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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 Ashland Calendar, Friday, July 10 ... More thunderstorms expected ... Stay out of the creek, officials warn ... Ashland Calendar, Friday, July 10 ... More thunderstorms expected ... Stay out of the creek, officials warn ... LOCAL TAKE Is a Welcome Center a good idea? Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 28, 2015 at 5:27 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 28, 2015 at 5:27 PM » RELATED CONTENT • How do you feel about new cell towers? • Local Take: Should U.S. Senators have written directly to Iranian leaders?... • LOCAL TAKE: Do we need daylight saving time? » Social News A large, $12 million Oregon Welcoming Center is planned near the south Ashland interchange, near Crowson Road. It will also house a State Police post. The Siskiyou Safety Rest Area and Welcoming Center has become controversial because it will require water and sewer from the city of Ashland and because it could, opponents say, attract transient non-residents near the Oak Knoll neighborhood, which sits next to the northbound I-5 lanes. The City Council on Feb. 17 voted to rescind its conditional agreement that it would provide water and sewer service only if the rest area was completed in four years. Battles over land use on site were the main obstacle. Plans now call for work to begin in the summer and be complete in 2016.  Ashland deals with low water every summer, nd for the last two years faced drought conditions. This happens to be the same time when tourist traffic peaks, as tourists, mostly from California, seek out Oregon’s lovely beaches, mountains, campgrounds, wineries and countless festivals. The “Welcome to Oregon” center may provide brochures and video clips to help orient tourists to Ashland, but many now use the Internet for that, causing some to ask if the whole idea of a physical welcoming center is obsolete. Then there’s the considerable expense. Why not have some enterprising people do it for profit and spare the taxpayers? Regardless of such concerns, Oregon Department of Transportation and Visit Oregon are going to build it anyway, city leaders say, so why not join in the cause and have some input and control over it? We asked Ashlanders: “Is this Welcome Center a good idea?” Victor Chieco - It’s pretty superfluous. If people want to stop first thing in Oregon, there are lots of restaurants and gas stations, everything you need, right off the exit. Let’s just put up a sign, “Welcome to Oregon.” Most people just need to relieve themselves, get some water and get going. I’d rather see them use that money to pave the freeway. It’s very rough and makes noise you can hear in any part of town. Eileen Chieco - It’s an exorbitant cost. We need the water here. Water is a big issue and getting bigger. I think this is crazy. Most people will go in the Welcome Center and not into our town. We should use the money for elementary education, college tuition, art and music, hiring more teachers. It’s superfluous and I have little faith in the City Council doing the right thing on it. Tim Warren - I’m not opposed to the Visitor Center. I don’t know where the best location would be. That spot certainly provides a good site for visitors coming from the south. I don’t know if I’m for it or against. I can see both sides. Nikki Hart-Brinkley - I understand there’s opposition. ODOT is obligated to build some kind of center. I think we have to bow to the wisdom of community leaders. We have water issues here. I live closes to exit 14 (south Ashland) and I’m not concerned about the safety questions. We just moved here from Michigan and water issues are new to me. Water is a real concern. Our snow pack affects long-term needs and it’s a great concern. Safety is so much less a concern than where I just came from, where violent crime is way up. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 28, 2015 at 5:27 PM » 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... 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