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47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, May 9, 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 January 14, 2005 Billings plan faces federal hurdle But proposed golf course might be able to bypass disputed land, developer says By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune ASHLAND — A golf course developer’s plans to lease public land near the Bear Creek Greenway may face a federal hurdle, a state parks official acknowledged this week. Meanwhile, Billings Ranch Golf Course developer Mike Peru said he’s crafting a proposal that would bypass the disputed property altogether. "We’re looking for a different way to attack this bird," Peru said Thursday. At issue is about 6 acres of land near the Bear Creek Greenway sought by Peru to complete a $10 million, 18-hole championship golf course. Jackson County officials bought the land in 1987 as part of a 30-acre parcel paid for in part by federal Land and Water Conservation funds, said Karen Smith, Greenway coordinator. The federal funds provided about $32,000 of the nearly $71,000 purchase price. Advertisement Strict rules govern the land bought with such funds, usually requiring a "conversion" if the property is changed from its original use. County administrators would have to submit any lease agreement for evaluation by state and federal parks agencies, said Marilyn Lippincott, an Oregon Parks and Recreation Department administrator. County Planning Director Paul Korbulic said he was optimistic that a golf course lease would satisfy federal standards. "The lease would have to contain all the conditions on the land," he said, adding later: "I don’t think they are anything that a golf course couldn’t pull off." But Lippincott was more reserved in her assessment. "No decision has been made about whether it is a conversion or whether it would be approved by the National Park Service," she said. That question is the latest hurdle to the long-sought lease, which developer Peru has maintained is vital to completing a financially viable course. Last month, a newly formed environmental coalition, the Greenway Stewardship Alliance, petitioned Jackson County commissioners to allow it to manage the Greenway property. Board of Commissioners Chairman Jack Walker declined to allow the group a hearing, saying that the commissioners already have agreed to negotiate with golf course developers. Peru downplayed the significance of the potential obstacles. "It doesn’t bother me," he said Thursday. "If I can’t build the golf course I want, we’re going to build homes there." Peru said he had scheduled talks with city officials in Ashland and county Commissioner C.W. Smith. He declined to reveal the details of any new proposal, but indicated it might offer a different configuration of houses that maintains the size of the proposed golf course. "I just want to get their take on what we want to propose," said Peru. "I’m just testing the waters to see whether it’s hot or cold." Rancher John Billings and his family are considering filing a claim under the Measure 37 ruling approved by voters in November, Peru said. That could allow flexibility in developing their land, said Tim Billings, family spokesman. "We want to proceed with a golf course in one way or another," he said. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, 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 diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Paris Hilton Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s