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GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Normal Neighborhood Plan needs rethinking Comment By Beth Coye and Nancy Parker DailyTidings.com By Beth Coye and Nancy Parker Posted Aug. 27, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Beth Coye and Nancy Parker Posted Aug. 27, 2015 at 12:01 AM » RELATED CONTENT • Normal neighborhood plan draws big crowd, but no decision • Updated Normal Neighborhood Plan goes to City Council Tuesday... » Social News   In September, the Ashland City Council will decide on whether to adopt a plan to develop a 93.3-acre parcel of land in Ashland known as the Normal Avenue Development Plan, or NNP. The plan allows for construction of 450 new homes, leading to a population increase of approximately 6 percent. The parcel is bounded on the north by East Main Street, on the east by Clay Street, on the west by Ashland Middle School and on the south by railroad tracks. Little information about this plan has reached the broader population of Ashland, but as word spread, an independent Citizens Action Group was formed to discuss the plan and consider its implications for Ashland. The group has identified five areas of concern in the current plan: (1) Missing from the plan is any discussion of the real infrastructural costs — road improvements, a rail crossing, water and sewer treatment upgrades, etc. — and who pays these costs. Some estimate the costs to Ashland property taxpayers may run as high as $5.3 million. (2) The density in the NNP is unnecessarily high. The plan provides for construction of 450 units expected to house approximately 914 residents. Ashland has traditionally adopted a development strategy of infill of existing city land over sprawl into surrounding county land through annexation, a policy the NNP plan completely ignores. NNP, as part of the Urban Growth Boundary, would have to be annexed. City studies estimate that between 1,474 and 1,604 additional dwelling units will be needed by 2031. There are currently 1,883 buildable unit sites within city limits, more than enough to meet that demand. (3) The strain on Ashland’s limited water resources is not addressed in the NNP. All water sources are subject to threat. We are in a four-year drought, a condition experts believe may be the new normal. The city has no plan to meet water demands for a projected annual population growth of 187 residents in the face of our changing climate. Access to Talent Irrigation District water was recently turned off to 86 homes due to drought. Water from the Talent Ashland Phoenix pipeline (TAP) is subject to Medford approval and may not be available in times of severe drought or emergency. Reeder Reservoir and Fork Creek are dependent on snowpack. (4) Three designated wetlands exist within the 93.3-acre parcel, and the overall parcel has been designated as flood plain. It is habitat for a variety of animal, plant and bird life that will be critically threatened by this development. (5) Assuming an estimated two vehicles per household, the NNP traffic analysis projects 1,500 to 5,000 additional vehicle trips/day on Ashland thoroughfares. This traffic increase will especially affect the roads fronting the NNP development ― Walker, Clay, Ashland and and North Main streets. Congestion and pollution will be felt citywide. While the plan does discuss upgrades to East Main and allows for a rail crossing, no consideration is given to inevitable upgrades needed to Clay or Ashland streets to accommodate additional traffic. The NNP Citizen Action Group is proposing three recommendations to the mayor and City Council: (1) The NNP density should be reduced from 450 to 225 dwelling units. (2) The city should institute a greater educational outreach effort to inform Ashland citizens of the NNP and gather feedback. (3) Assurance should be given that the zoning requirement of 25 percent open space will be adhered to, assuring preservation of NNP’s three critically sensitive wetlands habitats. At the Sept. 1 City Council meeting, the NNP will be read and discussed. At this meeting, given NNP’s potential financial consequences for Ashland taxpayers as well as its potential negative impact on all residents’ quality of life, the NNP Citizen Action Group will ask the City Council to table the NNP as currently written. We urge concerned citizens to attend the meeting on Sept. 1, which will be held at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 1175 E. Main St. We stress that failure to allow additional time for consideration of these concerns ignores the fiduciary responsibility elected officials owe to all Ashland citizens. Beth F. Coye, an Ashland resident since 1992;and Nancy Parker, an Ashland resident since 1991, are members of the NNP Citizen Action Group.   By Beth Coye and Nancy Parker DailyTidings.com By Beth Coye and Nancy Parker Posted Aug. 27, 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... 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