Document text
42 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, April 11, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend March 31, 2004 Wal-Mart’s Central Point store approved Central Point Planning Commission works until after midnight on the issue By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT — After nearly five hours — three-and-a-half of which were spent rehashing issues reportedly decided last week — planning commission members decided after midnight Tuesday to approve a 207,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter. While community development director Tom Humphrey said last week that the issues of whether the proposed store should be considered a permitted use and whether it would require a conditional use permit were decided by the planning commission, much of the Tuesday night meeting was spent revisiting those issues. While a half-dozen residents spoke in favor of the store, nearly two dozen voiced opposition because of concerns including traffic, economical impact and impact on downtown businesses. Planning commission members, however, voted to formalize the two decisions made March 18 — that the proposal was in fact a permitted use and would not require a condition use permit. At 11:45 p.m., deliberation had just begun as to whether to approve the site plan, much to the dismay of nearly half of the 200 audience members remaining. Advertisement Despite deciding that the store was a permitted C4 use, planning commission chairman Chuck Piland felt the planning commission had been persuaded to believe the proposal was a permitted use, but he said that a lot of new information was presented at the meeting and that the commission would need more time to seek guidance from city planning staff. Wal-Mart officials denied an extension request last month leaving city staff and some residents feeling that information pertinent to the case was unavailable. "The feeling of the planning commission seems to be that this is a permitted use in the C4 zone. I think that’s unfortunate because I don’t think in any way shape or form that this could be called a community shopping center," said Piland. Becca Croft, a Central Point resident and spokeswoman for the Central Point First citizens group formed to represent concerns about the impacts a Supercenter would have on the community, presented evidence in the city municipal code that the project failed to meet C4 zoning requirement on a number of issues. Most important, she said, were that such uses as outdoor garden sales, tire services and sporting goods which offer firearm sales, are permitted in C5 but not C4. "These uses are not appropriate in C4 zoning." she said. "If you can find these prohibited uses are somehow permitted, what is the point of a municipal code? Why not just put a question mark over all undeveloped land in the city? If this is approved, this commission will have defrauded property owners of Central Point." Naumes property manager Robert Boggess said at press time that he was pleased with the planning commission’s initial two findings that the store was a permitted use and that a conditional use permit would not be required and expected the process to continue to go smoothly. "The planning commission clearly worked very hard at taking all the public testimony, made significant deliberations and reached the unanimous decision that we and Wal-Mart had hoped for," Boggess said. City Council members will review further decisions of the planning commission at an April 15. Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times