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52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, January 28, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds 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 Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 13, 2005 Jay Bailey owns an antique store in Central Point. He and other business owners are frustrated with the reconstruction at Highway 99 and Pine Street and are worried about improvements planned downtown, but they�re willing to work with the city on changes Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Road work ahead Central Point business owners join city committees to address concerns about ‘improvements’ to downtown By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT � A giant pitcher of coffee wasn’t the only thing steaming at Sandi’s Soups and Catering on Tuesday night. Some two dozen business owners voiced their displeasure to city managers over a $1.6 million reconstruction of the intersection of Pine Street and Highway 99 and planned improvements to downtown. Concerns ranged from loss of parking to street design to talk that the city "just doesn’t care." "Our intention was to dispel any rumors that had been stirring and to reopen conversation about downtown revitalization," said Tom Humphrey, community development director who, with other city managers, called the meeting. A downtown revitalization plan was created in 1999. Humphrey said portions of the plan had been implemented, and others needed revising. Advertisement Downtown antique shop owner Jay Bailey said he and others were frustrated with street improvements after trying to conduct business in recent months during the work on Highway 99. Bailey was particularly unhappy with pedestrian bulb-outs at the intersection and the resulting loss of parking spaces. "They want to change a lot of stuff in the downtown, but it didn’t go real good when they did what they did to 99, so a lot of people are pretty upset," said Bailey. "I guess the city wanted to take care of rumors that started. We heard they were taking away all the parking on Pine Street, but they clarified that and they seem to be trying to help the problem. They put me on some kind of parking committee � but I think it’s just to get us off their backs." Bud Gough, owner of the Corner Club near the intersection, sided with Bailey. Though he favored a "nicer looking" downtown, he said he had become cynical after months of dealing with angry delivery drivers who were unable to access his property from Pine Street. "I don’t know if it’s hard to get used to the change or what, but all I can see is I can’t get deliveries anymore, I lost three parking spots and — no matter how nice it looks and how pedestrian friendly it is — it hasn’t helped my business a bit," argued Gough. "They want to make this into a beautiful little city but the fact remains we’re a major arterial. They want to make it cute like when the horses were pulling carts around, but traffic is atrocious and it’s plugging up the streets to make people slow down and look in shop windows." Scowls turned to good-natured teasing, however, as Humphrey recruited business owners for committees to gather ideas to revise the downtown plan. Sandi Richardson, owner of Sandi’s restaurant, was hopeful the dialogue would eventually result in a downtown worth visiting, especially, she said, with the new amphitheater opening this year. Richardson is no stranger to revamping a downtown. From 1981 to 1991, while running a business in Bend, Richardson was involved in helping that city go from "what Central Point has now" to one successfully revitalized. "When I go back now, and see what it’s become, I say, ‘Wow. I was part of that.’ We need that to happen here," she said. "Yes, (the Highway 99 project) was nasty and it did make everyone mad and it was ill-planned. I could go on and on but now it’s done and we’ve got to figure out where we go from here. We need to make sure the end justifies the means." Keith Brostad, owner of the Horse Blanket, was optimistic that issues with Highway 99 would work themselves out. "Once cones are out of the way and crews leave, people will be able to see it work better," said Humphrey. "We’ve put in a safer railroad crossing, implemented signalization, added bike lanes � all of that is working. It just has to be given a chance to work." Richardson, who signed up for a street design committee, said the meeting was a good start and "gave downtowners a chance to vocalize what the problems were." "We can clean up the downtown, slap on some paint, add flowers, slow traffic down, get more parking ... but it’s going to take a lot of cooperation." Bailey agreed. "We’re not here to be on a parking committee but at least they seem to be trying to involve everyone now," he said. "If I can help out, I guess I don’t mind." The business owners and the city will meet again at 5:15 p.m. Feb. 8 at a location to be announced. For more information, phone the city at 664-3321. Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? 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