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40 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 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 Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? 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 July 1, 2004 Walker calls for overhaul of Greenway plan By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Jackson County Commissioner Jack Walker is calling for an overhaul of the Bear Creek Greenway master plan, with particular review of maintenance, safety and designation of environmentally sensitive areas. "I don’t see a whole lot there that exists that was there in 1988," Walker said, referring to the Greenway guide’s last update. "We need to redo it and reconsider the plan." His suggestion comes as developers for the proposed Billings Ranch Golf Course north of Ashland await a county decision on whether they’ll be granted a lease to 9.2 acres of public land designated as a protected "natural area" under the plan. "We ought to be looking at putting together a management plan for the Greenway," he said. "We need to look at it all, especially the areas of special concern." Walker said he directed county staff Tuesday to start the review. It’s been nearly 30 years since the Greenway plan was amended, and county planning director Ali Turiel said a review may be warranted. Advertisement However, that’s no easy task, she noted, as the plan must meet county and state land-use rules. That includes Goal 5 of the statewide planning laws, which requires maintenance of natural resources whenever possible. "It may be it is time for a reassessment," she said. "But I don’t know how fast it would be. We are talking months of process. It’s not a small project." Plans for a coordinated Greenway management plan have begun in conjunction with the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, said Karen Smith, Jackson County Greenway coordinator. She said she hadn’t heard Walker’s suggestion, but she thought management decisions and land-use decisions were two separate issues. In the meantime, the county land proposed to be used to help create a $10 million, 18-hole "championship" golf course remains under the jurisdiction of the existing Greenway plan designation. Developers want the property and the right to build a bridge to access it, which is prohibited under the existing plan. Members of the Bear Creek Greenway Committee recently declined to change the "natural area" designation of the parcel. To alter the designation, commissioners would have to enact a legislative amendment to the Greenway plan, said Raul Woerner, a county planner. Walker remains unconvinced that that is necessary, but he said county commissioners must decide soon about the proposed golf course lease. "The board has to make up its mind if that’s a better use of the land," Walker said. "Somebody has got to step up and say you can’t leave everybody in limbo." No meeting on a lease decision has been scheduled. If the lease is granted, the developer, Mike Peru, would be required to seek a conditional use permit to build the golf course on behalf of Ashland rancher John Billings. Some neighbors of the proposed course and other local residents have worried that county officials, particularly Walker, have given tacit approval to the project before it’s been properly — and publicly — considered. Internal memos have indicated that county legal counsel is worried about potential lawsuits stemming from the appearance of improper advocacy on behalf of the golf course. Walker said he understands legal concerns. "I have to limit my conversations to whether it is a good use of the land to lease it," he said. County Commissioner Sue Kupillas said she had not heard about Walker’s proposal to revamp the Greenway plan and had no comment. Commissioner Dave Gilmour did not return repeated calls for comment on the issue. Walker said his request for the Greenway plan review was prompted by the nearly complete connection of the Bear Creek Greenway from Ashland to Central Point. Now would be a good time to create a coherent management plan to cover maintenance cost agreements and safety issues, as well as land-use designations, he said. One concern, for example, is the presence of homeless people who often linger along parts of the path, he said. "There are long stretches where it’s a problem," he said. "There are places, I’ll tell you, where I would not have ever allowed my wife to run on that path." 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