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Medford�s parking problem: urban myth? Medford Urban Renewal Agency This view of the proposed new Jackson County Library headquarters at South Central and Ninth in Medford shows the city�s plans for a blocklong parking lot on the west side of Central between Ninth and 10th. This view looks south down Central Avenue. The area is the most-stressed parking zone downtown, a study has found. Most planned garages unneeded, agency says By Jessica Smith Parking problem? What parking problem? Contrary to long-held notions about Medford�s woeful parking supply, a new study released by the city�s urban renewal agency shows that drivers who want to leave their cars downtown have their pick of parking places. Lots now on the drawing board should take care of all immediate parking needs downtown, and the agency concluded that there�s no pressing need for two of three planned parking garages. Community leaders and some local merchants say they have proof the situation is improved, and will only get better with time. "Parking was our big concern when we decided to come downtown," said David Creager, owner of About Change, a hair salon on Central Avenue off Main Street. "Moving from Biddle Road, we thought, �Where will everyone park?� Once we taught people where to go, we discovered we didn�t have any problems." Drivers have long complained about the lack of convenient downtown parking � they want to leave their cars out in front of the stores they patronize. But the city�s 2-year-old parking garage seems to have eased such grumblings, said Beth Berghofer, manager of the Heart of Medford Association. About 100 garage spaces on the ground floor are open to the public, the remaining 285 spots on Floors 2 and 3 are leased to business owners and their employees. "I think everyone�s attitude is turning around now," Berghofer said. "We�re seeing more and more people using the parking structure. Some afternoons the lower level is just packed." The garage has helped matters, urban renewal officials say, but additional parking will be needed in the next decade if the city is to keep up with downtown development. Still, the agency found overall the city will need 1,150 parking spaces in the next 10 years to meet future growth in the downtown core. "Probably the most difficult thing we�re going to have to evaluate now is what�s the most cost-effective way to build more parking," said Don Burt, urban renewal director. "It�s not that easy of a call." Parking structures, like the one at Riverside Avenue and Sixth Street, are expensive to build and may not be needed in every case, he said. As recently as two years ago, the city wanted to build a total of four garages. Although plans are still on the table to build a garage on Front Avenue � as part of a redevelopment effort that combines office, retail and residential uses in one location � the urban renewal agency has shelved the other options for now. That means lower-cost surface lots will spring up downtown, particularly in the southeast quadrant between Bear Creek, the railroad tracks and Main and East 10th streets. According to the agency�s report, that�s the only part of downtown Medford even close to maxing out its parking supply. The area, home to Rogue Community College and the future Jackson County Library central branch expansion, was identified as the most-stressed parking zone in the agency�s downtown study. According to the study, about 80 percent of the zone�s 970 parking stalls are in use during peak hours. In the next few years, however, the urban renewal agency plans to add about 500 parking spaces in the area by reconfiguring or building four parking lots. Agency director Burt said work will begin next spring on South Central Avenue, between Eighth and 10th streets, where two lots will be reconfigured to provide about 200 parking stalls. Another 175 slots are planned for a lot between the future library at Central and Ninth and RCC�s Riverside Avenue building and a 133-car lot is penciled in between Riverside and Bear Creek. The smaller lot could connect via a foot bridge to existing parking east of the creek. Those lots and others downtown won�t be easily accessible to every shop and business, but Creager said merchants have asked city officials to spruce up sidewalks with trees and benches to make them more inviting for customers who have to park a distance from their destination. "Parking is going to get nothing but better as time goes on," he predicted. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA