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By John Stromberg February 10. 2015 2:00AM Council Corner: Transforming Ashland for the future At my State of the City speech on Jan. 27 (see the video at http://bit.ly/1DZj3fX), I put forth five proposals to preserve and improve the quality of life in Ashland in the coming years. They all have to do with land use and circulation and would, over time, transform the look and feel of Ashland in a profound but evolutionary way. They are: 1) Concentrate high-density residential development in “nodes” on the city’s public transit corridor — and allow a limited amount of this development to be mid-rise towers. Possible locations include: Hersey and North Main; downtown/Plaza; uptown (Gresham and East Main); SOU No. 1 (Siskiyou and Bridge); SOU No. 2 (Walker Avenue and Ashland Street); East Main and Mountain Avenue; and Gateway South (Tolman Creek and Ashland Street). 2) Reserve the Normal Avenue Neighborhood Master Plan area to provide larger detached homes suitable for families with children, built in cluster developments to allow shared gardens, play areas and parking. 3) Modify the city’s current mixed-use residential overlay (which allows residential units to be built above commercial and office space throughout Ashland) so that a portion serve local employees and business owners. 4) In partnership with property owners, provide future funding for basic infrastructure in the Croman employment area to encourage developable land for businesses so that residents can work in the town where they live. 5) Reduce the presence and pressure of cars downtown and in adjacent neighborhoods while improving the pedestrian environment and linking the entire town with frequent public transport. Here’s how the proposals work together: High-density development along the public transit corridor allows us to accommodate retiring baby boomers from California while also building the foundation for ecologically desirable public transport to link the community. And the towers, or “spires,” can be markers that identify Ashland’s distinctive neighborhoods. Centrally located, high-density development allows lower-density, family-friendly development in the Normal Avenue area while staying within the compact urban form of Ashland’s participation in the Regional Problem Solving agreement. The fact that the Normal Avenue area is yet to be annexed gives the city more latitude in its development requirements — i.e., the family-friendly homes, but also possibly a watercourse park and affordable housing. For years the council has aspired to making Ashland more family-friendly but we haven’t devised a way to achieve it — until now. The idea of mixed-use housing is consistent with Ashland’s character because it brings residents into the city’s commercial and office districts, but originally the intention was also to provide housing for local workers and business owners, shortening their “commute,” reducing their carbon footprint and allowing lower- to middle-income people to live downtown. The Croman property was master-planned five years ago but hasn’t developed, in part because of the initial costs of basic infrastructure (streets, water, sewer, electricity, broadband, etc.). The land-use purpose of this area is an employment zone so local residents can work in the town where they live and travel to their jobs on the trolley, by bicycle or on foot — again reducing the community carbon footprint. Infrastructure can be “forward funded” by private developers and the city working together to invest in costs up-front and recoup funds as the area is built out. (This same approach may apply to the Normal Avenue area as well.) Lastly, Ashland’s success in tourism and livability draws more than 200,000 visitors each year. They drive here in cars which crowd downtown streets and smother adjoining residential neighborhoods with on-street parking. We want them to park their cars when they arrive and not touch them again until they leave. This calls for attractive, convenient parking structure(s), an enhanced and leisurely pedestrian environment and the Ashland trolley for trips to our charming outlying neighborhoods. All five proposals require code modifications, regulatory permission, financial resources and outside support, and they must win approval from the City Council. But they also constitute a clear and visionary plan for the city and one that plays well with Ashland’s reputation for creativity and leadership. We can sell this plan, and stakeholders will invest in its success. People used to look to Ashland for leadership in land-use planning. It’s time again to take up that torch. Imagine flying low over Ashland at dusk during the Festival of Lights, with the crown jewel of downtown glowing against the darkening sky and the seven neighborhoods strung like beads on a necklace celebrating this shimmering, enchanting town! John Stromberg is mayor of Ashland. What do you think? Have an opinion on this topic? Send a letter to the editor at www.dailytidings.com/sendletter, or email [email protected]. http://www.dailytidings.com/article/20150210/OPINION/150219988 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->