(a) The governing board of a community college district, prior to acquiring any site on which it proposes to construct any school building as defined in Section 81130.5, shall have the site, or sites, under consideration investigated by competent personnel to ensure that the final site selection is determined by an evaluation of all factors affecting the public interest and is not limited to selection on the basis of raw land cost only. If the prospective college site is located within the boundaries of any special studies zone or within an area designated as geologically hazardous in the safety element of the local general plan as provided in subdivision (g) of Section 65302 of the Government Code, the investigation shall include any geological and soil engineering studies by competent personnel needed to provide an assessment of the nature of the site and potential for earthquake or other geological hazard damage. The geological and soil engineering studies of the site shall be of a nature that will preclude siting of a college in any location where the geological and site characteristics are such that the construction effort required to make the school building safe for occupancy is economically unfeasible. No studies are required to be made if the site or sites under consideration have been the subject of adequate prior studies. The evaluation also shall include location of the site with respect to population, transportation, water supply, waste disposal facilities, utilities, traffic hazards, surface drainage conditions, and other factors affecting the operating costs, as well as the initial costs, of the total project. For the purposes of this article, a special studies zone is an area that is identified as a special studies zone on any map, or maps, compiled by the State Geologist pursuant to Chapter 7.5 (commencing with Section 2621) of Division 2 of the Public Resources Code. A copy of the report of each investigation conducted pursuant to this section shall be submitted to the board of governors. (b) Geological and soil engineering studies as described in subdivision (a) shall be made, within the boundaries of any special studies zone, for the construction of any school building as defined in Section 81130.5 or, if the estimated cost exceeds twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), for the reconstruction or alteration of or addition to that building for work which alters structural elements. The Department of General Services may require similar geological and soil engineering studies for the construction or alteration of any building on a site located outside of the boundaries of any special studies zone. These studies need not be made if the site under consideration has been the subject of adequate prior studies. No school building shall be constructed, reconstructed, or relocated on the trace of a geological fault along which surface rupture can reasonably be expected to occur within the life of the school building. A copy of the report of each investigation conducted pursuant to this section shall be submitted to the Department of General Services pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 81130) and to the Chancellorâs office of the California Community Colleges. The cost of geological and soil engineering studies and investigations conducted pursuant to this section may be treated as a capital expenditure. (c) To promote the safety of students, comprehensive community planning, and greater educational usefulness of community college sites, the governing board of each community college district, if the proposed site is within two miles, measured by air line, of that point on an airport runway, or runway proposed by an airport master plan, which is nearest the site and excluding them if the property is not so located, before acquiring title to property for a new community college site or for an addition to a present site, shall give the board of governors notice in writing of the proposed acquisition and shall su
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