constructed buildings. Maintenance costs were also rising at the facility, officials said.

The Montrose campus serves about 900 students, but all classes held there will be relocated by next fall, said Jill Southerland, the campus coordinator.

“This campus is fully utilized morning, noon and night,” Southerland said. Among the classes taught are English as a second language, retirement seminars for seniors and parent education classes. In addition, community service classes will be taught there on Saturdays.

Bill Taylor, the college’s director of business services, said the fact that the Montrose site was well-utilized had no bearing on the decision to sell it.

“This was always a satellite campus; it was never intended to become a local campus for the Montrose community. Its purpose was to relieve overcrowding at the main campus,” Taylor said.

In addition to the main campus, Taylor said some of the Montrose classes will be relocated to the college’s Adult Education Center on Garfield Avenue in southern Glendale.

Mike Smith, a former Glendale College student who is campaigning for a seat on the college Board of Trustees, urged the college to reconsider selling the campus. He suggested the college retain the property and earn income by leasing it on a long-term basis.

The college board voted to accept a $2.1-million offer on the property from the Armenian Sisters Academy School, an elementary school with about 320 students currently located on Riverdale Avenue in Glendale.

Sister Marie Tcheftelian, school principal, said the new location will allow the school to accept about 100 students now on a waiting list. The school, which currently includes preschool through sixth grade, will also be expanded to the eighth grade, she said.