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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 1, 2005 Streets and streetlights are ready for a new neighborhood of 72 homes in a subdivision called Stonegate Estates off North Phoenix Road south of Barnett Road. A project planner said moving vans should arrive within months. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Larson Creek restoration part of Medford subdivision plans By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune Foundations will be poured and walls framed for 72 new homes within the next two months for the first phase of Stonegate Estates, the next development of the ambitious Southeast Plan. "It’s probably six to seven months to people moving in," said Dennis Hoffbuhr, project planner. Humans may not be the only species moving in soon — Stonegate also includes the Larson Creek renovation project. The Medford Planning Commission Thursday approved plans for 72 houses on 26.8 acres, east of North Phoenix Road between Creekview Drive and Coal Mine Road. Streets, curbs and lampposts have already gone in, following a public hearing and preliminary approval by the commission in 2002. Advertisement The planned unit development, owned by Lou Mahar of Medford’s Pac Trend Inc., is part of the Southeast Plan, a pedestrian-friendly community of about 5,000 housing units on nearly 1,000 acres east of North Phoenix Road, from the ridge above Cherry Lane south to Coal Mine Road. The plan has been in the works for 16 years, or more, and was approved by the City Council in 1998. It includes a central 46-acre commercial area near the intersection of Barnett and North Phoenix roads. The development, which involves about 100 property owners, also calls for a government office, a school, a church and a retirement home. In 1990, the land was brought into Medford’s urban growth boundary. Portions zoned exclusive farm use are being rezoned to accommodate the residential and commercial community. The Southeast Plan Implementation Advisory Committee oversees the project’s development. Created by the city, the committee includes planning staff, planning commissioners, developers and Medford City Council members. The entire plan allows up to 10,000 housing units on 990 acres, which would allow developers to put more than 10 units per acre, which would likely mean duplexes, apartments or condos. But Suzanne Myers, project manager and associate planner for the city of Medford, said the area isn’t likely to be that dense. "People generally don’t build to the maximum," she said. At this point the Southeast Plan is about 10 percent built, or less, she said, adding that a lot of design details need to be finalized. "There’s really been only 25 percent of the land that’s been approved." Hoffbuhr said this particular portion of the Southeast Plan has something special: a creek restoration project that includes a strip of land about 130 feet wide. Stonegate includes plans to restore the north and south forks of Larson Creek to salmon and steelhead spawning habitat. The two forks have been blocked to fish passage by open irrigation canals in the area. Mahar worked with two irrigation districts, the Bear Creek Watershed Council, and several state and federal agencies to plan the restoration. "The creek was cut off at the irrigation canal," said Hoffbuhr. Irrigation water is now piped through the area beside North Phoenix Road, and restoration of Larson Creek has begun. "It was really an innovative project," he said. 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 www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Student Loans Online Pharmacy tcg student loan consolidation Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Advertisement s