Document text
CLOUDY Temp: 38 °F Wind: ENE at 4 mph Saturday, December 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend December 11, 2002 Ashland housing proposal gets tepid reception Plan for 200 affordable apartments depends on zoning change for site on school-owned land By TONY BOOM Mail Tribune ASHLAND — A developer has proposed affordable housing — and homes at market prices — on a chunk of Willow Wind Community Learning Center’s 40-acre site. Although the property’s sale could help ease the Ashland School District’s financial woes, land-use hurdles and a lack of interest on the part of the Ashland School Board may prevent it from moving forward. Bill Barchet wants to build on 20 acres of the school district’s 40-acre Willow Wind site on East Main Street just outside city limits. Barchet, who did not identify his client, said they would pay the district’s purchase price, then give back the 10-acre site for Willow Wind, a support center for the district’s home- schoolers. The district purchased the property in 2000 for $865,000. The upper 10 acres by East Main Street would have 200 affordably priced apartments. Ten acres in the flood plain would be donated to the Bear Creek Greenway. Another 10 acres would be developed for housing to be sold at market prices. Other developers and the Ashland Housing Commission have suggested similar projects at the location. But the area, zoned for exclusive farm use, is not in the city’s urban growth boundary. City policy calls for the UGB’s expansion only when there is not enough land to meet housing and commercial needs for 20 years. Current inventory shows the city has enough land. "What we would be looking at (is a) UGB amendment that was specifically based on this property and affordable housing for the long term," said city Planning Director John McLaughlin. McLaughlin went to a school board meeting mid-year at the request of the housing commission to explain the steps needed to bring the property into the UGB. "If they are interested, we need an agreement from the school district and a nonprofit or for-profit developer," said McLaughlin. A guarantee of affordable housing would be one requirement, McLaughlin said, adding that the market housing element of Barchet’s proposal would be hard to justify. "I don’t see the city being supportive of bringing in additional market housing at this point." Developers Russ Dale and Larry Meddinger approached the board at a retreat more than a year ago with ideas to develop the site. The board hasn’t pursued any of the development proposals. "(The board) didn’t want to be associated with any development," said Superintendent Juli Di Chiro. "The city of Ashland has never annexed into the UGB. We don’t want to be the poster child for that." The property might serve the school district in the distant future, she said. "I’m not saying (annexation) is a dead issue, but the board has looked at it twice." Declining school enrollment that could be partly attributed to a lack of affordable housing prompted the school board to approve closing Briscoe Elementary School on Monday, saving an estimated $354,463 per year. The district also is suffering from cuts in state funding. Barchet would have preferred a delay in the closure decision until the city finds an affordable housing strategy. He was glad that a second school, Lincoln Elementary, wouldn’t be closed immediately. "Based on the numbers, it looks as if there’s still going to be some excess capacity (in the schools)," said Barchet. "There’s a little bit of leeway in accommodating young families if the affordable housing comes in. That seems more reasonable than closing the two schools." Barchet’s efforts with Galpin and Associates to develop 50 affordable units at the former Croman mill site has also be stymied. But he maintains the private sector could best build affordable housing. "That would be the preferred direction for the city ... before pursuing some of these more expensive alternatives such as land trusts or real estate transaction taxes," he said. Developer will take anothershot at Crosman mill project ASHLAND — A new Croman mill development proposal will probably head to the city’s planning commission within three or four months, said Maurice Torano, a representative of Galpin and Associates. Earlier proposals for the site, one of the city’s last available industrial areas, called for a mixed-use commercial and residential development that included 50 affordable housing units. The commission in December of 2001 rejected the developer’s application for a zone change. The commission ruled that the mixed-use approach would reduce the amount of land available for commercial and industrial development below state land-use requirements. Galpin planned to appeal the denial, but then opted for the new application. Galpin has hired land-use consultant Craig Stone and Associates to assist with the proposal. Stone has worked on applications for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s New Theatre and the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Ashland rest area and tourist center, among other projects. The new site is slightly smaller than the original 65-acre plan because a small parcel owned by LTM Inc. has been sold. Galpin has an option to purchase the remaining mill property subject to planning approval. "The development will be somewhat like the other," said Torano. He said concerns about the mix of property types and development sequence will be addressed. Original plans included a health-care facility, a church, a private school, light industry, homes and even a tourist railway stop. Developer Bill Barchet remains a consultant on the project. Reach Ashland bureau reporter Tony Boom at 482-4651, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S