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County decides on Safeway today Commissioners could sign pact to buy old store in west Medford By Dani Dodge Jackson County commissioners will decide today whether to buy the old Safeway building in west Medford for a new parole and probation office. "This is the official action that says we have agreed to buy the building and we are signing on the dotted line with the sellers in New York," said County Administrator Sue Slack. "It�s an important building for us because we haven�t been successful in finding another building, although we�ve looked around a lot. "Safeway meets our needs in size, location and parking." But those living near the abandoned grocery store object strenuously to having a parole and probation office in their neighborhood and across the street from a small, private school. "I feel the county was offered many good and viable alternatives but chose to ignore them and go ahead with Safeway as it is," said John Michaels, a Medford city councilman and west Medford resident. "And as such it really angered the neighborhood." Commissioners will make their decision at a meeting that begins at 9:30 a.m. today in the County Courthouse auditorium. The county has negotiated to purchase the site at 1101 W. Main St., for $940,000, plus closing costs, Slack said. "We offered what we believed was a fair price, and it was accepted by the owners and we think it�s a good deal for the county," Slack said. The move would save the county money by putting all the major parole and probation services in one building. It also will save the money the county currently pays to rent another space, officials have said. The county is working on putting other community services in the building to assuage the community anger, but neighbors have continued to protest the move. They even picketing a meeting of county officials working to make the parole and probation office palatable to residents. Residents are worried about criminals in their streets and the safety of their children. They are concerned about the decline of their property values and consider the move an affront to their efforts to make west Medford a place of pride. "We spent all the money we had to buy these houses and put work into making west Medford a better place and they will ruin all that by bringing in busloads of these people," said Terah Kropp, who lives nearby. She said that the residents won�t be mollified and will continue to fight. If the commissioners go forward with the purchase, she said the group will thwart any county money measures that come up in the future and work to get decision-makers replaced. "They are still high on something if they think we will be happy with it someday," Kropp said. "We won�t put up with this." Slack said that the closing of the deal will take several weeks after the commissioners make their decision. Then county will go through the design phase of the project. The project won�t be completed until late fall, she predicted. She said the county will continue to work with the neighbors and try to alleviate their fears and concerns. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA