Location, location, location

OLYMPIA – Acknowledging the old maxim about successful real estate endeavors, Sen. Jean Berkey, D-Everett, wants to ensure that discussions about a new, four-year, polytechnic university include an understanding of possible locations.

“Many of us agree that there is a need for a new four-year university sited somewhere in the Snohomish-Island-Skagit county region,” Berkey said. “What we need now is an objective analysis of the pros and cons for each potential site.”

Senate Bill 5322, introduced by Berkey, directs the state’s Office of Financial Management (OFM) to evaluate site options in the region and make recommendations to the Legislature and governor by Dec. 1, 2007.

Criteria would include:

• Costs of land acquisition;
• Possible environmental hazards;
• Potential for future expansion; and
• Transportation infrastructure.

“We can’t have a meaningful conversation about a new university without reliable data about location and the costs associated with that location,” Berkey said. “This has been a missing piece of the puzzle.”

SB 5322 has been referred to the Senate Higher Education Committee. A hearing has not yet been scheduled.

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