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ASHLAND Ashland City Council wants changes to agreement with ODOT for I-5 welcome center Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 13, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News After a lengthy debate Tuesday night, the Ashland City Council decided to modify, rather than reject, an inter-governmental agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation to supply water to a controversial rest stop on Interstate 5. A motion to reject the agreement for the Siskyou Safety Rest Area and Welcome Center, spearheaded by councilors Greg Lemhouse and Carol Voisin, failed in a 2-4 vote. The majority instead voted to negotiate with ODOT and Travel Oregon — which would lease the welcome center from the state — to include language providing the "strongest possible assurances" that the welcome center would be staffed on a daily basis. The proposed rest area is intended to replace an earlier rest area on I-5 that was closed in 1997. The federal government requires rest areas to placed no more than 60 miles apart and requested it be replaced as soon as possible. The proposed site, at milepost 12.5 adjacent to the Oak Knoll neighborhood, was chosen back in 2008, but construction has been delayed several times by land-use battles. In February, the council removed a four-year completion requirement it had imposed as a condition of providing city water to the site, and directed Assistant City Attorney Doug McGeary to draft a final agreement with ODOT including the city's  "wish list" of safety and security  measures. "I felt that in my requests for what we wanted, they were mostly agreeable," McGeary said. But ODOT officials told McGeary they couldn't guarantee that Travel Oregon, which plans to staff the welcome center with paid personnel, would be able to staff it on a daily basis, citing unknown future variables. Officials also said a requested $250,000 fire-prevention sprinkler system exceeded the department's budget and wouldn't be necessary, since the facility would be built out of fire-retardant materials. Lemhouse described the city's requests as basic and reasonable, and said the state was demonstrating a lack of willingness to work with the city. "I don't see where at all this is a negotiation," he said. "Unless I see something drastically different, I can't see changing my mind on it." Lemhouse pointed out that the cost of the sprinkler system is less than the median price of a home in the Oak Knoll neighborhood, which suffered heavy damage in a 2010 wildfire. Councilor Pam Marsh said state officials had acted in good faith and had largely been receptive to the city's concerns. "I think we're doing due diligence here," she said. Officials say the total costs of the rest area will exceed $12 million, $1.5 million of which will paid by the city of Medford in a loan to ODOT in exchange for purpose-restricted revenue from state gas taxes. A modified agreement is expected to be brought back to the council for approval within the next few weeks. Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471, or by email at [email protected] . Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty . By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 13, 2015 at 12:01 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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