Document text
Armory hours revised by planners By BILL CHOY Ashland Daily Tidings The Ashland Planning Commission approved a proposal to allow evening events at the National Guard Armory on East Main Street at its Tuesday night meeting, but decided to revise the hours of operation. The planning commission made provisions of the city planning commission proposal and changed the hours of operation to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The original proposal allowed events to continue until midnight seven days a week. The revision also limits events past 7 p.m. to 12 a month, planning department officials said. Several residents who live near the armory expressed concerns to the commission about noise and traffic in the area and the compatibility of having so many events in a residential area. The Oregon Military Department, which runs the armory, was seeking a conditional use permit to have events, from concerts to community functions, to be allowed at the site. The planning commission approved the action 4-1. Johanna Fisher, president of the Mill Pond Homeowner's Association, originally wanted events to end 10 p.m. on weekends, but was satisfied with the current hours. "We're a quiet neighborhood with many seniors,'' she said. "The late hours would have disturbed our sleep. ... I would of liked 10 p.m., but at least the modifications are better for us.'' The armory is located on the corner of East Main Street and Wightman Street on the northern edge of the Southern Oregon University campus. The city planning department contended the wide range of programs proposed for the armory are appropriate and would be minimal when compared with other uses that are allowed within the current zoning for the area. The current zoning allows for a variety of uses including academics, recreational, and theatrical functions because it's within the SOU campus area. The facility has been used as both an armory and intermittently as a community center since its construction in 1987. Since its opening, the armory has held community functions that are comparable to those that are currently being proposed, planning commission officials said. Fisher said several homeowners are still concerned about the traffic the events could generated. Traffic has already increased since the armory began hosting Rouge Valley Growers & Crafter market in April, she said. Some homeowners are concerned about the a backlog of vehicles the additional events could generate in their residential area, Fisher said. A possible way to alleviate traffic could be done by putting a traffic light on the corner of Whitman and East Main Street, Fisher said. "For the people in our area it would certainty make things easier for us,'' she said. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -