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Residents to appeal gas station By JIM DAVIS A group of east Medford residents said they will appeal a city commission's approval of a gas station in their neighborhood. Glenn Eshoo, one of the opponents, said he felt the Site Plan and Architectural Commission did not fully consider neighbors' objections Friday when it gave the nod to a station proposed by Albertson's in the new Larson Creek Shopping Center at Barnett and North Phoenix roads. "We weren't pleased with the decision," Eshoo said. "They seemed to gloss over some of the important issues." The neighbors believe a gas station near the new Albertson's grocery store will increase traffic and cast light into their homes, and could generate gas spills. At a meeting earlier this summer, Eshoo questioned nine points of city law. One of the main issues was that city code requires that service stations be built on parcels of at least 22,500 square feet. The proposed site is on a tax lot of 15,000 square feet. The city attorney and city staff decided that the site and the tax lot are not synonymous. At the hearing Friday, the commission voted 4-1 to approve the station. Commissioner Dennis Nielsen cast the lone vote against the project. The commission imposed a number of restrictions on the gas station, including those imposed previously and during Friday's hearing, said Jim Maize, a senior city planner. Among the restrictions: Albertson's can place signs on the canopy of the building, but no signs can face west where the neighbors live. Also, Albertson's can operate the station only from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the station can sell no product other than gasoline. Lights can be on only when the business is open, and the station is required to have a top-of-the-line vapor lock system to cut down on gasoline odors. The commission also required Albertson's to add more conifer trees to a wall separating the shopping center and the neighborhood. The neighbors must wait for two weeks before they can file an appeal. If they follow through, the issue would go to the Medford City Council. It would be the second time that the contentious issue has been appealed. The project was approved by the commission on March 19 and went to the City Council, but Albertson's and Key West Properties, which is building the center, asked that the matter be sent back to the commission for review. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA