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41 °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 October 15, 2004 County planners tour Billings Ranch site Commission members consider whether to redesignate 6 acres of natural area so developers can build a golf course north of Ashland By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Jackson County Planning Commission members tromped past poison hemlock and squinted across phantom fairways Thursday on a tour of public land tapped for private use by the proposed Billings Ranch Golf Course. But the site visit didn’t settle the question of whether the Bear Creek Greenway Plan should be amended to allow the deal. Commissioners will wait until Oct. 28 to decide whether to study further a change that would shift the designation of some 6 acres of public land from a "natural area" to an "active recreation area." Such a move would pave the way for developers to lease the land, gaining what they say is acreage needed to complete a $10 million, 18-hole championship course north of Ashland. "I’d like to go back, having seen the place, and read through this thing and then make a decision," said Reeve Hennion, Planning Commission chairman. Advertisement "We need to be comfortable with our decision and be comfortable with the people who are unhappy with our decision — and at least give them some reason for the decision." Planning commissioners must issue a recommendation about the proposed Greenway Plan amendment to county commissioners, who can choose to follow or ignore the group’s advice. At issue is a change that environmental advocates claim would damage sensitive habitat along Bear Creek and set a precedent for similar changes in the future. A few critics of the proposal joined a party of 15 who toured the site. They stopped to examine a fringe of pines, oak and cottonwood trees and tall stands of dried-out poison hemlock covering the county-owned property. "From a bird’s point of view, it’s fine habitat," said Pepper Trail, an Ashland wildlife biologist. "If you turn this into a golf course, it won’t be." Developer Mike Peru, who represents the Billings Ranch Golf Group, disagreed. "Golf courses tend to create habitat, not take it away," said Peru, adding that plans call for hundreds of new trees to be planted. The John Billings family already holds an existing 1987 lease that granted about 8.2 acres of county land in exchange for an easement to build the bike path through Ashland. Peru wants to amend and extend the existing lease, which specifically allows construction of a golf course. The amendment proposal will be included on the Oct. 28 Planning Commission agenda, Hennion said. A final recommendation could take months to decide, he said. Two of the five planning commissioners — Richard Thieroff and Byron Williams — have recused themselves from the decision because of past business dealings with the Billings family. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 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 Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers