By Matt Youngfrau
LOCH SHELDRAKE — December 25, 2001 – Following the report that Sullivan County Community College’s much-anticipated dormitory project had been cancelled by the Dormitory Corporation, SCCC President Dr. Mamie Howard Golladay said that this does not mean an end to the dorms.
In an interview on Thursday, Golladay stated, for one, that the minutes from the meeting were a draft copy and had not been approved by the Dormitory Corporation. (The corporation met privately following Thursday’s board meeting, but there was no word on whether or not the minutes were approved, amended or rejected.)
Golladay also said that the project will not be restarted from square one, as the original plans cannot be significantly altered because they’ve already been approved by local authorities.
“It has become a more expensive project [than projected],” she explained. “We are not starting over – we can’t change the plans drastically.”
Golladay said that bids on two sections of the original project came in nearly $4 million over budget. The board is exploring ways to bring those figures in line. Three unspecified options are under consideration, and Golladay said the board plans to meet with an anonymous donor to the project early next year.
Golladay, who is now the Dormitory Corporation’s official spokesperson, added that a meeting with the County Legislature and Fallsburg Supervisor Steve Levine is also in the works.
At the college's board meeting on Thursday, December 20, the issue was not discussed. When questioned about the subject, Board Chair Ken Klein declined to answer, stating the meeting was not the appropriate place to address the issue, as reporters’ questions are not considered public comment.