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Photo by Jim Craven Residents on Cherry Street in Central Point are puzzled by the barricade that was put up after the street was paved. City officials say the barricade was part of the plan all along. Barrier takes people by surprise Central Point officials say plan in works for three years By SUSAN JAY CENTRAL POINT -- Everyone who looks at this block of Cherry Street shakes their head: the neighbors, nearby business owners and city officials. Many of the neighbors and business people wanted the one block of Cherry Street between North Front and North First streets paved, a job that was recently completed. What they don't understand is why there is a red-and-white striped barricade in the middle of the short block. City officials say they are surprised at the hubbub, because the Cherry Street improvement project, including the barricade, has been in the works for three years, and was discussed with the City Council and with neighbors. Since the barricades were put in, motorists have been driving around them, using Carl Northern's driveway. "We just wanted a cure for the dust problem," said Northern, who has lived on the corner of Cherry and North First streets for more than 20 years. "Now we don't have the dust problem yet, but if they start to use the alley (to get around the barricades) we'll have dust again." The city plans to solve Northern's problem by placing poles at the south end of the barricade to close the gap that cars drive through, said Jim Bennett, city administrator. Signs also will be placed at the corner, warning of the dead end. Larry McCoy, co-owner of Automotion, an auto repair shop at 410 N. Front St., is afraid tractor-trailers delivering supplies will be unable to get out of his driveway, which is off Cherry Street. If drivers can't back their trucks onto Cherry Street without hitting the barricade, they would have to back out over the curb of the property across the street or back into North Front Street, which is the name of Highway 99 inside Central Point. Bennett said businesses such as Automotion that might have a problem with the blockade should call the city. Cherry Street runs nine blocks and is the last dirt road in the city limits to be paved. The street project received more than $300,000 from a federal highway grant for minimizing congestion and improving air quality. The funds are administered through the Oregon Department of Transportation. "ODOT wanted it closed," Bennett said of the westernmost block of Cherry Street. "If they were providing the funds, they wanted the city to close off access to the highway." City staff thought it was a reasonable request, Bennett said, because they weren't able to widen Cherry Street to the city standard of 36 feet. That's because they were unable to acquire additional right-of-way from the owner of the vacant lot on the southwest corner of Cherry Street. Without the added property, the city also wasn't able to expand the turning radius on the corners of Cherry Street, which ODOT wanted if trucks turned off the highway. Former mayor Rusty McGrath's auto racing repair shop is on North Front Street across from Cherry. He remembers the large federal grant the city received to pave Cherry Street, but nothing about a barricade. "I don't think the public works has the authority to block a street off without council approval," he said. Bennett said the City Council approved the barricade -- one small part of the whole Cherry Street project -- last summer, while McGrath was mayor. City staff reviewed the street improvement project periodically with the council since 1996, and the council approved the street designs and changes along the way, including the barricade, Bennett said. The last time the blockade and project was discussed before the council was July 16, 1998. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA