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Residents hire land-use lawyer By JIM DAVIS Residents in an east Medford neighborhood have hired a land-use lawyer in an attempt to stop a gas station from being built near a grocery store. Eugene Anderson of Medford will represent neighbors who are against the proposed station at the newly built Larson Shopping Creek Center at North Phoenix and Barnett roads. "We felt -- for our defense -- we should engage an attorney to represent us," said Jack Jacobs, an opponent of the project. "We want to put this thing to rest." The neighbors believe that the gas station near a new Albertson's grocery store will increase traffic, cast light into their homes and possibly be the source of gas spills. The issue is set to be taken up in a public hearing today before the Medford Site, Plan and Architectural commission. The hearing begins at noon at Medford City Hall, 411 W. Eighth St. The commission is also expected to take another swing at a golf-course project proposed south of Medford's airport. Portland-based businessman Roland Haertl has submitted revised plans for two nine-hole golf courses and a driving range on 47 acres of land between Corona and Whittle avenues in north Medford. Zoning is not an obstacle, because golf courses are encouraged under airport approaches. Jackson County owns both the parcel and the airport, and it wants to lease the land. At a meeting in May, nearly two dozen north Medford residents protested aspects of the the project, which was first proposed in 1992 but has been trapped on the drawing boards of three different developers. Associate city planner Scott Rogers said Haertl's revised plans eliminate a family "entertainment center." The new plans also call for moving a miniature golf course to one side of a parking lot and relocating a maintenance facility. On the gas station issue, the commission turned down plans for the four-pump station earlier this year, and the decision was appealed to the Medford City Council. The council returned the issue to the commission. At a meeting last month, neighbors questioned nine points of city law. One of the main issues, neighbors say, is that city code requires that service stations be built on parcels of at least 22,500 square feet. The proposed site is on a tax lot of 15,000 square feet. The city attorney and city staff made an interpretation that "site is not synonymous with a lot," said Rogers. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA