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Cities plan for growth By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings Ashland city leaders will be looking closely at land outside the city to determine what areas - if any - should be considered in the future for extensions of the Urban Growth Boundary. In June, the city is expected to submit a list of favored growth areas to a multi-agency project looking at ways to accommodate a doubling of population in the Rogue Valley - growth considered inevitable, but not imminent. "What you're planning for is the impact (of twice the population), not the time period," said Michael Cavallaro, executive director of the Rogue Valley Council of Governments. Cavallaro on Tuesday explained the Greater Bear Creek Valley Regional Problem Solving project to the Ashland City Council and the Ashland Planning Commission in a joint study session. RVCOG and many other regional groups are involved in the project, which explores growth and long-range regional planning for Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Jacksonville, Medford, Central Point and Eagle Point. The project looks at a hypothetical future Rogue Valley with twice the population and examines ways to grow to make room for long-term future population increases while preserving the places and features of the valley residents now enjoy. About 187 acres have been identified by the project for growth near Ashland - about 91 acres south of the intersection of Tolman Creek Road and Siskiyou Boulevard and another 96 acres between East Main Street and Interstate 5. The recommended land would be first in line when the city decides it needs to enlarge its Urban Growth Boundary The current Urban Growth Boundary contains enough land to sustain Ashland's population to nearly 28,000 - growth estimated to take place over the next 20 years, according to Ashland Planning Director John McLaughlin. Ashland has little room to grow without stretching itself long and thin by expanding south along Highway 66 toward Emigrant Lake. City leaders have chosen not to cross Interstate 5 to the east, the land is too steep to the west, and the city is already bumping up against Talent to the north. "Ashland is pretty constrained in its growth areas," McLaughlin said. Some at the meeting were concerned the project might encourage urban sprawl in the Rogue Valley, while others believe Ashland is already pushing the limits on how many people can be supported. "I would just as soon shut the growth off," Mayor Alan DeBoer said. "I don't know if I'd want to live in Ashland at twice the size it is." The project recognizes Ashland's limits - both geographic and political - according to Cavallaro, who explained the idea is to plan for overall doubling of population in the valley. Some cities - such as Eagle Point - are ripe to grow in every direction if needed, compensating for more restricted cities. "There are enough of those that it would be possible for some cities to not expand," Cavallaro said. "(Cities such as Ashland, Talent and Jacksonville) are not under any necessity to expand to accommodate growth." Such disproportionate growth could cause other problems, however. If Ashland does not grow in pace with other communities, property in the city will become even more valuable, making affordable housing more difficult to create, according to Councilor Don Laws. "That's going to change the nature of our community rapidly," Laws said. The tension between growth and affordability requires a balance, Councilor Chris Hearn pointed out. "We could destroy our town and house prices could be cheaper," Hearn said. The project seeks to preserve agricultural land, as well as buffer zones around cities, to prevent the Rogue Valley from becoming "an amorphous homogenous blob," Cavallaro said. The council and the planning commission will hold another meeting to discuss the areas recommended in the project, as well as other possibilities near the city. Lands approved will have to jump through fewer hoops to come into the city, but the city will still be required to demonstrate a need for additions. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | 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 -