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65 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, September 12, 2004 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 Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People 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 August 8, 2004 Billings golf course seeks permit to lease public land By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Impatient to push the project forward, the developer of a proposed golf course near Ashland has outlined a lease plan for public land and says he’ll seek a conditional use permit within days for the $10 million effort. "I’m just going to go ahead and submit it," said Mike Peru, managing partner for the Billings Ranch Golf Group. "Let’s open up this can of worms and see what’s in it." The CUP application likely would include about 6 acres of a 9.2 acre parcel of Jackson County-owned land near the Bear Creek Greenway even though county officials have not agreed to lease the property. "It’s the plan we love the most," said Peru, who withdrew a previous CUP application last winter. "I think there’s a chance we could get this done." Advertisement But County Commissioner Dave Gilmour said Friday that any lease agreement must be resolved first. "How can (Peru) ask for a conditional use permit on land he doesn’t own?" Gilmour said. "We’re not going to be rubber-stamping anything he proposes." Peru last week submitted the first formal lease proposal for the controversial property he says is necessary to build a $10 million, 18-hole championship golf course on about 170 acres of farmland. The land is zoned for exclusive farm use, but a golf course could be allowed with appropriate permits. Lease discussions have generated months of conjecture and controversy over the use of public land for a private venture. The proposal seeks to amend and expand an existing 1997 lease that granted about 8.2 acres of county land to the John Billings family in exchange for an easement to build the path through Ashland. It would grant the Billings Ranch Golf Group about 6 acres of a 9.2-acre parcel of county land to be used for two tee boxes and half of the fairway of Hole 5 on the proposed golf course. In exchange, golf course developers would pay $1 a year for 40 years, plus maintenance of about a mile of Greenway path, a cost conservatively estimated at about $7,000 a year, said Karen Smith, Jackson County Greenway coordinator. However, the lease proposal does not address the land’s designation as an environmentally sensitive "natural area," which prohibits golf course development and construction of a nearby bridge. It’s still not clear whether commissioners intend to seek an amendment to the Greenway master plan, a move necessary to allow the lease, county planning director Ali Turiel said. The amendment must be initiated by commissioners and considered during two public hearings, she added. Commissioner Sue Kupillas said for the first time Friday she would support a lease agreement. That indicates varying levels of approval from all three commissioners. Jack Walker has been strongly in favor of the arrangement, while Gilmour has said he’d support it if environmental concerns were adequately addressed. However, formal consideration must come during a public session, and there’s no word yet when the issue will reach an agenda. "Hopefully, it will be soon because we’ve got to get this fleshed out," Gilmour said. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 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? Volunteer Opportunities