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Farmland may go to golf course, homes Ashland's 'starving' for a green, Billings says, but neighbors see red over traffic it would create By TONY BOOM Mail Tribune ASHLAND - Golfers would probably be delighted, but neighbors on a street that would provide access to a new 18-hole golf course development proposed for the north end of town are less than thrilled about increased traffic the development would bring. "Ashland is starving for a golf course," said Tim Billings, whose family plans to sell 15 acres of its farm for about 70 home sites and lease the other 135 acres to a golf course developer. "I'm just concerned that West Nevada is the only access," said Rene Swenson, who lives on the street. "I hope they would have a town meeting." Billings' ancestors have farmed the land since the 1860s, but it is no longer a profitable farm. The family wants to retain the open characteristics of the farm on county land. The 15-acre parcel is inside city limits; land set aside for the golf course is under county jurisdiction. Golf course development attempts at the site go back to the early 1980s. The land lies east of North Main Street and Jackson Road and west of Quiet Village. Bear Creek runs through the northeast portion of the land. While a formal application has not been submitted, Ashland assistant planner Brandon Goldman said the project could potentially involve a study to determine if West Nevada can handle the traffic. The 15 acres just west of Quiet Village is zoned to allow about 70 homes. Each home is estimated to generate 10 vehicle trips per day. Swenson, who lives just a half block from the proposed housing area, has a 3-year-old son and an 11-month-old son. "I'd rather see a golf course there instead of using that land for houses," she said. "I'm not happy with that (proposal) at all," said June Scott, a West Nevada resident since 1977. "We have a lot of children around here." The farm's owners include Billings and his father, John, both of Ashland; his brother, John Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.; and sisters Mary James, LaGrange, Calif., and Virginia Lewis, Ashland. They would lease the site to a corporation in Tacoma, Wash. Developer Mike Peru of Edgewood, Wash., and Ross Waddell, a founder of Kinko's Copies, have formed Billings Ranch Golf LLC. Peru has constructed three Northwest golf courses. He has developed housing and commercial property. The Ashland project would be his first as a golf course developer. He plans to relocate to Ashland and manage the course after it is built. "We hope to start (course) construction between June and July," said Peru. "We will probably build the homes, too. It will be like a little golf community. "Nevada is a wide street. It was planned for development," said Peru. "The city anticipated this happening." Developers plan to meet with Ashland and Jackson County planners before the year ends. A pond visible from North Main Street would supply water needed for the golf course, augmented by a well. The homes would have city water service. The farmhouse on Jackson Road and a barn on North Main would be preserved. Peru plans to retain as many natural features of the property as course design will allow. "We would very much like to pose this as kind of a contribution to the gateway to the city," said Billings. Reach Ashland bureau reporter Tony Boom at 482-4651, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.