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OnTrack expansion's on track Medford to approve zone change today By JESSICA SMITH A residential drug and alcohol treatment program is free to expand its east Medford center after the city reversed a decision denying the application. The Medford City Council is expected to cement the decision today by approving OnTrack's proposal to rezone the land in question. The meeting begins at noon in council chambers at 411 W. Eighth St. OnTrack has been fighting for several years to expand the treatment center at 3397 Delta Waters Road. In January, the state Land Use Board of Appeals said the city erred when it denied the plans in April 1999. "It's been tiring," said Barbara Roth, clinical director. "But anything we can do to make the expansion happen, we'll do. It's so badly needed." The nonprofit group wants to add 3,500 square feet to the common area of the center, which now serves up to 24 women and their children. Another 10 beds are proposed for the center, which Roth said puts women through substance abuse treatment while they continue to care for their children. "There's no question we can fill it immediately," Roth said. A year ago, council members voted to deny OnTrack's application, saying planners had failed to examine the project's impact on traffic when they approved the plan in February 1999. Although the project is limited to expanding OnTrack's center, the zone change could lead to the development of another 41 dwellings, increasing traffic in the area. Several council members shared the concerns of neighbors who argued that the city should study the impact on traffic at the intersections of Delta Waters and Crater Lake Avenue and Delta Waters and Highway 62. The Medford Planning Commission determined those streets would not be significantly impacted by the zone change or development. The council disagreed. OnTrack appealed the council's decision to LUBA, which sent the issue back to the city, finding that the council had failed to provide legal grounds for its disagreement with the planning commission. On April 20, the council reviewed the issue and approved the zoning request, this time agreeing with the planning commission's findings. But questions remain, said Glen Anderson, who lives near OnTrack. "I'm not against OnTrack because they have people undergoing drug treatment," he said. "I just have a concern about traffic." Anderson said he believes the council's decision will allow developers to sidestep required traffic studies in the future by breaking developments into smaller projects that appear to generate less traffic, but make a far greater impact when combined. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA