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OneValley aims to coordinate planning Drew Fleming photo Planning for growth such as housing developments while keeping valuable open space is among the goals of a regional problem-solving project that involves seven cities, Jackson County, the state and two jurisdictions. Tonia Circle in Medford is in the foreground, with Morrison Avenue in the background. Cooperative effort will peer 50 years into future of Rogue Valley By Tony Boom Imagine the scenic farmland that now graces North Phoenix Road south of Medford disappearing into row after row of houses. That�s the type of vision a regional problem-solving project hopes to avoid. In a process mandated by the 1996 Oregon Legislature, planning decisions throughout the valley will be guided by the interdependence of Bear Creek Valley jurisdictions. OurRegion was a 1995 precursor OneValley is not the first regional problem-solving effort in Jackson County. In 1995, the Rogue Valley Council of Governments established a citizen-driven project called OurRegion to address Jackson County�s growth-related concerns. OurRegion is viewed by RVCOG as jump-starting the concept of a regional approach to land-use planning. The adhoc Multijurisdictional Committee on Urban Reserve was established in 1998 by Jackson County and the Medford City Council after the two entities had failed to agree on a Medford urban reserve area as required by state law. Representatives from Phoenix, Jacksonville, Central Point and White City were also included. But in 1999 the Department of Land Conservation and Development decided to make the urban reserve rule voluntary. That decision prompted the committee to authorize RVCOG to seek the grant for regional planning that was awarded in April 2000. Website information on the present regional problem solving effort is available at www.rvcog.org . In their vision, individual community identity would be maintained through open space between towns. The best forestland and farmland would be preserved. Housing, employment and transportation needs would be coordinated. Called "OneValley," the effort includes the state, Jackson County, Ashland, Central Point, Eagle Point, Jacksonville, Medford, Phoenix, Talent, the Medford Water Commission and the Bear Creek Valley Sanitary Authority. The project is supported by grants of $85,000 from the Department of Land Conservation and Development and $25,000 from the Oregon Lottery�s Economic and Community Development Department. It is managed by the Rogue Valley Council of Governments. "Basically, it�s a 50-year-plus look at the future of regional planning," said Michael Cavallaro, executive director of RVCOG. "We are trying to come up with a plan for the next 50 years of growth � where it is most appropriate and where it is less appropriate." More than 60 percent of the county�s residents live in the greater Bear Creek Valley communities participating in the process. Four committees meet to develop the regional approach. Resource Land Review Committee . This group, which includes orchardists, farmers and foresters, will identify the area�s most valuable farm and forest lands and make recommendations on changes in land use. "When we establish a process through model building, we will be able to identify land suitable for development or agriculture or forestry," said Steven Ziegler, a forestry consultant. "I think the tool will be a good one when it is done with the model building." Citizen Involvement Committee. This group is charged with identifying the area�s most valuable open space. Landscapes, riparian areas and buffer space between cities are among the types of open spaces the committee has tried to identify. Entities will coordinate land-use plans Regional Problem Solving�s main products won�t be available for at least six months, but there is one successful result already, reports Michael Cavallaro, executive director of the Rogue Valley Council of Governments. Jackson County and the seven cities have agreed to coordinate periodic reviews of land-use plans that ensure alignment with state land-use regulations. Oregon counties review plans every 10 years, while municipalities review on a 15-year cycle. Starting in 2012, using 2010 census data, the cities and the county will conduct their reviews at the same time. Bear Creek Valley will be the first region in the state to undertake the coordinated effort. "The cities must adjust but they are willing to do that even though it incurs costs," said Cavallaro. "They think increased coordination will allow them to avoid a lot of problems down the road." "Open space ... hasn�t been as easy to define as ag or forest lands," said committee member Pat Acklin, a Southern Oregon University professor and former planner. "There�s a factual link between definitions of those lands and what�s been set aside." Using photos and with pens in hand, the group took a first stab in November at marking out buffer spaces between cities, Acklin said. "We didn�t look at maps that already had lines drawn on them," said Acklin. "We looked at aerial photos with real land." A flood plain along Antelope Creek between Eagle Point and White City was identified as unsuitable for development and is one possible buffer zone, said Acklin. Committee members Acklin and Carl Krack both said the group�s makeup is diverse, ranging from developers to conservationists. "I don�t see anyone trying to carry a position or having a prejudgment as to what�s appropriate," Krack said. Technical Committee. This group, which is composed of administrators and planners employed by the jurisdictions, takes recommendations from the Resource Land and Citizen Involvement committees. "The Technical Committee is the workhorse of the project," said Cavallaro. It will prepare final work products, seek clarifications from the other committees and pass on recommendations to the Policy Committee. Policy Committee. Composed of elected officials from the cities and Jackson County, this committee "is the ultimate approving body for whatever recommendations the other committees make," said Cavallaro. "But each member jurisdiction will have to approve parts that pertain to them. There could be lots of sub-agreements, but each jurisdiction has ultimate authority." For example, a buffer area between Phoenix and Talent would have to be agreed upon by both towns and the county. Cavallaro hopes to have a draft plan for regional growth in place by late summer. At that point, there will be a public input process. "Regional planning has real hot-button issues," said Cavallaro. "How important is it to preserve (agricultural) land? How important is open space? And how you would pay for it?" Reach Ashland bureau reporter Tony Boom at 482-4651, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.