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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 13, 2005 Leslie Zock, 56, of Medford, has sold her 12-acre Heather Hill Farms horse ranch to a developer of the surrounding Southeast Plan. Zock says when she looks around Medford, she sees nothing but endless tracks of subdivisions that lack vision. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Is it sprawl or smart planning? Residents, developers have differing views on what future growth will look like By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune For many newcomers to the Rogue Valley, the miles of empty space are a welcome sight after years of living in an urban jungle. For others, the vistas have become marred by an uncanny resemblance to places they happily left behind — Los Angeles, San Jose or some other nondescript suburb. "I’m sort of shocked at Medford," said Leslie Zock, who believes the city has grown from a little burg into a burgeoning metropolis ruled by developers. "In general, I would like to stop the sprawl." While the 56-year-old Medford woman sees sprawl and a lack of planning vision, others see a booming construction industry that provides houses to those flocking to Jackson County. "Developers and builders doing development do not grow populations," said Randy Jones, president of the Home Builders Association of Jackson County. "The notion that we’re causing all this is wrong." Advertisement As Jackson County plans for its next big growth surge, the opinions about how this area will develop and what the development should look like are as disparate as the many cities that dot the valley. In an effort to get some kind of handle on the expected doubling of the population in the next 30 years, cities have joined together to better plot out future development in a process known as regional problem solving. Jones, who also is partner and general manager with Mahar Homes, doesn’t have as pessimistic a view of the rapid development, although he admits that some of it wasn’t well planned. But he said going forward there will be better planning, and the developments that do take place will be confined. "Our topography around here is going to help us remain unique," he said. But Zock said that as she looks around, she sees nothing new, just endless tracts of subdivisions that lack any kind of vision. "I’m seeing that what they’re doing out here is the same-old, same-old," she said. Zock’s own story points to the difficulty in holding on to a rural lifestyle in an increasingly urbanized valley. About four years ago, she tried to block development efforts that would have jeopardized the operation of her 12-acre horse ranch on Coal Mine Road, which sits in an area scheduled for development on 1,000 acres known as the Southeast Plan. The plan calls for a carefully designed neighborhood that could include as many as 5,000 new homes for 10,000 people. It proposes a mix of housing types, open spaces and shops. In the works since the early 1990s, the plan has been lauded as a path to responsible growth that will create better traffic flow than previous planning methods. When Zock and other neighbors went before the city and council to protest, she said, "They basically just laughed at us." After fighting City Hall, she eventually lost. "It’s an odd story," said Zock. "I really didn’t like the way it was all handled. It wasn’t a very pleasant lesson." This year, in a twist that has left her with mixed feelings, she sold the property to one of the developers in the Southeast Plan, Dan Mahar, for $1.4 million. Zock readily admits she bought the property 11 years ago as an investment and had planned to eventually sell it for her retirement, realizing the surrounding property would likely be developed. "If I were younger, I would do something different," she said. "But it’s going to be hard to see it bulldozed." Zock’s situation isn’t unique, and many local farmers look warily at the advancing suburbs that threaten their livelihoods. Brent Thompson, president of the Friends of Jackson County, a land-use watchdog group, said this area doesn’t have to fall into the same growth traps as other areas, although he sees signs that that is happening. "We’ve gotten hit with population growth later than other areas and we look at the mistakes down there," he said, referring to other parts of the country. "All the while we’re in denial that we’re repeating the same mistakes." He said one of the biggest dangers is a proposed expansion of the boundaries of local cities that will eat into agricultural land. Thompson thinks cities should be aggressively planning to encourage bike, pedestrian and mass transit hubs in the future and to create zoning that supports that kind of transportation. With gas prices likely to surge again, Thompson said communities need to encourage other forms of transportation and create higher density housing. In a recent analysis of housing density in the valley, Thompson’s organization found that most cities fall far short of the density required to make effective use of mass transit — about 5,000 residents per square mile, he said. Based on 2004 population numbers, Talent has the highest density at 3,366 people per square mile, with Central Point coming in second at 3,330. Ashland is third at 2,775. Of the seven cities reviewed, Medford ranks fifth at 2,459. "Don’t just say we’re not making the same mistakes, because we are," Thompson said. Thompson points to Ashland and Talent as communities that are working hard to fill in, rather than expand outward. But in response to Thompson’s remarks about density levels, Jones said, "That’s just psycho-babble." Jones said most communities, including Medford, have been actively building on every available lot. In addition, lot sizes have decreased in subdivisions, he said, and city planners and developers have worked together to make new communities that have parks, walking areas and stores close by. "The city of Medford is trying to do forward thinking," he said. "Unfortunately there has been a lot of irresponsible development in the past. Those days have changed." He said Ashland and Talent are geographically restricted in how big they can grow and rely on Medford to provide the major shopping areas. In addition, Medford, Central Point and Eagle Point have more land that’s easier to develop, he said. Jones said communities such as Ashland might talk about planning, but he said, "The city fathers and mothers have decided that affordable housing is just a buzz word." Thompson said proposed expansions by Medford, Central Point and Eagle Point amount to a "land grab" that specifically benefits developers, who have not shown much regard for planning. Medford hopes to increase its urban growth area by about 25 percent, adding 4,594 acres. Central Point wants to nearly double its size by adding 2,793 acres. Eagle Point’s request for 1,348 acres represents a 70 percent increase in its urban growth boundary. "A normal developer has been unconscious of the future," said Thompson. County Commissioner Dave Gilmour, who is the county liaison for the regional problem solving process, said he’s particularly alarmed at Central Point’s proposal for growth that would jeopardize prime agricultural land. But Gilmour, a Central Point resident, said he applauds the more modest growth proposals offered by other cities such as Medford. He said that in general he supports higher density urban areas, but said they must be balanced by a respect for older neighborhoods that have larger lots. In general, he supports some of the efforts proposed by Thompson’s organization. "We do have to look at the quality of life," he said. "If we do extend sprawl, it puts quite a strain on transportation infrastructure. Just look at Highway 62." But residents of Jackson County will have to get used to development, despite the best efforts of planners. "If an area is zoned for development there is not much we can do to stop development," said Gilmour. "Some sprawl will happen." For Dorothy Brown, a Medford resident for 32 years, the changes have been overwhelming. "I think Medford, in part, has dropped the ball several times," said Brown, who is Zock’s mother. "They don’t stop the developers in Medford. They get what they want." She remembers first coming to Medford, staying at the Royal Apartments on Royal Avenue. "I looked out eastward and all there was this little store." Today the area is filled in, and Brown laments, "I’d love to keep the valley the way it is, but what can I do — I’m 84 years old." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail Is it sprawl or smart planning? ">[email protected] . The following shows how many acres cities in Jackson County hope to add to their urban growth boundaries: Current acreage Proposed addition Ashland 4,751 0 Central Point 2,873 2,793 Eagle Point 1,946 1,348 Jacksonville 1,219 996 Medford 18,016 4,594 Phoenix 1,090 890 Talent 1,120 260 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. 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