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49 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, October 9, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 23, 2004 The alley between Fourth and Pennsylvania streets in Medford is typical of the type of property the city intends to clear out and turn back over to home owners. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell City: Use alleys for traffic By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune AWest Medford alley that has been taken over by neighbors on all sides — by a parking lot, fences and yard debris — soon may fall back into the hands of adjacent property owners. The short alley off Columbus Avenue between Fourth and Pennsylvania streets is one of 33 to be considered by the Medford City Council during its noon study session today in Room 151 of the Lausmann Annex, 200 S. Ivy St., Medford. Of the alleys on the list, most have been taken over by residents as an extension of their yards and there’s no visual sign of an alley. Most have sheds, fencing or yards across them, and only exist on a map of tax lots. "We call those paper alleys," said Public Works Director Cory Crebbin. Others are blocked, such as the alley that goes through the storage yard for Budge-McHugh Supply Co., Inc. between Fourth and Fifth streets and Grape and Fir streets. The company has a closed gate blocking access after hours. Advertisement Many of the alleys are in older neighborhoods, such as near Roosevelt Elementary School and near Main Street and Columbus Avenue. Crebbin said the public works department spends a lot of money on maintenance as well as removal of such items as discarded sofas and broken washing machines. Also, he said, most of Medford’s alleys have not been engineered like a city street so there are often drainage problems. "Alleys used to be how you got vehicular access to your house," said Crebbin. He said he likes alleys because they take the car orientation away from the street, making more room for pedestrians and bicyclists. "That doesn’t mean they should be public right of way," he said. He said he’s still rounding up costs and statistics on what the city spends on alley maintenance, including paying for an alley clean-up crew, and figures of taxpayer dollars spent were not yet available. Should the council give the go-ahead for the city to pursue vacating the 33 public rights of way, the next question would be to determine who is responsible for the property. A cross-access easement could be created between neighbors, or the property could just be given back to each property owner. Crebbin said in Oregon, the right of way reverts back to whatever original property owner dedicated it. He said in addition to the 33 under consideration, alleys are all over the city, although some are hard to find. "If you see power lines running mid-block, chances are you found an alley." Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities