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Interests converge over prospects for railroad site Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming Known commonly as the "railroad property," a 74-acre Ashland parcel is the subject of various development ideas. The land included in the project are owned by numerous parties, but about half is owned by Union Pacific Railroad and is expected to be sold following a contamination clean-up. By Sara Murphy ASHLAND � City planners are inviting residents and developers to help create a master plan for a new mixed-use neighborhood located a stone�s throw from A Street. The 74-acre "railroad property," as it�s called by planners, is bordered by the train tracks and East Hersey Street, Oak Street and North Mountain Avenue. "It�s in the heart of Ashland," says Associate Planner Maria Harris. The property is about a half-mile from the Plaza and sits adjacent to the Railroad District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Because of the property�s key location and size, the city has initiated a public design process that will help residents and developers work together to plan a network of streets and some design concepts for the area. A two-part series of charrettes (design meetings) is scheduled Monday and Wednesday at the Hillah Building. Drop-in sessions with the project�s consultants are planned on Tuesday. Charrettes are a fast-paced planning method that allows parties interested in a project development to meet with the designers to express ideas. Representatives from Lennertz, Coyle & Associates, a Portland architecture and planning firm, will lead the sessions and create a master plan for the neighborhood. "When you start having neighbors and developers getting together, it�s a good thing," says Jim Lewis, a former member of the Ashland Historic Commission, who lives on A Street and also owns a half-acre parcel within the railroad property. About 100 people attended a kick-off meeting last month to discuss the project; planners are hoping citizens will continue to express their interest now, rather than later. "I think anytime you have divergent opinions within the community, it�s probably better to talk about it beforehand," Harris says. The railroad property is zoned E-1 for mixed-use commercial development with a residential overlay. "It�s a really flexible zone," Harris says. "You can do everything from retail to office space to light industry, such as machine assembly." About 30 acres of the property are undeveloped, Harris says. The 74 acres included in the project are owned by numerous parties, but about half the undeveloped land is owned by Union Pacific Railroad and is expected to be sold following a contamination clean-up. Harris says the property makes up about one-third of the commercial land the city is estimated to need in the next 20 years. Planning Commissioner John Fields, owner of Golden-Fields Construction, is currently working on developing a mixed-used "village" on about 7 acres of the property. "It�s not like anything you normally see," he says. Plans for the development include a doctor�s office and glass-blowing studio, each topped by three apartments. "The theory is that people don�t go away at 5 o�clock, they live their lives there, they have neighbors," says Lewis, who plans to build housing over office space on his property. Both Fields and Lewis say establishing a street grid within the railroad property will be an important element of the master plan. "Access is going to be key," Lewis says. "Right now it�s kind of landlocked by the railroad tracks and businesses on Hersey." The design process is funded by a $70,000 grant from the Transportation and Growth Management Program of the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Department of Land Conservation and Development, according to Harris. "This is a chance for the city to have (the state) pay for our visioning, and I think it�s a wonderful idea," Lewis says. "There�s some very neat, new urban style development going on," he adds. "If we plan for smart growth, that�s the least we can do. This is part of that." Reach Ashland bureau reporter Sara Murphy at 482-4655, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.