07-24-2015, 08:24 AM
There is no doubt the city of Medford will grow. Where that growth will happen is soon to be decided. Land owners/developers often have the most influence in making the decisions about growth. For those who feel ALL citizens should have more say, the meetings scheduled in the coming months will be important.
From the 7/24 Mail Tribune.
MEDFORD[b]
City gears up for hearings on future growth[/b]
By Damian Mann
Mail Tribune
A lot of development money is at stake as Medford nears the finish line in its plans for a 20-year growth spurt.
The city is gearing up for a series of public hearings that will weigh the pros and cons of a proposal to add 1,516 acres for residential and employment development.
“This is one of the most complex issues that we will face in our careers,” Councilor Chris Corcoran said.
The first public hearing on the proposal to add land inside the city is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 6 in City Hall, 411 W. Eighth St. The council is looking at adding more dates to take in public testimony, anticipating testimony from developers and landowners as to why their properties should be included or hearing complaints about being excluded.
Both Corcoran and Councilor Tim Jackle said they wouldn’t vote on the proposal after the hearings because of conflicts of interest. Jackle is a lawyer who works with developers, and Corcoran works for a bank.
The growth proposal calls for adding 879 acres of residential and 637 devoted to employment, which includes commercial and light industrial areas.
“This recommendation meets our land needs for the next 20 years,” said Joe Slaughter, a city planner. He and other planners have reviewed 4,400 acres of possible growth areas surrounding the city and narrowed them down to 1,516 acres that could accommodate 20 years of residential and commercial growth. The city also proposes bringing in about 1,900 acres for Prescott and Chrissy parks, which are both outside city limits.
Most of the land proposed for Medford’s growth is to the northeast and southeast. There are parcels north of East Vilas Road; land east of North Phoenix Road; Hillcrest Orchards, where RoxyAnn Winery sits; and the Centennial Golf Club, owned by the Rogue Valley Manor. Smaller parcels are proposed south of Garfield Street and west of town.
In one of the earlier proposals, local developers, including Mahar Homes, complained to the city that their properties were being excluded. The Planning Commission decided to include about 170 acres of Mahar property.
The Medford Planning Commission earlier removed about 175 acres from Hillcrest Orchards off Hillcrest Road after 1000 Friends of Oregon sent a letter that described the overall number of acres the city had proposed as “excessive.”
—Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or dmann@mailtribune.com.
Follow him on Twitter at www. twitter.com/reporterdm.
From the 7/24 Mail Tribune.
MEDFORD[b]
City gears up for hearings on future growth[/b]
By Damian Mann
Mail Tribune
A lot of development money is at stake as Medford nears the finish line in its plans for a 20-year growth spurt.
The city is gearing up for a series of public hearings that will weigh the pros and cons of a proposal to add 1,516 acres for residential and employment development.
“This is one of the most complex issues that we will face in our careers,” Councilor Chris Corcoran said.
The first public hearing on the proposal to add land inside the city is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 6 in City Hall, 411 W. Eighth St. The council is looking at adding more dates to take in public testimony, anticipating testimony from developers and landowners as to why their properties should be included or hearing complaints about being excluded.
Both Corcoran and Councilor Tim Jackle said they wouldn’t vote on the proposal after the hearings because of conflicts of interest. Jackle is a lawyer who works with developers, and Corcoran works for a bank.
The growth proposal calls for adding 879 acres of residential and 637 devoted to employment, which includes commercial and light industrial areas.
“This recommendation meets our land needs for the next 20 years,” said Joe Slaughter, a city planner. He and other planners have reviewed 4,400 acres of possible growth areas surrounding the city and narrowed them down to 1,516 acres that could accommodate 20 years of residential and commercial growth. The city also proposes bringing in about 1,900 acres for Prescott and Chrissy parks, which are both outside city limits.
Most of the land proposed for Medford’s growth is to the northeast and southeast. There are parcels north of East Vilas Road; land east of North Phoenix Road; Hillcrest Orchards, where RoxyAnn Winery sits; and the Centennial Golf Club, owned by the Rogue Valley Manor. Smaller parcels are proposed south of Garfield Street and west of town.
In one of the earlier proposals, local developers, including Mahar Homes, complained to the city that their properties were being excluded. The Planning Commission decided to include about 170 acres of Mahar property.
The Medford Planning Commission earlier removed about 175 acres from Hillcrest Orchards off Hillcrest Road after 1000 Friends of Oregon sent a letter that described the overall number of acres the city had proposed as “excessive.”
—Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or dmann@mailtribune.com.
Follow him on Twitter at www. twitter.com/reporterdm.
