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63 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, June 24, 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 Prime Times 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 June 22, 2004 A group of business owners, volunteers and neighborhood residents has developed a small park at the corner of Edwards and Niantic streets in the blighted Liberty Park District of Medford. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Children’s park still in play Funds for Medford development promised16 years ago are lacking; promise remains By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune As grass sprouts on a "pocket park" in a long-blighted Medford neighborhood, residents and nonprofit leaders worry that the city’s urban renewal agency is backing away from funding the long-promised Liberty Park. Officials from the Medford Urban Renewal Agency confirmed that there’s no money allocated in the newest budget for the civic renewal project planned since 1988. That rankles Jane Bridcott, who lives in the Liberty Park District in Medford, and Larry Frank, a board member for the Salvation Army’s Medford Citadel, which plans to build a community center there. Both say that MURA is obligated to pay for the proposed park, which was among 19 blight-reduction projects used to argue for creation of the taxing agency 16 years ago. "MURA committed itself and specifically identified Liberty Park as an area in 1988 to justify its existence," Frank said. "Here it is 2004 and the kids still don’t have a place to play." Advertisement Adds Bridcott: "To me, they’re not jumping on the bandwagon, everything is going to downtown," she said. "I like it, I really like it, but there are adjoining areas and they haven’t put money into that and I want to know how come?" On Monday, MURA Director Kurt Olsen sought to reassure park proponents. He said specific funds have not yet been allocated for the project because the agency has been presented with no specific plans. "This is a project that the city has had the ball on," he said. "As soon as we get a plan, we’ll be able to jump on it. We’re ready to move; it’s not going to be a problem." Concern arose after a recent meeting of a "solutions committee" charged with designating a final site for the proposed 1.13-acre park in the Liberty Park District north of downtown. MURA Board Member Bill Dames told the group of city officials, residents and Salvation Army board members that the current budget had no funds set aside for the park. MURA staff previously had indicated at least $350,000 — and perhaps much more — was available for the project. Olsen said that figure was based on a 1988 estimate of what building a park would cost. Today, all parties estimate it will actually pencil out at more than $1 million. Last year’s MURA budget included about $35,000 to pay for property appraisals for a possible land swap, but the project didn’t get that far. If members of the "solutions committee" come to an agreement soon, MURA will respond, he said. "If this actually keeps moving forward and we do get to the point where we can appraise some properties, I’ve got a $20 million budget," Olsen said. "I can find $35,000." Meanwhile, committee members are considering several possible sites for the park and appropriate financing. A decision could be made at a July 8 meeting. Neighbors in the area, assisted by the Salvation Army and various city officials, have lobbied for the park for more than two years. Bridcott, who has lived on Maple Street for that long, says she worries daily that children will get hurt skateboarding in the parking lot across from her home. Led by Frank, a group of business owners, volunteers and neighborhood residents recently graded, irrigated and planted a small park for about $2,000 at the corner of Niantic and Edwards streets. "The purpose of that park was to give the kids a place to play," Frank said. "That park will be there no matter what." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, 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. 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