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54 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, December 13, 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 Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley 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 April 15, 2004 City approval of Wal-Mart site spurs pair of challenges By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Two appeals were filed Wednesday against the city’s approval of a Wal-Mart Supercenter at the Miles Field site in Medford. City Recorder Beverly Sandblast said the appeals will be heard at the City Council’s May 20 session. Additional appeals are possible until an April 23 deadline. Former Medford City Councilman Bill Mansfield said he put together an appeal with 30 contentions, and is prepared to take the matter to the state Land Use Board of Appeals if the council does not reverse the decision. "It’s within their powers and also their duty to consider the health, welfare and safety of the overall area," said Mansfield. The Site Plan and Architectural Commission gave final approval on April 2 for a 206,533-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter to be built on Highway 99 in south Medford. Advertisement The commission held public hearings Feb. 6 and March 12, during which dozens of residents lauded or criticized the project. The second appeal was from Wendy Siporen, a Talent resident representing Citizens for Responsible Development. She was disappointed in the commission’s public hearings. "They really didn’t even consider a whole host of issues that I brought up in my testimony," said Siporen, a Talent City Council member. Although Wal-Mart officials have said the new Medford supercenter would close an existing Wal-Mart in Talent, Siporen said she opposes the project because of various issues raised in her appeal and because Wal-Mart is a "bad corporate citizen" and a Supercenter won’t contribute to sustainable economic development in the Rogue Valley. Medford city code requires a traffic analysis be completed, and Wal-Mart is not being asked to ease the traffic problems the supercenter could create, Siporen argues in her appeal. And she said Wal-Mart’s traffic analysis didn’t include expected traffic from the soon-to-be constructed south Medford interchange that connects near Belknap Road to the south of the project site. But Alex Georgevitch, city public works transportation manager, said any traffic problems are really a zoning issue. "There’s concerns about the traffic, but is that their (Wal-Mart’s) responsibility? No," said Georgevitch. He said the parcel is already zoned commercial. He said something will end up going there, so whether it’s one large box or 10 smaller boxes doing retail, the number of vehicle trips generated is the same. "As far as public works is concerned, they have met their requirements," he said. Siporen also argues in her appeal that the project, because of its size, is incompatible with adjacent buildings. Councilman Jim Key, who has expressed concerns about Wal-Mart’s size at past council meetings, said he couldn’t comment on the matter because of the pending appeals. City Attorney Ron Doyle said the council can affirm the decision of the Site Plan and Architectural Commission, or it can reverse, modify, or remand it back to the commission. If the decision is affirmed, opponents can file an appeal with LUBA. 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. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities