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SUNNY Temp: 88 °F Wind: WNW at 10 mph Thursday, July 24, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 17, 2003 Developer Joe Kantor and real estate agent Cynthia Naumes stand in what's left of the Crystal Springs warehouse, which was destroyed by fire in 2002. Kantor is exploring the possibility of building townhouses on the downtown Medford property. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Probe at an impasse Medford police suspect two people in a 2002 warehouse fire, but say they don’t have enough evidence to file charges Stories by ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Despite having two suspects, Medford police have shelved their investigation into a fire that destroyed a vacant warehouse at 11th and Front streets in August. Detective Steve Edson, a trained arson investigator who headed the department’s inquiry into the blaze, retired at the end of May. During his last week on the job, he fine-tuned his report on the fire investigation so another detective can wrap up the case if new information is uncovered. "We have two suspects, but not enough evidence to charge either one of them," Edson said. Advertisement The investigation found one man who bragged to a dozen people around Medford that he set the fire with a pipe bomb he made and then triggered with a cell-phone call. Police arranged a polygraph test to verify his claims, but the suspect’s attorney blocked the test because he didn’t approve of the department’s choice of polygraph administrator, Edson said. Police also heard that a homeless man knew details about the fire that weren’t common knowledge, Edson said. The man told friends he accidentally had started the blaze when he lit some papers inside the warehouse with his lighter so he could see. The man has had frequent run-ins with police and refused to cooperate with investigators in this case, Edson said. "If any new information comes up, a sergeant or lieutenant would assign this case to a new detective," he said. Fire and police investigators called the massive blaze that destroyed the Cold Springs Packing Co. warehouse Aug. 27 suspicious from the start. After the fire started around 10:30 that night, witnesses reported seeing people running from the vacant building, which owner David Culbertson had planned to demolish after salvaging old beams. The fire, which sent flames shooting 100 feet into the air and drew firefighters from around the county, gutted a brick warehouse dating to the 1920s and two attached concrete structures. The warehouse complex covered the block between 11th and 12th streets and Front Street and the railroad tracks An Oregon State Police arson investigator and a dog trained to sniff out flammable liquids found possible accelerants in the burned rubble. Edson said paint and vehicles stored in the old warehouse could have left behind the scents the dog found, so the information was inconclusive. Culbertson hired Tom White Trucking to haul away the rubble and prepare the site for sale. The main building didn’t have asbestos or other environmental concerns, he said. No beams or other materials were salvageable. "I had to get rid of the debris and get it down to the bones," Culbertson said. When only the foundations remained, he sold the property to Joseph Kantor Construction last month for $95,000. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] . Developer envisions condo in warehouse lot Developer Joe Kantor has bought the site of the old Crystal Springs Packing Co. warehouse that burned in August and is preparing it for construction. However, he hasn’t decided what to build yet. The lot, which runs the length of the block of Front Street between 11th and 12th streets, could accommodate 21,000 square feet of warehouse space or — with a zone change — 12 townhouse-style condominiums, Kantor said. Kantor bought the property in May for $95,000 from Crystal Springs Packing Co. Joe Kantor Construction has removed about two-thirds of the blackened concrete foundations that remained after clean-up by Crystal Spring’s owner David Culbertson. Kantor said he is working with Medford engineering firm Marquess & Associates Inc. to fill the old basement and ready the lot for construction. The proposal for a possible condo project has attracted "quite a bit of interest," Kantor said. Low mortgage rates continue to feed a booming residential real estate market, and people who work downtown have expressed interest in living near the city center, he said. The proposed condo project would cost about $1.2 million, Kantor said. If he can get a zone change, which he hasn’t applied for yet, he would like to seek building permits and start construction within the next year. Without a zone change, he still could start the warehouse project within the next year. That option would cost about $750,000, he estimated. The warehouses would provide space for tradespeople, he said. Kantor is also pushing ahead with a second project in the warehouse district. This spring Kantor also purchased a vacant lot at the corner of Fir and 13th streets from Naumes Inc. He plans to build an office and warehouse there. The proposed building would have 2,000 square feet of space and an estimated cost of $180,000, he said. He said he would like to start that project within the next year. Medford police to wait six months before hiring new arson expert Medford police plan to wait six months to hire a detective to replace Steve Edson, and they won’t necessarily seek an arson expert, Lt. Mike Moran said. The delay will save money and help the department stay flexible as budgets tighten, Moran said. Fiscal concerns also drive the need for detectives who can handle a variety of cases. "It’s neat to have that expertise," Moran said of arson investigators. "But our budget requires generalists." While Edson regularly trained to keep up with the latest techniques in arson investigation, he also specialized in elder abuse and homicide cases, as well as handling a full load of more mundane crimes. Police plan to rely on fire department investigators to pinpoint fire causes and identify suspicious blazes, Moran said. The information they gather would be passed to police detectives. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. 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