Kent Sharples, president of Daytona State College, and Volusia County Manager Jim Dinneen want to construct a second building on the Ponce Inlet Marine Center campus, where some of the center's functions could be moved and a new college environmental science program could be housed.Their vision is to expand access to environmental learning in the area, to form a partnership that could attract more people to Volusia as students and eco-tourists, and create green jobs for the County.
Their current plan is to use a nearby location, the eight acres west of Sailfish Drive and south of Beach Street known as the Pacetta Preserve. The County Council placed the acquisition on its agenda for the June 18 meeting.
For the college, which hopes to establish an environmental science bachelor's degree by 2011, the site would give students and professors access to saltwater, brackish water and freshwater environs, as it has deep-water access to the Intracoastal Waterway, convenient for ocean-going vessels.
Sharples said he envisions forming partnerships with landlocked colleges and universities, such as Vanderbilt and Ohio State universities, where their students might spend summers doing marine science research at Daytona State College.
Contact your City Council representative to express an opinion.
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