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54 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, April 18, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 18, 2005 Ed Worthylake, seated in the cab, looks over plans for a new subdivision at North Phoenix and Foothill roads. The development will consist of nine custom-built homes and three commercial buildings. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli A buzz about construction traffic By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune A new exclusive subdivision is budding at North Phoenix and Foothill roads, and some neighbors are complaining about the extra construction traffic and worry about the future of their residential neighborhood. "They have gone through our dedicated dead-end street," said Ken Bradshaw, 77, who lives on Fairview Drive off Hillcrest Road. "They’ve been taking their equipment through." He’s expressed his concern to the Medford Planning Commission, but said he didn’t feel his concerns were heard. "We’re just trying to protect ourselves," said Bradshaw. Construction work is beginning on the 7.5-acre high-end development on the southeast corner of North Phoenix and Foothill roads, adjacent to the Rogue Valley Country Club‘s private golf course. The Tenth Fairway Subdivision, owned by Mike Mahar, Steven Swartsley and Wayne Van Wey, will consist of nine houses; the commercial portion, owned by Mahar Homes, will consist of three single-story office buildings. Advertisement Mahar is also one of the developers of the nearby southeast plan, a 1,000-acre, pedestrian-friendly community under construction. Thursday the Planning Commission granted approval to Mahar Homes to subdivide the three commercial lots so they could be sold individually, said Jim Maize, Medford senior planner. He said the Planning Commission approved the overall plan in August. Mahar said the short cul-de-sac into the development will be named Signature Drive. It will be a private road maintained by the homeowners association, with one access point off North Phoenix Road. Fairview Drive, on the back side of the development, won’t be affected much by the construction, he said. "We’re not going to use that (street) for access unless we absolutely have to," said Mahar, adding that while it is a public street and crews have the right to use it, they want to be good neighbors and rely on access off North Phoenix Road. But neighbors have some other worries which they’ve presented to planning commissioners. Susan Miller, another Fairview Drive resident, is concerned about the addition of a street coming into the s-curve on North Phoenix Road. She said she has told city planners and engineers that it will be difficult for drivers to see cars pulling out of the new street in time to react. "I’m concerned about the safety," she said. "The road is curved and it’s on a hill." But Larry Beskow, the city engineer, said the public works department has approved the plans. "I don’t see a dangerous intersection there," he said. At one time, he said, there was talk of putting in multiple access points along North Phoenix Road. "We limited the entire development to one access," he said. Andrew Miller, Susan Miller’s husband, said he has also complained to the city about heavy, loud trucks using Fairview Drive. He said he wouldn’t have bought his house had he known the neighborhood would change so much. "I moved into the area and this was all residential, and they changed the zoning," said Miller, adding that he bought his house in 2000. City Planner Maize said the zoning change took place in 2003 when North Phoenix Road was realigned. "Portions of the property were zoned from residential to multi-family and commercial," he said. Mahar said he’s proud of the plan, and thinks it will enhance the neighborhood. "It’ll be nine very exclusive homes," he said, adding that all of the houses will be custom built. He said people have expressed interest in the lots, but it’s too soon to know what the construction timeline will be. Mahar said the three office buildings will be about 8,000 or 9,000 square feet each. Meanwhile, plans are still underway for a mixed-use village on the other side of North Phoenix Road. Mahar, who’s working with the owners of Hillcrest Orchard, said it’s still years away from fruition. The total development, with housing, retail and office space, will be about 21 acres. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Tatoos Advertisement s