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http://www.omniture.com --> Email Story to a Friend June 5, 2006 This Home Depot under construction on North Phoenix Road north of the Interstate 5 interchage in Phoenix is a sign of much more development to come in the area between Phoenix and Medford. (Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli) The growth of two cities By Damian Mann Mail Tribune The boundary between Phoenix and Medford would blur under a proposal to enlarge both cities along the eastern edge of Interstate 5. "At this point, as for me personally, I would like some kind of buffer," said Phoenix Mayor Vicki Bear. "But realistically it probably will not happen." Phoenix is proposing adding 454 acres northeast of the city limits that would be part of a light industrial park and commercial area as well as a residential area to the east of North Phoenix Road. The 400-acre Arrowhead Ranch would be the largest property in the proposed expansion, which is part of a regional effort among cities to plan for a doubling of the population in Jackson County in coming decades. Both Medford and Phoenix want to join forces to create a South Valley employment center just south of the Rogue Valley Manor, which has also proposed more than doubling in size with a $300 million, 1,352-unit housing complex built around its new championship golf course. Medford also is proposing an expansion of its boundaries to include the new golf course and industrial area. Both cities would participate in the creation and planning for the industrial park, which would be built on properties owned by Arrowhead Ranch, Harry and David and builder Mike Mahar. The two cities also want to create an overpass at South Stage Road to provide better access that would help attract large corporations to the area. Plans are also in the works to build a new interchange at Fern Valley Road and to improve the alignment of North Phoenix Road. Phoenix Planning Director Jeannell Wyntergreen said the building of the new Home Depot on the east side has already stimulated interest in that area, which is south of the proposed expansion. La-Z-Boy Inc. has filed an application with the city to move in next to Home Depot. Also, another unidentified retail outfit has expressed interest in moving into the shopping center, she said. The light industrial area would offer jobs regionally, benefitting residents in other communities outside Phoenix and Medford, she said. It also would provide jobs for residents in communities that have decided not to grow, like Ashland, or have proposed little growth, like Talent, she said. The city of Phoenix eventually plans to connect South Stage Road to Campbell Road, then to Fern Valley Road. To create this new route, city officials also want to expand into two properties along Campbell Road owned by Freel and Associates LLC and Perry and Peggy Atkinson. Perry Atkinson is president and general manager of KDOV-FM. Wyntergreen said these expansion proposals are part of a 50-year-plan for the city, although the development could take place sooner depending on interest from developers. She said the city wants to have enough shopping and commercial areas on both sides of the freeway to serve the residents living nearby. Also, transportation concerns will be worked out in advance. "We are not operating in the dark as far as land-use," she said. Bear said Arrowhead Ranch had originally submitted proposals to the city outlining development plans, which included residential areas and a new school. "They've master-planned that area with lots of green space," she said. However, with a bigger scope for expansion now, Bear said Arrowhead Ranch will have to retool its proposal because of the extensive planning required. Pat Acklin, a member of the citizen involvement committee for Regional Problem Solving, said the proposed blurring of boundaries between Medford and Ashland contrasts sharply with some of the original findings of her committee. She said there were many discussions about preserving buffers and not disturbing viewsheds in an effort to maintain a sense of uniqueness and livability. "If we do a regional plan it shouldn't be about where the growth is going to occur, but should be about the environment of the valley," she said. A professor of geography at Southern Oregon University and an expert in land-use issues, Acklin said more needs to be done to prevent this valley from turning into another San Jose or Los Angeles. The large expanses of houses and concrete in those areas "prompted a significant number of valley residents to flee their homes in California," she said. Areas identified by the citizen involvement committee as potential buffers between Medford and Phoenix included the southern portion of the Manor golf course and Arrowhead Ranch. Acklin said areas like Arrowhead Ranch might not be suitable for farm or forest land, but added, "A lot of places don't have suitable land for farm or forest. Does that mean were going to have wall-to-wall houses?" Gary Hall, a real estate consultant representing Arrowhead Ranch, said the landowners didn't want their property designated as a buffer area as was originally proposed to maintain separation between Medford and Phoenix. "We got that changed to a growth area," he said. The Arrowhead ranch only has 25 acres of its 400 acres that have soil suitable for farm use, said Hall, citing a soil analysis of the property. Part of the Arrowhead ranch property would be included in the South Valley job center, but other parts of the land, specifically to the east of North Phoenix, would become commercial or residential. Hall said the scope of the development will involve extensive planning for property owners and the cities. He said proposed South Valley job center would provide employment closer to where people lived. Hall said the idea of so-called buffers between cities hasn't been well thought out in the past. "Who in the heck is going to manage those things," he said. Other cities have attempted to create buffer areas, said Hall, but they usually end up being "nothing but a mosquito infested weed patch." Hall suggested considering the new South Stage "boulevard" as a buffer that separates Medford and Phoenix. If a major business, such as computer maker Hewlett-Packard or something similar, is located in the new light industrial park, Hall said the corporate campus with lawns and tree areas could act as a buffer zone. Mayor Bear cited Medford and Central Point as another example of two communities where the boundaries have blurred. "We're not the only one butting up against other people," she said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476 or [email protected] . Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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