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Medford adds to its growth area Mail Tribune / Jim Craven This 97-acre property at Foothill and Hillcrest roads was brought into the urban growth boundary by the city of Medford at a Thursday meeting of the City Council. The property�s owners, Dunbar and Jane Carpenter, say they have no immediate plans to subdivide and develop the property, which currently is zoned for farm use. Carpenters say they don�t plan development By Jessica Smith Dunbar and Jane Carpenter want to add 97 acres of farmland they own to Medford�s urban growth boundary, but they say they have no immediate plans to develop the property. The Medford City Council approved the Carpenter�s request, and the annexation applications of four other land owners, Thursday night. "We do not want to subdivide," Dunbar Carpenter said in an interview before the council took up his petition. "We do not expect to change (the use of the property) in the foreseeable future." The land, off Foothill and Hillcrest roads outside the city�s urban growth boundary, is used today for vineyards and hay production. Carpenter said annexing the property to the urban growth boundary "fits in with our family planning" but declined to elaborate on those plans. County zoning sets aside the Carpenter land � valued by the city at $626,850 � exclusively for farm uses. Once the Carpenter property is incorporated in the city�s urban growth boundary, a zoning change could permit four or six houses per acre, said Rob Scott, Medford�s planning director. Zone changes are a process separate from annexation requests. A zoning change could also mean more houses on 48 acres off Foothill and Lone Pine roads, where a portion of the McAndrews Road extension is expected to go. The owner, Arthur Dubs, was unavailable for comment. Clark Stevens, a principal with the company representing Dubs, The Richard Stevens Co., said he is unaware of any plans Dubs may have for the land. "We�re just annexing it at this point," Stevens said. "We have seen zero plans at this date." Valued by the city at $411,960, the 48 acres is currently governed by county zoning that limits development to one house per five acres. To be consistent with the city�s land-use plan, the property could be rezoned to allow four houses per acre. With the council�s approval Thursday, the city will grow by about 150 acres. In addition to the Carpenter and Dubs applications, the council approved the following annexation requests: A .30-acre parcel off Peach and Aspen streets, a portion of which will serve as a parking lot for the Head Start office on Peach Street. Because of Head Start�s nonprofit status, the property will not be subject to city taxes. A half-acre lot off Archer Drive and South Columbus Avenue, which the owner wants to connect to the Medford Water Commission. Property taxes for the year would be $342. Three parcels totaling 2.32 acres off Archer Drive and Happy Valley Drive, which will be used for housing. Property taxes for the year would be $536. Annexation of the Carpenter�s and Dubs�s land would generate $2,032 and $1,378, respectively, in city property taxes each year. Reach reporter Jessica Smith at 776-4481, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.