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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds 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 Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 11, 2003 Eagle Point eyes 70% growth By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Eagle Point officials have proposed expanding the size of the city by 70 percent because they expect to run out of available land in 10 years. The proposal, under consideration by the Rogue Valley Council of Governments, would add more than 1,300 acres to a city that is currently 1,868 acres, including its urban growth boundary. Mike Cavallero, director of RVCOG, said the areas that have been designated for future growth by the city are just suggestions that will be reviewed to determine effects on transportation, wetlands and the availability of local jobs. "What they’re going to come out with will be quite a bit smaller," Cavallero said. One of the biggest problems would be potential congestion on Highway 62, which faces traffic problems already. Advertisement "No doubt some other north/south corridor would have to be established," he said. Other communities have submitted similar plans, but relative to its size, Eagle Point’s proposal is the largest of any city in the county. "They’ve cast a wider net because they didn’t have the same constraints as other jurisdictions," he said, citing proximity to farmlands or neighboring communities. Eagle Point City Administrator Dave Hussell said the city needs to expand because it predicts it will run out of space in 10 years. At current growth projections of 5.5 percent annually, the city expects to more than double its population of 6,530 and fill in all the remaining space in Eagle Point and its urban growth boundary. Hussell said state law requires cities to plan ahead for 20 years, providing the rationale for discussing an expansion of its boundaries. By adding another 1,300 acres, the city could accommodate a population of 23,000, he said. According to a map prepared by RVCOG in November, the growth would occur mostly toward the east, but also to a lesser extent toward the north and south. To the north, the city is limited by vernal pools, and to the south, it needs to protect flood plains of two creeks. Another, smaller expansion to the west of Highway 62 would open that area up to more commercial development. Hussell said the present growth proposal is scaled back from earlier versions that were about double the size. Hussell said the city hasn’t yet submitted a formal application to expand its urban growth boundaries, although it anticipates doing so in the future. "We can’t grow into any of these areas without going through a UGB expansion process," he said. But Eagle Point wanted to make sure that RVCOG had some idea as to its expansion plans to aid in long-range regional planning for the valley. Reacting to some complaints over the scale of the expansion, Hussell said it is unfair to criticize Eagle Point for presenting this proposal. "Whether Eagle Point has twice as much land is insignificant because other communities will also grow, but at different rates," he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers