College Still Reviewing Its Expansion Plans

Administrators at Mission College continue to explore ways to expand the Eldridge Avenue campus to accommodate enrollment increases projected for the next seven years.

In the community college’s current proposal before the county, El Cariso Golf Course would relocate to an adjacent flood channel wash, allowing the college to occupy the links property, said Shari Borchetta, vice president for administration.

The college would purchase the vacated land, an estimated $6-million to $8-million deal, using, in part, $4.2 million that the state earmarked for the campus’ expansion in 1992, Borchetta said.

She said the college and the county must negotiate a formal agreement by Dec. 15 or the college will forfeit the state funds.

If the entire golf course moves, the college would expand from its current 4,500-yard “executive” layout to a 6,500-yard, full-size, regulation design, said President William E. Norlund. In an alternative scenario, only a portion of the course would move, creating less of an expense for the school, Borchetta said.

During the past school year, the college enrolled the most students in its history--about 6,500--which was 10% more than the previous high, Norlund said.

He said officials expect four northeast Valley high schools--San Fernando, Sylmar, Monroe and Francis Polytechnic--will experience an influx of more than 8,000 additional students by 2005.

Mission College serves many of the graduates of those high schools.

Borchetta said administrators hope to add parking and expand the college’s multimedia center onto newly acquired land, as well as relocate fine arts, physical education, manufacturing and math and science facilities to the site.