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Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Local Issues Obituaries Weather Archive Revels Etcetera Backpage Hot Topics Most Viewed Forum Photo Galleries Video Readers Polls O-Zone Online Games Movie Preview Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad September 28, 2005 Northlight shot down at meeting Planners say new tax lot structure doesn’t conform By Robert Plain Ashland Daily Tidings After weeks of speculation about what a tie would mean, the Ashland Planning Commission instead voted unanimously to deny the Northlight proposal. With eight commissioners poised to vote on the mixed use, downtown development project, many familiar with the planning process surmised that the vote could come down to a tie. The assistant city attorney even warned the commission against ending in a draw at the onset on Tuesday’s meeting. But as the deliberations proceeded, Commissioner John Stromberg offered an interpretation to the criteria that no one on the commission could deny. Stromberg, who was not even on the planning panel for Northlight’s first meeting, realized late Tuesday afternoon that the controversial lot line adjustment, that allowed the applicants to circumvent a 20-foot setback on Lithia Way, also effectively took all commercial use out of one of the lots thus making it a non-conforming use. “I only realized it late in the afternoon today,” he said after the meeting. “I said to myself, ‘Holy cow, look at that.’” On Aug. 12, the Northlight developers — Evan Archerd, Russ Dale and Hal Dresner — submitted an addendum to their application that redrew the lot lines for the project in a manner that allowed them to have First Street as the legal front of the property. This gave the project the right to not comply with a 20-foot setback on Lithia Way. However, it also left the proposed townhouses at the rear of the property on a lot with no commercial use associated with it, a requirement in this part of the city. “There are two parcels and the lot line runs through the middle of the parking lot,” Stromberg said, in introducing the new interpretation. Because there was no commercial use in the rear of the two lots, “it doesn’t meet the definition of an accessory use.” The entire commission, if not the entire meeting, seemed to realize that this new interpretation would be the demise of the project’s chances of getting an approval from the planning commission. In the audience, several people in the applicants camp appeared put off and put their hands to their faces. Bill Street, a vocal critic of the project, let out a sigh and a smile as he looked around the room. Commission Chair John Fields said, “Well, we’re going to have to deny it on that basis. Now that the back part of the lot is separated it’s all going to have to be recalculated.” The commission continued to deliberate the other sticking points to the proposal. But, in the end, all eight voted to deny based on the new information. “The only basis for me to vote for a denial is based solely on the fact that the back lot now does not comply,” Russ Chapman said, who saw fault with all the other potential sticking points with project. “It’s black and white. I’ll be voting to deny.” After the meeting, Archerd and Dresner said they did not yet know if they would appeal their project to the city council. “I’m going to have to sleep on that,” Archerd said. “It’s been a long night. It’s been a long process.” Staff writer Robert Plain can be reached at 482-3456 x3040 or [email protected]. --> Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.