Document text
Ashland faces conflict over Hillah expansion Former councilman says city has policy of building up, not out By TONY BOOM ASHLAND � The City Council will wrestle with building one of its own projects up rather than out to help prevent urban sprawl when it considers an appeal of a Planning Commission decision at tonight�s meeting. The city will violate its own principles to maintain compact urban development if it goes ahead with plans to expand the former Hillah Temple at ground level for administrative use, said former City Council member Brent Thompson in his appeal. He thinks a second story should be built instead of adding to the building�s footprint. The city purchased the building at 51 Winburn Way in October 1998. An addition of 4,000 square feet and remodel of the existing 6,500-square-foot structure would house the Community Development and Public Works departments. The project will cost $2.6 million. The Planning Commission approved a zoning change and site review to allow construction at its Feb. 13 meeting. "It�s wasting the use of a resource and it�s compromising other uses it could do with the land," said Thompson. "All I�m asking is that the city build within the existing structure and go up two stories." More parking for city employees could remain at the site if the city chooses to build up rather than out, said Thompson. He says other city projects, including the library expansion and the new fire station, failed to address parking issues by not building up more. "There�s a pattern and a practice of wasting the resource land, thus contributing to sprawl, which the comprehensive plan is against," said Thompson. "When you save (land) and make it so that you have versatility on a parcel, you get a payback." In his appeal letter, Thompson wrote that a large body of policies, resolutions and ordinances encourage or mandate frugal use of resources. These guidelines tie the city to a higher standard than private development. Thompson said he would take the issue to the state Land Use Board of Appeals if the City Council decides against his appeal. "If the council upholds the appeal it may go back to the Planning Commission, or under our rules the city could reapply in six months to a year and go through it again," said City Attorney Paul Nolte. The city also would have the option to submit a substantially different application and reapply immediately. Construction of a second story was rejected because of the expense. The current building would either need to be demolished or extensively reinforced to allow for two-story construction. "Building to support a second story would require quite a bit of structural work, and it�s almost more cost effective to take it down and start over," said Marshall Balfe, project architect with Berry Architects of Eugene. The current building lacks sufficient space for a second story. The existing roof would have to be removed and current walls reinforced either externally or internally, said Balfe. Granite Street neighbors of the project have expressed concerns during public hearings that a second story would block their views. If built, the structure would occupy 10,560 square feet, or 64 percent, of the 16,400-square-foot lot. There would be on-site parking for seven vehicles and 10 percent of the lot would be landscaped areas. The building is across from Lithia Park and near City Hall. The council meets at 7 p.m. in the Civic Center, 1175 E. Main St. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.