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59 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, May 28, 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 Britt Festival Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Biz Connection 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 May 27, 2005 The proposed Tolo Industrial Park would create a high-tech corridor on the north side of Interstate 5 near the Seven Oaks interchange at Blackwell Road. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven HIGH-TECH IDEA Proposed Tolo Industrial Park along I-5 is commissioner’s answer to drawing more business to Southern Oregon By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune County Commissioner Dave Gilmour thinks it’s time to give high-tech companies a reason to set up shop in Southern Oregon. "Yahoo and Google both didn’t consider us," he said, referring to the two high-profile tech companies that decided this year to move to Northern Oregon. To attract these industries to Jackson County, Gilmour is floating a concept to create a new village between Gold Hill and Central Point that would have a high-tech corridor as its centerpiece along Interstate 5. "Right now we have a brain drain from the county," he said. "We don’t have the jobs here for our kids." The proposed high-tech corridor would run next to Interstate 5 for about 2.5 miles starting at the Seven Oaks interchange, with a freight area behind it for rail and truck traffic next to the existing railroad tracks. Advertisement In addition, the proposal would create an urban area off Gold Ray Road on more than 100 acres that originally were staked out for a town in 1887 that never developed, said Gilmour. He said a high-tech corridor would attract clean industry and help get rid of some of the "blight" along the freeway, improving the aesthetics of the northern gateway to the valley. It also could take advantage of the high-speed Internet line nearby that runs along the railway right of way. Following directives of Gov. Ted Kulongoski, the project would absorb four abandoned mill sites into the industrial and rail and freight areas. Gilmour, whose idea is generally supported by the other two commissioners, said the county really has no areas that attract high-tech firms. "They (high-tech executives) come up to Ashland for Shakespeare and then go to Ashland planning and they tell them, ‘We don’t do industry,’ " he said. "They tell them to go to White City, but White City doesn’t have the ambiance." The idea, which Gilmour admits is still in its infancy, will require the cooperation of various government entities and have to overcome major hurdles — particularly water — to create the infrastructure needed to support high-tech companies. "I don’t know if it will fly or not, but it’s an idea that’s got lots of potential," said Gilmour. Central Point Mayor Hank Williams believes the idea generally has merit, saying it would be better to have the industrial area far away from the residential core of his city. "I’ve had the sales pitch," he said, referring to Gilmour’s proposal. "I kind of would support it." The city would have to alter its urban growth boundary to encompass the new development, which would be more than a mile outside its current boundaries. Gilmour said his proposal avoids using sensitive high-quality farmland in the Seven Oaks area. And because the area would have its own identity, it might one day incorporate as its own city, he said. But Williams said, "The idea of making the town of Tolo a separate city — I wouldn’t support it." Gilmour said that Central Point would take care of the planning for the Tolo town site and industrial park, while the county would develop the freight transit node and adjacent aggregate quarries. In exchange, Central Point would collect systems development charges for the town site and industrial area and the county would receive similar charges for the rail and aggregate areas. The city and county would share all property tax revenues equally for 25 years. Gilmour said the project would require reconstruction of the Blackwell interchange beyond the Oregon Department of Transportation’s current plans for upgrades. The improved interchange could enhance ODOT and county plans to create a thoroughfare from I-5 to Highway 140 through White City. Gilmour said impediments to the proposal include getting water and approval from the state Department of Land Conservation and Development. In addition, a big stumbling block might be the financing of the infrastructure work. Gilmour said he had no cost estimates. Laura Hodnett, spokeswoman for the Medford Water Commission, said she hasn’t heard anything about Gilmour’s idea yet, so she couldn’t comment on it specifically. She did say that a major expansion of water is questionable since the valley’s resources are finite. If it were approved, it would require larger and longer water lines. Mike Quilty, chairman of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, said cities throughout Jackson County are discussing expanding their urban growth boundaries. As part of this process, Quilty said it’s important to discuss areas that would attract industry to the valley. "I think the fact that he (Gilmour) is bringing it up for discussion is healthy for the community," he said. County Commissioner Jack Walker said Gilmour’s proposal is something that should be looked at for both commercial and industrial development in the future. But he agreed that one of the biggest stumbling blocks would be water availability. "It’s a good idea that will take a lot of massaging," he said. Features of the proposed Tolo Industrial Park: A high-tech corridor would stretch from the Seven Oaks interchange near Erickson Air-Crane to the Hidden Valley Ranch, running mostly along the north side of Interstate 5 for about 2.5 miles. Behind the industrial corridor would be a "freight node" that would take advantage of the rail line connection to White City. A new village would be created with affordable housing off Gold Ray Road. Four abandoned mill sites would be absorbed into the industrial and freight areas. A bike path would be added and the Fort Lane historic site could be made into a park. Potential barriers to the proposal: Water availability, particularly approval from the Medford Water Commission to release more water and to expand pipelines and system capacity. Reconstruction of the Seven Oaks Interchange to handle the increased capacity. Approval from the Department of Land Conservation and Development. Some of the proposed land is zoned exclusive farm use. Financing of the project, which would include roads, rail spurs, water lines, sewer, etc. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, 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. 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