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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend April 27, 2006 Medford weighs growth changes By Meg Landers Mail Tribune Medford might pursue expanding its growth boundaries before a regional planning process runs its course, making it the second Jackson County city to do so after Jacksonville, but the state opposes the idea. John Renz, regional representative for the Department of Land Conservation and Development, said a lot of his time already has been diverted from the regional process to focus on Jacksonville, and if other cities are going to do their own process, it will further slow his work finalizing the regional planning process for everyone else. "I would think the regional problem solving process is going to go to a very slow pace," he said. "I think it impacts it significantly." The Planning Commission Monday recommended to the City Council that the city begin its own parallel process for a comprehensive expansion of its urban growth boundary. The council is scheduled to consider the suggestion today. "Jacksonville's been at it about two years now and they still don't have an acceptable proposal," Renz said. "Central Point's talking about initiating a process but they haven't so far," adding that Eagle Point and Phoenix have also considered it. Advertisement He said Medford would have to prove on its own that it doesn't have enough land within its urban growth boundary to provide for growth in housing and jobs in the next 20 years. Michael Cavallaro, director of the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, also said cities should just wait for the regional process to be completed. "I don't believe it'll save them any time," said Cavallaro. "This way they'd be starting at zero through the normal process. That's going to take a lot of time and a lot of work." The RPS process is a formal effort by seven cities and Jackson County, led by the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, to plan for the valley's population doubling to 270,000 in the next 50 years. Medford wants to add nearly 4,600 acres to its urban growth boundary in the next 40 to 60 years to accommodate tens of thousands of new residents. But some of the property owners don't want to wait for the RPS process, now in its sixth year and still a year or two from completion. High-density development on rural land must wait for a city to include the property in its UGB and then annex it. The system is designed to foster long-range planning and stop sprawl. Cavallaro predicts a final decision on RPS lands in six months, at which time everyone will know which land will be accepted for future growth — but it won't be final for a year or two. Medford Planning Commissioners on Monday said they support the RPS process, but it needs to speed up, and a parallel process should be in place in case RPS falls through. Commissioners also asked the council to form a UGB Expansion Committee that includes planning commissioners. The City Council is scheduled to consider the proposal today at its noon meeting in Room 151, Lausmann Annex, 200 S. Ivy St., Medford. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s