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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Mail Tribune garners 11 first-place wins at ONPA ... Judge rules Eagle Point district violated teachers' free-speech rights during 2012 strike ... Burglars steal $250,000 Brammo racing bike ... Mail Tribune garners 11 first-place wins at ONPA ... Judge rules Eagle Point district violated teachers' free-speech rights during 2012 strike ... Burglars steal $250,000 Brammo racing bike ... MEDFORD Mountaintop park needs a home Prescott could be brought into city limits after yearlong process Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 24, 2014 at 3:29 PM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 24, 2014 at 3:29 PM » Social News Medford’s largest park that surrounds Roxy Ann Peak is not actually inside the city. That could soon change under an initiative to bring the 1,740-acre Prescott Park and nearby 165-acre Chrissy Park into city limits. “There is a desire to get the parks the city owns into the city,” assistant planning director Bianca Petrou said. Currently, the park is under the jurisdiction of Jackson County even though the land is owned by the city of Medford. Any land-use changes the city might plan for the parks must be approved by the county. The city sent out a request for qualifications recently to hire a firm to study bringing the parks into the urban growth boundary. That process, which would require state approval, could take a year or more to complete. After that, the city could take the next step of bringing the parks inside city limits. At the same time, the city will hire the same firm to identify wetlands and riparian corridors in an additional 2,400 acres. Identifying the wetlands is part of another city initiative to develop land for future growth. “From the 2,400 acres, we will pick about 1,600 acres for development,” Petrou said. Prescott Park includes 200 acres that the Lions Club purchased and donated to the city in 1930. The city bought an additional 1,500 acres under the Federal Lands to Parks Act in 1931. City officials believe 40 acres also were purchased from a private party but records are unclear. The park is named after Constable George J. Prescott, who was a member of the Lions Club and a supporter of park development. Prescott was shot and killed in 1933 by a Medford resident while attempting to serve a search warrant regarding a case of ballot thefts. In 1937, Mayor Charles Furnas dedicated the park as Prescott Park. Chrissy Park was donated to the city in 1997 through the estate of Dorothy Whittle. The site is east of Cherry Lane and south of Hillcrest Road. Medford Parks and Recreation has been working to expand multi-use trails on Roxy Ann Peak. The state recently approved a $75,000 grant from the Recreational Trails Program to be used for the project. The city will add $125,000 in matching funds. The city could break ground on Phase 1, which includes a new parking lot and 4½ miles of new and rehabilitated trails, as early as summer 2015. Eventually, the city wants trails designed specifically for hikers, bikers and equestrians. Long-term plans would link the Bear Creek Greenway trail to Chrissy Park and then to Prescott Park. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/reporterdm .   By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 24, 2014 at 3:29 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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