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Median is latest bump in road saga By Jessica Smith The latest conflict in the East McAndrews Road extension saga has City Hall officials pondering whether they should scrap a portion of the plan. At a meeting Thursday, the Medford City Council learned developer Noel Moore and land owner Arthur Dubs have been unable to secure a deal that would allow Moore to build a landscaped median on Dubs� property as part of the extension project. This latest obstacle follows months of legal wrangling over whether county law even permits construction of the road. Although the median was not part of the original proposal for the McAndrews extension, it became part of the plan when Moore and Dubs agreed on the 1,700-foot tree-lined strip. "That was just a gentleman�s agreement in a discussion," said Mel Winkelman, a former city councilman who now represents Moore. The council, however, committed to including the landscaped strip when it approved the extension plan. The project would link McAndrews farther east to developments flanking Roxy Ann Peak. Under the plan, Moore is responsible for building the upper portion of the road extension above Foothills Road. In exchange, the city agreed to give Moore about 160 acres of land. A conflict over the value of Dubs� land, however, prompted Moore to seek the city�s help in dropping the median from his portion of the project. Dubs says the land for the median � a 10-foot-wide strip about 1,700 feet long � is valued at $29,000. An appraisal commissioned by the city, however, puts the land value at $2,100. Because Moore and Dubs can�t agree on how to proceed with the median project, responsibility may fall to the city. If the city wants the median, it will have to do so at its own expense, Public Works Director Cory Crebbin told the council. Costs for building the landscaped strip are estimated at $28,000. The council took no action on Moore�s request at its meeting Thursday, voting instead to discuss the matter further Nov. 2. Some members voiced support for retaining the median, citing traffic management and safety concerns. "We may not have an obligation to put (the median) in, but we may have an interest in putting it in," Councilman John Michaels said. This summer, progress on the Moore�s section of the McAndrews Road extension was stalled when a private landowner raised legal objections. The owner argued � and a judge agreed � that a county ordinance prohibited road-building on natural resource lands inside urban growth boundaries. The county has amended its ordinances as a first step in resolving the conflict and clearing the way for the road to be built. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.