City Hall landscape project nears end - September 27, 2004

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2004-10-10

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43 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, October 10, 2004   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   Joy Magazine   Homelife Magazine   Wedding Guide   Rogue Valley's Finest   EXTRA   Newspaper in Education   Personals   Movie Times   TV Times   E The People   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 September 27, 2004 City Hall landscape project nears end We received several Since You Asked questions from Medford residents wondering about the Medford City Hall landscaping project, so here’s an overall update which we hope covers all the questions: According to Brian Sjothun, the city’s parks and recreation superintendent and interim director, sidewalks should be completed mid-October and irrigation and landscaping is about to start going in. By the end of October, residents will be able to walk up the front steps into the front doors again. But, yes, it’s been a mess for a long time. The building’s seismic retrofitting project finished up in spring 2003, and then while the city was batting around landscaping proposals, the grounds around Medford City Hall were resembling a moonscape. In October 2003, the council decided to do a quick grass seeding, in part to keep City Hall grounds from becoming a mud slide in the fall rains. Advertisement Then in May the city began removing the unhealthy trees and old sidewalks, to make way for the new plans. The Medford Urban Renewal Agency is spending around $200,000 on sidewalks, trees, lamps and a retaining wall. The city is spending $245,000 for trees, shrubs, grasses and irrigation. Of that, $45,000 is from grants from the Medford Water Commission for designing a less water-intensive plan than what had been in place before. There are also plans for a water feature or water fountain. "We’re going to put in some uplighting so the trees and signs will be lit up," said Sjothun. He also said electrical outlets will be put in so there can be holiday tree lighting. The landscaping was designed by Galbraith & Associates of Medford and an early design can be seen at www.ci.medford.or.us . Go to the Parks and Recreation Department page, and click on "City Hall Landscape Redesign" in the left column. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News  | Sports  | Business  | Obituaries  | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives  |  Site Map   E Southern Oregon  | Classified   Copyright © 1997-2004 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