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County hears theater concerns Expo officials say plans fully aired By Dani Dodge Central Point Mayor Bill Walton took his concerns about a proposed outdoor amphitheater at the Expo Park to the Jackson County commissioners Wednesday. He complained that Central Point � which surrounds the Jackson County Fairgrounds and Exposition Park � has not been consulted about the plans for an outdoor amphitheater that is already racking up sponsorships and looking forward to groundbreaking. County officials told Walton they thought the issues could be ironed out when fair officials meet with the City Council next week. Walton said Central Point can accept an amphitheater, but only an enclosed, indoor stage � not an outdoor one that will be noisy and keep children awake until late at night. Walton raised his fist in the air when he explained that Lithia Motors� half-million dollar donation to become the amphitheater�s title sponsor could backfire if Central Point�s concerns aren�t dealt with properly. "People will raise their hands and say �I�ll never buy a Lithia car again� because they are so mad about the sound," Walton said. Exposition park officials who attended the commissioners meeting said they are mystified by the sudden opposition to their plans. The amphitheater has been in the Expo Park�s master plan for more than 20 years. Active planning on the outdoor amphitheater has been going on for than a more than a year. Expo officials have tried to get as much publicity as possible about their plans, they said. Central Point city officials have been invited to design meetings, but haven�t showed up, said Fair Director Chris Borovansky. Fair officials have been planning a special Oct. 12 meeting with the Central Point council for more than a month. Borovansky insisted Central Point has not been "out of the loop." "Is the amphitheater without issues? Absolutely not. There�s traffic and there�s noise," he said. "But we don�t plan on blasting music out at the city. We�ve got I-5 as a buffer. We�ve got landscaping as a buffer. We�re planting trees." Borovansky said the county is reviewing its planning procedures to make sure everything was done correctly. But he said the project got its "zoning clearances" nearly two years ago. Fair Board President Leigh Johnson said an indoor amphitheater is out of the question without passing a bond measure: Estimates show it would cost $25 million. Johnson said that�s something the fair board members don�t want to do. The county is using state economic development funds and private gifts to build the $2.85 million outdoor facility. The outdoor project is expected to be completed by May 2002. Borovansky said he hopes the problems and misunderstandings will be cleared up at the Oct. 12 meeting of the Central Point City Council. "I don�t think any of us will be 1,000 percent satisfied," he said. "But I think there�s a lot of common ground." County Commissioner Jack Walker also said he believes the issues will be ironed out. "With your willingness to sit down with Central Point," Walker told fair officials, "maybe this won�t be a problem after all." Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.