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URBAN GROWTH BOUNDARY Medford council wants to add 4,400 acres to urban growth boundary Medford wants to add 4,400 acres, including parks, Hillcrest Orchards Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Mar. 21, 2016 at 5:14 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Mar. 21, 2016 at 5:14 PM » Social News A 10-year effort to expand Medford’s boundaries hit a milestone when the City Council agreed to add 4,400 acres for future expansion, most of it ringed around existing city limits and also including Chrissy and Prescott parks. The council approved a “grand bargain” Thursday that brought in much of Hillcrest Orchards, which has struggled to have its property included within the new boundaries. Before the urban growth boundary becomes official, it will have to be approved by Jackson County and then by the Land Conservation and Development Commission. Not including the two parks, the city proposes adding 1,669 acres of buildable land. Most of the land proposed for Medford's growth is to the northeast and southeast. There are parcels north of East Vilas Road; land east of North Phoenix Road; Hillcrest Orchards, where RoxyAnn Winery sits; and Centennial Golf Club, owned by the Rogue Valley Manor. Smaller parcels are proposed south of Garfield Street and west of town. The council recently had been discussing three options proposed by city staff, but ultimately it chose a fourth option referred to as the “grand bargain” and proposed by CSA Planning Ltd. of Medford. City planning staff initially suggested adding Hillcrest Orchards, but when other developers clamored for inclusion, Hillcrest was taken off the list of properties. After Hillcrest Orchards objected, the city agreed to add it back in except for the northwest corner of the property. The extra acres from Hillcrest have created a potential sticking point. It has been opposed by 1000 Friends of Oregon and could bring potential objections from Land Conservation and Development. “The record contains no justification for adding 153 acres of land back to the Planning Commission’s recommendation for UGB expansion,” a letter dated Feb. 22 from Greg Holmes of 1000 Friends stated. “We urge the council to not introduce a significant error into this proceeding by adding this land.” Councilor Dick Gordon said it has taken years of effort by the city and numerous meetings by the council to get to this point. However, he said he’s concerned about objections from 1000 Friends of Oregon. “I’m hoping they see what we did as a commonsense approach and not oppose it,” he said. Gordon said the land that has been proposed would include the continuation of the Larson Creek Trail to Chrissy Park and then on to Prescott Park. It also would allow for the future improvement of Cherry Lane in east Medford, Gordon said. Even after the urban growth boundary is approved, the properties still would have to go through an additional process to be included in the city limits. City Planning Director Jim Huber said the effort to expand Medford’s boundaries to allow for growth over the next 20 years began in 2007, but much of the groundwork started prior to that during a complicated Regional Problem Solving process that lays out how the county will grow for the next 50 years. “The city started on this a long time ago,” he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter @reporterdm . Medford Urban Growth Boundary by Mail Tribune By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Follow @@reporterdm Posted Mar. 21, 2016 at 5:14 PM » 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. 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