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Student housing makes history |
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Thursday, 22 May 2008 |
Mammoth Times Staff
 The South Gateway student apartments opening this August will mark the first community college housing facility to be built in California in more than 20 years.MAMMOTH TIMES PHOTOS/SUSAN MORNING
Student housing is not typically an opportunity for those who choose the community college route. In fact, of 109 community colleges in California, only 11 have housing for students at this time, according to a press release from the Mammoth Lakes Foundation.
South Gateway is the first new community college housing facility in more than 20 years.
From the viewpoint of Maya Schwartz, Communications Manager/Student Housing, for the Mammoth Lakes Foundation, “Community colleges usually don't have housing because they have enough of a feed from elsewhere. For example, say in Fresno, kids live at home or find other housing. In Mammoth, however, renting is so expensive it may not be an option for students.”
So, with the help of Dave McCoy, who donated the original $3 million that enabled the project to kick off as well as another $3 million along the way and numerous other sponsors, the Foundation has developed a beautiful housing project with “better views of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range than most million dollar homes,” Schwartz said.
Each student will be able to choose from a single occupancy studio or a double occupancy one bedroom apartment. There are 11 studios available and 24 one-bedrooms with four of these 35 rooms being handicap accessible. Studios will be $900 per month and the one-bedrooms will be $750 per student per month.
“While that may sound like a lot, you have to realize that includes everything,” Schwartz explained.
Students will have their own mailboxes on site, their own gym, a rec room with couches and televisions, a room for ski and snowboard tuning, as well as individual ski and snowboard storage lockers at their rooms. Kitchenettes and private bathrooms are also available in each room. In addition, each room will be equipped with its own flat screen television.
“The rooms are good sizes, but they are dorm rooms, so we wanted to help with the space issue by putting the flat screens on the walls,” Schwartz said.
On top of spectacular views and great amenities, South Gateway is also energy efficient. The safe lock key that students will receive will be programmed to open the door to their room as well as a building. The keys work like hotel key cards, and also run the energy management system.
“When a student enters the room they put the key card into a slot on the wall, which controls all the lights in the ceiling,” Schwartz said. “When they leave and take their card with them, the lights go off when the card is pulled out.”
The system does not include wall outlets.
“Can you imagine having to reset your alarm clock every day?” Schwartz said.
The building is also heated by a boiler system, which can be switched over to geothermal heating if that alternate energy source eventually comes to town. Evan Russell, President and CEO of Mammoth Lakes Foundation, and Rick Phelps, Executive Director of the High Sierra Energy Foundation, have worked hard to bring this energy efficient system into play, according to Schwartz.
The grand total of the project with land value, initial contracts, legal fees and absolutely everything is approximately $10 million, but the uses of the project in the community are endless.
“During the summer we can open up the housing to transient occupancy,” Schwartz said. “Everyone who stays here has to have a connection with education, but this can include group classes that come from out of town during the summer. Nightly rental rates are set at $89 for one-bedroom and $69 for the studio.”
Twenty-eight of the 59 student spots have already been filled, so those who are interested should check out www.mammothstudentapartments.org for information on how to reserve their rooms.
“Right now we are taking all Cerro Coso students, even if they are not full time,” Schwartz said. “Eventually, when we fill up it will only be available to full-time students.”
The student apartments will have two to four RAs (Resident Advisors) and two onsite managers. There will be strict rules about underage drinking and other regulations to make sure the students are living in a safe environment. Parking for students with cars will be available at the college parking lot directly adjacent to the housing facility.
While some kinks are still being worked out, the Foundation is looking forward to a grand opening of the apartments on Aug. 9. Students will be able to move in on Aug. 21 and classes begin on Aug. 25.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 29 May 2008 )
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