News Archives: Stewardship of College Lands
Thursday, November 28th, 2013
The GPRC Board of Governors has passed a motion directing GPRC’s President, Don Gnatiuk, to develop a model to manage land development at the College. The Board has recognized that there is a priority for the College to have a clear decision-making process to assess and direct the development of College lands.
In the years since the College gave some 30 acres of land on its west Grande Prairie campus for construction of the new Grande Prairie Regional Hospital, numerous proposals have been brought forward. “As good stewards of these lands entrusted to the College, we need to put directives and processes in place to ensure the best possible benefit for the future of GPRC and the strength of our Community,” says Vincent Vavrek, Chairman of the Board.
“The Board has given this administration the opportunity to create a land-use decision-making process, and we are exceptionally pleased by this decision,” says Don Gnatiuk, GPRC President and CEO. “We are eager to participate in the development of directives and procedures which will provide the appropriate tools for both prospective developers and the College decision-makers of the future. This is the prudent way to proceed through the rapid changes which are going on around us.”
“We want to have a very clearly defined process in place,” says Pete Merlo, Acting Chair at the November 28 meeting. “There are many excellent and worthwhile ideas out there. As good stewards of these lands entrusted to the College, we need to mitigate risk and ensure the long-term sustainability of this institution. We want to be very clear on the process for working with College properties.”
“Land development is not our core business,” says Vavrek. “We want to be fair to all developers, and to be sure we consider long term for college and community. We want to have a very clearly defined process in place. We want to do it right.”
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