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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Readings of new plays by local playwrights featured ... Ticket availability ... Our View: Trying out the turf ... Readings of new plays by local playwrights featured ... Ticket availability ... Our View: Trying out the turf ... OUR VIEW Our View: Council should stop stalling on welcome center Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Apr. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The City Council on Tuesday again put off signing an agreement to allow a rest area and welcome center on Interstate 5 to proceed. The council is seeking assurances that Oregon Department of Transportation officials cannot provide in response to concerns that are overblown. The rest area at milepost 12.5 would replace the Siskiyou Safety Rest Area near the summit that was closed in 1997 after a fatal accident. Officials asked that the Siskiyou rest area be replaced as soon as possible. That was 18 years ago. The city agreed to extend water to the site at the state's request. Oak Knoll residents fought the plan, citing fears of crime and excessive water use. The center will be surrounded by chain link fencing, is a quarter mile from the nearest house and will use about as much water as four houses. The latest obstacle is the city's insistence that ODOT guarantee the welcome center will be staffed daily and agree to install a $250,000 fire sprinkler system. ODOT says it cannot guarantee that Travel Oregon, which will operate the welcome center, will always provide daily staffing. The center will be built of fire-resistant materials, and there is no money in the construction budget for sprinklers. Again thumbing its nose at the city's and state's tourism base, the council Tuesday voted to continue negotiating with ODOT. Instead of caving to NIMBY demands and asking for conditions that don't apply to any other rest area in the state, the city should let the project proceed.   DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Apr. 9, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501