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50 °F 5 Day Forecast Friday, December 5, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | 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 November 13, 2003 Medford planners deal with packed agendas By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune The Medford Planning Commission is squeezing in back-to-back meetings this month and next, partly to schedule around the winter holidays, but partly because more property owners are trying to develop their lands. According to Jim Maize, Medford senior planner, the city has seen a 50 percent increase this year in the number of permit applications. So the commission held a special meeting Wednesday, in addition to the regularly scheduled study session Monday and meeting today. "It reflects the amount of economic development that we’re seeing in Southern Oregon," he said. "It looks like by the end of December that we’ll be having a 50 percent increase this year over last year." Advertisement Ranging from the Wal-Mart Supercenter application to infill development on the southwest side of Medford, he said the Planning Commission is seeing eight to 10 public hearings per meeting. Hannah Court, a nine-lot residential planned unit development on a 1.46 acre parcel on the south side of Garfield Avenue just east of Cerene Drive, was among those approved Wednesday. Although neighbors appealed to the City Council in August claiming the development was too dense for their rural-like street, the council determined that the applicants, Dale and Donna McLane, followed all the necessary criteria. But that issue did inspire discussion on changing the ordinance to encourage neighborhood compatibility, said Maize. He said to the Hannah Court developer’s credit, there have been some changes to the original plan, such as taking some bedrooms off to make the units smaller. Planning Commissioner Jim Kuntz said development on one- and two-acre lots has been an issue with the commission for a long time. "We were not particularly happy with the way things were going on small (planned unit developments)," he said. He said it’s difficult to make a planned unit development out of a parcel smaller than three acres, "So the Planning Commission (is) looking at increasing the minimum one acre to three acres or five acres," he said. Today’s meeting includes a public hearing on a proposed used car lot on a vacant four-acre parcel on Crater Lake Avenue south of Hollyhock Drive. National Auto Mart is proposing an office, shop and used car lot just west of residences on Hartell Street. Maize said the city is including some light and noise conditions; for example, the car lot can’t throw glare onto nearby homes and the PA system cannot be audible in the nearby residential area. The commission is meeting at 7 p.m., Council Chambers, City Hall, 411 W. Eighth St., Medford. The commission is scheduled to discuss the planned unit development rule change further at its Nov. 24 study session. Reach reporter Meg Landersat 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times