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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Oregon Senate GOP wreaks havoc with Democrat agenda ... Ashland police seek suspect in armed robbery ... Medical pot may be allowed on rural residential land after all ... Oregon Senate GOP wreaks havoc with Democrat agenda ... Ashland police seek suspect in armed robbery ... Medical pot may be allowed on rural residential land after all ... ASHLAND Lithia Motors CEO to build house next to Lithia Park Comment By Julie Akins for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Julie Akins for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 26, 2016 at 11:08 AM Updated Feb 26, 2016 at 11:28 AM By Julie Akins for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 26, 2016 at 11:08 AM Updated Feb 26, 2016 at 11:28 AM » Social News Lithia Park is getting a new neighbor. A Lithia Motors executive plans to cut trees and tear down an old cafe to build a 2,926-square-foot house, plus a basement and garage, next to Ashland's community ice rink across Winburn Way from Lithia Park. City records show the Ashland Planning Commission approved construction of a retaining wall along the back of the property at 85 Winburn Way and the removal of 18 trees, including three large ones, in December, clearing the way for a house for Bryan DeBoer, chief executive officer of Lithia Motors. DeBoer, who moved to Medford when he was 6, said he wants to return to Ashland with his wife, Stephanie. “Our main reason is we want to move back home," he said. “We want to spend our last decades there and eventually retire in the home.” Architect Carlos Delgado said plans call for tearing down the structure currently on the property and building the home “over the summer or in the fall.” The current restaurant building next to the seasonal Ashland Rotary Centennial Ice Rink has been everything from an ice cream place to the vegetarian cafe Namaste. With the Community Development offices, Community Center and Pioneer Hall, that stretch of Winburn Way isn't typically thought of as a residential neighborhood, but “the whole block, all the way to the ice skating rink, is zoned for single-family homes," Ashland Senior Planner Brandon Goldman said. In 2010, Ashland City Council approved a commercial zoning change to allow a combination of offices and shops on the site, but it demanded the builder create parking in town to offset the greater need from such a building. It never wound up getting built, so the property stayed single family residential. Delgado described the DeBoers' planned home as a mid-century modern style that feels “long-lasting without looking like a public building.” “It was a challenge on how to make a transition, how to take that area from city buildings into residential,” he said. There’s no plan to buy more property or build on the city parking lot and ice rink, Delgado and city planners said. When asked why the DeBoer family would want to live on such a busy street near public buildings and parking, Delgado said, “We’ve been asked that question a lot in this past year. The family wanted something in an urban setting that also fits in. That was the challenge — to make it fit. But we think we’ve done it. ... The family has a long and touching history with Ashland. The parents and grandparents have a history with Ashland, and now Bryan wants to move back.” On Dec. 8, the Planning Commission unanimously approved the hillside development with a structural retaining wall and the removal of 18 of 21 trees on the site. Three of the trees are at least 18 inches in diameter and require tree-removal permits, which were included in the approval, commission minutes show. Delgado said he felt bad about the trees being cut, "but with the hillside and the home, it wouldn’t be possible another way. Even if they tried, those trees would get crowded and probably die.” DeBoer said the two largest oak trees on the property are already dead and need to be removed. DeBoer recalled working alongside his grandfather, who was one of the original gardeners of Lithia Park, and said, “I grew up planting trees in the park.” He plans to bring in mature trees so they look “like they were always there.” Delgado explained that the plan is to replant trees that are 4 to 6 inches in diameter, bigger “than most people would in that situation.” Delgado said DeBoer was concerned with hillside shoring and possible slides on the property and neighboring lots, so he brought in geotechnical, engineering and design experts from Portland to plan the retaining wall. “It’ll be a nice project. We look forward to living in Ashland, being involved in the community,” DeBoer said. Planning Commission minutes note Michael Daole, who lives on Laurel Street, told commissioners this is a ridiculous place for a residence and the space was more suited to public and service buildings. Connie Lynn, who lives nearby on Granite Street, told the commission a smaller house would fit the character of the area better and limit cutting back into the slope. The plans were presented Dec. 2 to Ashland's Historic Commission for a courtesy review. Although no decision was required by that commission, the minutes of the meeting note that the commission felt it was an appropriate project that would improve the area. The Tree Commission also approved the plan Dec. 3. Email Ashland freelance writer Julie Akins at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/julieakins . By Julie Akins for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Julie Akins for the Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 26, 2016 at 11:08 AM Updated Feb 26, 2016 at 11:28 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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