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56 °F Forecast | Road Cams Monday, May 10, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend March 10, 2004 Ruling expected on ‘Pipe City Hotel’ By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune A Jackson County hearings officer is expected to announce a decision involving the fate of a White City parcel known as the "Pipe City Hotel" within three weeks. Donald Rubenstein heard arguments Tuesday morning over whether several homeless people, mostly veterans, should be allowed to continue camping at the site. Property owner Jim Bennett, a Navy veteran who has expressed concern for the welfare of the homeless, was issued two citations on Jan. 9 charging him with violating three sections of two Jackson County ordinances for not removing the homeless people from his property. Three of the four campers are veterans. The problem is the eight-acre parcel bordering Agate Road and Leigh Way is zoned commercial, not residential. Camping is not allowed on the property. Advertisement The laws make it illegal for people to live on sites zoned commercial unless motels or related businesses have been approved for them. Bennett, who could be fined up to $600 for each of the three counts, has asked that the fines be dismissed. Noting that he has reduced the number of homeless people at the site since buying it five years ago, Bennett said he plans to begin building a shopping center and other businesses on the property this September. He also asked that the homeless people at the site be allowed to serve as caretakers there until construction begins. Removing them from the property would only leave a void that other homeless people would fill, he said. Bennett noted the site, also known as "Tube City," has been used by homeless people for more than four decades. The name is derived from the old culverts and pipes located on the property. "I inherited this situation," Bennett stressed after the hearing. The presence of the homeless has drawn complaints by neighboring businesses. A spokeswoman for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department substation in White City said deputies periodically respond to the site on cases of assault and intoxication. The homeless say they are unfairly blamed for every crime or disturbance in the area. A partner in a local real estate firm as well as a developer, Bennett has looked into building subsidized housing elsewhere for the homeless campers but recent federal budget cuts have eliminated that solution, he said. "I’ve been trying to find a place for them," Bennett said after the hearing. "I don’t have a solution yet." He encourages those with suggestions to call him at 772-0641. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times