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Central Point officials fret over traffic Can interchange handle growth? By SUSAN JAY CENTRAL POINT -- Plans for new stores, motels and restaurants at the freeway interchange here have local officials worried about a traffic nightmare that mirrors south Medford's. Plans are in place by commercial and industrial developers to build near the interchange off East Pine Street, and further east. "Our concerns are that the Central Point interchange is going to reach capacity, and at such time there'll have to be some improvements to the interchange to allow rezoning (for development) to continue," said Alex Georgevitch, who reviews development and access issues concerning highway interchanges for the Oregon Department of Transportation. ODOT is watching the plans and will conduct a traffic study this summer to see how close the interchange is to its traffic capacity, he said. The agency, however, is limited in what it can do to stop or control growth along the interchange. It can only stop development when the project requires a zone change, he said. "But Central Point is not limited. They have a lot of ability to control the development in their area," he said. But the city doesn't see it that way. City Planner Tom Humphrey has two main worries: ODOT could nix future development outside the city's urban growth boundary, and too much new traffic around the interchange could harm the city's downtown revitalization project. The urban growth boundary is the area designated outside the city limits where the city plans growth. Central Point is expanding its urban boundaries. Once it proposes those areas to be added to its comprehensive plan, the land will require zone changes -- which ODOT can deny. For example, Naumes Inc. wants to bring 17 acres of its property -- off to the north of East Pine and just east of the Family Fun Center -- into the city's urban growth boundary for commercial development. ODOT could deny or delay that action if the staff felt the interchange couldn't handle the additional traffic generated from the Naumes project, Humphrey said. In addition, Naumes is contemplating a mixed-use commercial center near that parcel, that could include a grocery store, office and medical space, a motel and restaurants on the 21-acre site. It's inside the urban growth boundary and not affected by ODOT oversight. Central Point has no control over Medford's northern urban growth boundary. "If what Medford does in their urban growth boundary affects our interchange, and what we can develop in Central Point, I get kind of concerned," Humphrey said. For example, Gordon Trucking Inc. has applied to annex 20 acres in the corner where East Biddle curves and hits Table Rock Road for a truck terminus. Many trucks would use Central Point's interchange. And if approved, Gordon Trucking would be the second major truck operation in the area. Reddaway has its freight facility at the corner of Hamrick Road off East Pine Street just a few blocks away. Other developments planned near the interchange include a restaurant and motel project on 4 acres that run along I-5 south of East Pine. Other companies are interested in building corporate office space to be close to the airport. "Everyone is looking at it as a desirable location," Humphrey said. "That's what you want to see. But unless we think ahead now and try and preserve the efficiency of this intersection, it's going to become like the two interchanges in Medford." At least one person involved is optimistic. Dennis Hoffbuhr, a longtime surveyor for many developers in the valley, is working with developers in the interchange area. He says the city and developers are approaching projects at the Central Point interchange differently than was done at South Medford, because everyone is more aware of the problems. And Hoffburh says the city has done a good job of getting all the parties at the table as a project is being designed. Also, ODOT works more closely with developers on their projects to prevent traffic problems. Central Point's interchange is going to change, Hoffbuhr says, but it doesn't have to be a nightmare. "It will certainly be loaded to its capacity," Hoffbuhr said. "But because of proper designing it's going to function a lot better." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA