Document text
A gathering spot on the calle? Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell The slope behind Calle Guanajuato near Ashland�s downtown plaza is being considered for landscaping work that would create terraced stone seating at the bottom. Arts guild gives city money for one, but parks commission chief worries about the area�s use By TONY BOOM Mail Tribune ASHLAND � An arts guild has donated $13,000 to create a small gathering spot and other improvements to the west bank of Ashland Creek opposite Calle Guanajuato. But the city parks commission chairman is concerned that the project might lessen the area�s natural feel. Rick Landt said he fears that activities conducted on the east bank of the creek prior to the 1997 New Year�s Day flood might move to the west side under the guild�s plan. He said that destroys the natural look of the area, which is under Parks and Recreation Department control. "If there�s going to be a gathering area, it should be in the context of a more natural area that includes trees for shade and shrubs that make it seem more tranquil," Landt said. Parks commissioners voted on April 22 to further the project by accepting the contribution from the Lithia Arts Guild of Oregon. The commission also approved hiring a landscape architect to bring back recommendations on the gathering spot and plans for a walkway to connect the area to Granite Street. The arts guild is a nonprofit organization with links to the Lithia Artists Market of Ashland. The market offers arts and crafts on the calle weekends from May to October. "The prospect of a small gathering area on the west bank of Ashland Creek has generated a great deal of excitement within the community," James Young, guild chairman, wrote in a proposal to the commission. His proposal did not state how many people could be accommodated in the area. Parks and Recreation Department staff estimated that pavers for the gathering area and a portion of the walkway shown in the guild�s design would cost about $9,000. Another $1,500 would be used for concrete walkways in the area. Remaining funds would be used for sandstone-type block seating and landscaping. "I really appreciate the generosity of their offer," said Commissioner JoAnne Eggers. "It seems to fit with the general plans for the west side being kind of open and more natural. It�s not like it�s going to be an amphitheater." Ashland�s Daily Tidings newspaper termed the project a "small amphitheater." But the guild�s proposal does not use the word amphitheater. "Basically, I think that characterizing it as an amphitheater is problematic. It�s not that large of an area," said Landt. "It�s not a place where large crowds would gather that rival the kind of thing further up in Lithia Park" at Butler Band Shell, said architect Brian McCarthy. McCarthy created the master plan for the redevelopment of Calle Guanajuato after the flood. A seating area is in the master plan, says McCarthy. The slope between the creek and Granite Street was graded to offer a greater view of the Calle and to remove a lawn area adjacent to Granite. The grading created room for seating. Plans to plant trees, shrubs and wildflowers in the graded area haven�t been implemented because of lack of funds, said McCarthy. But savings from other projects may allow for the plantings and other work, said Eggers. The landscape architect will be selected through a bid process. A pre-bid meeting is set for Wednesday. Bids are due by June 5. Additional details can be found at www.lithiaartsguild.org under the "culture" heading. Reach Ashland bureau reporter Tony Boom at 482-4651, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2002 Mail Tribune, Inc.