Document text
Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 24, 2005 Parks fees stay pooled The Medford City Council decided the fees, paid by developers, won’t be earmarked for individual projects By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune After more than a year of discussion, the Medford City Council decided Thursday that parks fees will continue to be pooled citywide rather than going to neighborhoods where development is happening. "This allows a little more flexibility," said Councilman Greg Jones during a council study session. Developers of the Southeast Plan proposed in 2004 to earmark parks system development charges for the Southeast Plan rather than putting the planned community’s portion into a big pot for the whole city, as is the policy. The Parks and Recreation Commission opposed the idea in February 2004, but it is ultimately a council decision. The Southeast Plan is a 1,000-acre planned community east of North Phoenix Road near Barnett Road. It calls for between 20 and 35 acres of park land and between 15,000 and 20,000 linear feet of bike paths and greenways. City policy states that parks development charges go into one fund for the entire city, and that parks projects are prioritized citywide. The fee is paid when the builder applies for a building permit. It offsets the costs that development adds to providing city services. Advertisement Developers of the Southeast Plan were concerned that putting their parks at the bottom of the list meant it could be a decade before the parks were built, so they were looking for a way to build parks sooner. They proposed keeping the parks fees and building the parks themselves. Medford Parks Commission members viewed the request as setting a bad precedent, one that would result in other parks projects being pushed even further down a long list as new developments were able to build their parks. Brian Sjothun, parks and recreation department director, told the council it’s not necessary to change the system to get parks built. He said it’s possible to move the Southeast Plan parks up the priority list with the existing system. He said the Southeast Plan parks weren’t even on a list before. Councilman Jim Key said he doesn’t support leaving the system the way it is, because Southeast Plan developers can build a park cheaper and faster than the city of Medford can. But Sjothun said it’s still possible for developers and the city to work together on parks. Sjothun said the Southeast Plan needs about $17 million for parks projects, and will generate about $7 million in development charges. It’s in developers’ best interest to be part of the city system, he said. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 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. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Air Purifiers Advertisement s