Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Gov. Brown declares state of emergency as Oregon storm damage mounts ... Shining a light on sex trafficking ... Annual Ashland Abundance Swap set for Sunday ... Gov. Brown declares state of emergency as Oregon storm damage mounts ... Shining a light on sex trafficking ... Annual Ashland Abundance Swap set for Sunday ... OUR VIEW Our View: Land-use planning 101 Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Nov. 27, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Nov. 27, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Those who attended Monday night's City Council study session on Oregon's land-use laws should have come away with a better understanding of why the city can't provide the wide-open spaces some residents would prefer. The Normal Neighborhood Plan is intended to guide growth in the area just outside the existing city limits — growth that is inevitable, but would be outside the city's control if allowed to proceed under existing county rules. Some Ashland residents opposing the plan take exception to the density of potential housing units. During Monday's session, Mayor John Stromberg and city planners explained that Ashland has agreed to an average density citywide of 6.6 units per acre as part of the Regional Problem Solving process. If a given development is allowed to be less dense than the target, other developments would have to be more dense to maintain that average. Acceding to the neighbors' demands to slow growth will only push that growth into other neighborhoods. The suggestion was raised that Ashland instead focus its development on existing parcels within the city, which number more than 1,800, according to Councilor Carol Voisin. The problem with lots scattered here and there is that the city cannot simply order property owners to build houses on every empty lot, and even if it could, the resulting homes would likely be less affordable than what is envisioned in the Normal plan. Oregon's land-use laws recognize that cities cannot refuse to grow, and carefully planned growth is preferable to the alternative. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Nov. 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... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site 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. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501