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Hearing set on Jacksonville spruce-up Plan outlines 49 projects aiming to renovate city's historic downtown By MELISSA MARTIN JACKSONVILLE -- Residents are expected to pack Old City Hall Tuesday as the debate continues over a proposed $1.1 million plan to spruce up downtown Jacksonville. The Jacksonville City Council will hold a public hearing about the Core Enhancement Plan, created by the Portland consulting firm Shapiro & Associates Inc. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Old City Hall, on the corner of Oregon and Main streets. The plan outlines 49 projects that range from building a visitor's center near the Britt Gardens to realigning sidewalks to encourage people to walk, rather than drive, around town. "I like one thing in the plan -- changing the streetlights back to old-fashioned street lamps," said Debi Bisbee, a Medford fire investigator who lives in Jacksonville. "But other than that, there's not much else I agree with," she said. For example, Bisbee called the proposed fountain at the corner of Oregon and Main streets "too glitzy." She also objected to the proposal to place a traffic cop at the corner of Oregon and California streets to help traffic congestion. "If they want to bring in more staff, they should add to the fire department because it is completely understaffed," said Bisbee, whose husband is one of about 10 volunteers with the Jacksonville Fire Department. Jeff Levin, owner of MacLevin's Whole Foods Saloon & Bakery in Jacksonville, said he has collected 34 names on a petition opposing the plan. Levin said the plan's funding option of taxing Jacksonville diners could drive customers away from his restaurant and others in the historic town. When the council meets Tuesday, members will consider the Jacksonville Planning Commission's recommendation last week that the plan be put on hold. The Planning Commission and the city's Historical and Architectural Review Commission also suggested several changes next time the plan is discussed, said Terry Wilensky, a member of both commissions: Removing from the proposal a pedestrian plaza on the corner of Main and Oregon; deleting a proposal for an archway over Highway 238 near the Britt Gardens. Replacing any references to metal awnings on business fronts with canopies that meet city codes Using street lamps outside city hall as the model when replacing downtown lighting Limiting outdoor cafes to side streets. Using flagstone or cobblestone instead of concrete when creating crosswalks. Jacksonville resident and historian Marshall Lango told the Planning Commission last month that arches in historic Jacksonville photographs were made of pine boughs and were temporary, not permanent like the Core Enhancement Plan suggested. In the past, arches were hoisted one week a year by the Redmen fraternal organization, he said. Only the most controversial projects in the Core Enhancement Plan are sparking debates, city planners said. The plan also calls for cleaning up the city's storm drainage problems, rebuilding crumbling and broken sidewalks, creating a safer place for music fans to cross busy Highway 238, and creating rules for business owners who want to put street furniture such as waste baskets and spittoons on city sidewalks, said Paul Wyntergreen, city administrator. Jacksonville would pay for the $1.1 million downtown improvements partly by forming an urban renewal district, which freezes assessed values and reserves any increases in a 20-year period for the projects. The city would also pay for the projects using state and federal grants, fees from the newly created parking district and fees paid by developers (system development charges). The plan also lists room, meal and event taxes as a funding option. The council is looking at the Core Enhancement Plan at the same time as another controversial plan. City Council members recently approved fees for a parking district that has been in place since 1977. The plan limits visitor parking, requires permits for residents who live near the Britt Gardens and requires Jacksonville businesses to pay an annual fee for parking spaces. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA