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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 13, 2005 I-5 rest stop project returns By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Developers of a proposed welcome center north of Ashland have filed a Measure 37 claim to overcome zoning obstacles blocking the project. "I think Measure 37 was written exactly for this property," said Charles Kenney, one of four owners of the 18.4-acre parcel that sits just north of Valley View Drive to the west of Interstate 5 and is zoned open space reserve. Kenney owns the property along with Darrell Hinnewinkel and Reginald and Annette Breeze. The Breezes filed the Measure 37 claim recently with the county, which so far has received about 60 claims. Approved by voters in November, the measure gives property owners the right to ask a government agency to either pay for lost property value because of zoning changes or provide a waiver of the offending land-use regulation. Kenney said the four owners want to build a 1,500-square-foot welcome center, a dog walking area, a 350-square-foot travel information center, a "Welcome to Oregon" sign and an entry structure that says, "Oregon Welcome Center." Advertisement The welcome center will be leased back to the Oregon Department of Transportation and the travel information center back to the Oregon Travel Information Council. The owners’ proposal was selected from four submitted to the council and ODOT in 2003. Originally the developers hoped to have the welcome center open by summer 2005, but Kenney said it became apparent that they wouldn’t receive a zoning change from the county to convert the land into interchange commercial. Kenney said when they bought the property in 1979, it was zoned interchange commercial. "Since then it has been continuously downzoned by the county," he said. Debbie Timms, project leader with ODOT, said she has been aware of obstacles standing in the way of building the welcome center. However, she said ODOT will be coming up with an interim solution to help truckers who have found there are no bathrooms as they stop at the Point of Entry to weigh their vehicles. "We felt we needed to do something for them," she said, adding that rest rooms are in the works. Funds are still available to pay for a lease on the welcome center. ODOT has earmarked $3 million for road improvements at the Valley View interchange, including installation of signal lights at the on- and off-ramps and at Eagle Mill Road. Lowe Road would be realigned to help direct traffic to the rest area. The state doesn’t plan to close down the southbound rest stop located four miles to the north near Talent. The state closed the Siskiyou Rest Area at milepost 10 for safety reasons in January 1996. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, 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 www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztechmedia Website Hosting Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Advertisement s