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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Neighborhoods Employment Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend October 22, 2006 Candidates split on growth issues County board race features contested races for 2 positions By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Jackson County's growing pains have emerged as the dominant issue facing five contenders for two county commissioners' seats. Incumbent Jack Walker of Phoenix is challenged by Diane Davidson, a Medford independent, and Tom Winmill, an Ashland Republican. Davidson and Winmill are both critical of the county's approach to growth, while Walker says the county is balancing growth and developing a strong economic base. Dave Gilmour of Central Point faces challenger Craig Prewitt, a Medford Republican. Prewitt thinks the county is generally growing in the right direction, while Gilmour says more needs to be done to protect the rural quality of this area while balancing the need for high-paying jobs. Advertisement Candidates also differ over the impact of Measure 37 and a new rural use zoning on growth. Under Measure 37, approved by 61 percent of voters in November 2004, government agencies must roll back land-use regulations to the same level as when the property was first bought or pay the requesting property owner compensation for lost value. More than 300 claims have been processed in Jackson County to date. A rural use zoning approved by commissioners in September would allow some rural property owners to divide their land into lots of 10 acres or more. Friends of Jackson County and the city of Ashland are appealing the ordinance. Following, in alphabetical order, are the candidates' positions on some of the issues: Diane Davidson "I don't like the way Jack Walker is handling the growth in Jackson County," Davidson says bluntly. She said many of the commissioners' decisions on Measure 37 claims and on the rural use zoning ultimately amount to political maneuvering that don't really give residents the property rights they are seeking. Referring to Measure 37 claim approvals, she said, "I think it is done for political gain." She said that while property owners' claims are approved, they still are unable to develop their land because of the many health and safety regulations that still need to be followed. She also said she doesn't like the way commissioners are dealing with the claims, discussing them away from the public eye in executive sessions. "My personal feeling is a lot of the behind-the-closed-doors decisions are behind a lot of the lawsuits the community has had to deal with," she said. "There needs to be a process that the public trusts." Dave Gilmour Gilmour says he supports managed growth that promotes additional high-paying jobs that give opportunities to Jackson County residents who have to leave the area to get decent employment. "We want to reverse the brain drain locally," he said. Gilmour said he also wants to preserve farmland and open space that help maintain the county's sense of livability. "We don't want to end up like southern California," he said. With development inevitable, Gilmour said, the county needs to plan for a doubling of the population over the next 50 years, including making plans now for alternative transportation such as light rail. He said Measure 37 poses more of a threat to Jackson County than the rural use zoning. Some of the biggest claims, such as one that could allow development of 4,300 acres on Dead Indian Memorial Road, will pose serious problems for rural roads in the county, said Gilmour. Gilmour said he supports the idea of behind the rural use zoning in that it would allow a landowner to build a home on property that's not suited for farming or forestry. He differs, however, from his two fellow commissioners who approved the 10-acre minimum size and supported the county Planning Commission recommendation of 20-acre minimums. Craig Prewitt Prewitt disputes the argument that Measure 37 and the rural use issues are about growth. "Measure 37 is a property rights issue versus a growth issue," he said. "To me they are very different concepts," he said. He said the rural use zoning would probably not sit well with no-growth advocates even if the minimum parcel size had been 15- or 20-acre minimums. Prewitt said he supports a regional planning process, called Regional Problem Solving, but says the process has taken far too long and should be streamlined. He agrees the area has seen significant growth, but not necessarily in a bad way. "Medford had a population of 25,000 when I was a kid and it was a great place to live," said Prewitt. "Now it has a population of 60,000 and it is still a great place to live." He said a certain amount of growth is inevitable, particularly in an area that has a world-class river and some of the best weather in Oregon. "Our challenge is to properly manage growth," he said. Jack Walker Walker said his efforts as commissioner have helped balance growth while keeping Jackson County a place where people can live and work. "I like the way it was back in the '50s and '60s," he said. "But I'm a realist." He discounts the arguments of those who advocate putting the brakes on growth, saying he doesn't want Jackson County to end up being a place where only retirees are welcome. Walker said the county generally enjoys lower unemployment rates than the rest of the state — 4.7 percent in September — chalking it up to industrial areas like White City that have created high-paying jobs that help attract families. "If people want to get a job, there is a job," he said. Many of the problems with growth, such as the traffic conditions on Highway 62, will ease once shoppers switch to the new Wal-Marts in Eagle Point and south Medford, said Walker. Also, the new Home Depot in Phoenix will help attract shoppers who once headed to stores on Highway 62, he said. "We are really spreading that traffic out," he said. Walker criticized his challengers for taking issue with his stance on Measure 37, saying he is responding to a mandate from the 62 percent of Jackson County residents who voted for it. Tom Winmill Winmill said growth is inevitable, but commissioners can help chart how the county should grow, particularly in an area that has transitioned from a rural to a more urban community. "We're losing that sleepy rural feel," he said. While other candidates don't see any problems with the way Jackson County has grown, Winmill said, "Apparently, they can't see it in the traffic situation that has developed." He said the traffic problems will only increase if the county and city don't work together to address long-range growth issues. Winmill criticized the rural use zoning, saying it will fall on communities to bear the increased costs for fire, police, ambulance and transportation. "Ultimately the city dwellers need to understand it has an effect on them," he said. He said Measure 37 has been shrouded in ambiguities from the moment it was originally presented to voters. "If Measure 37 was written properly, we wouldn't have the lawsuits we have today," he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476 or [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing UK Homeowner Loans GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com