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Click Here 42 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, January 31, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | 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 December 16, 2003 Commissioners weigh proposal to allow ‘rural-use’ subdividing By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune County Commissioner Jack Walker sparred with planning commissioners Monday over a proposed change in rural land-use regulations that he perceives as too restrictive. The commissioner and property rights advocates want to amend the regulation to make it easier to subdivide land miszoned for forest or agricultural use. "It’s hard for me to conceive of a 15-acre piece of land as a subdivision," said Walker. The Board of Commissioners met with the Planning Commission Monday to discuss the proposed ordinance, which has been four years in the making. Planning commissioners hope to make it easier to change the zoning on this type of land to a new category called "rural use" to allow the property owner to build one house on the property. Advertisement Walker thinks the zoning designation should be made flexible enough to subdivide the property into 15- or 30-acre parcels. But Planning Commissioner Reeve Hennion said that allowing that type of development on properties next to farmland or forests could lead to problems. "You could have a major subdivision next to Bear Creek orchards," said Hennion, citing the complaints orchards and other agricultural interests receive when homes are built near resource lands. Part of the rationale behind allowing only one home on a miszoned parcel of land is to create buffer zones between ever-encroaching cities and rural properties. "There still is value in buffer land, and we’re trying to preserve that," said County Commissioner Dave Gilmour. Planning commissioners also are trying to balance state land-use laws while helping property owners. Planning Commissioner Richard Thierholf said the county might be going out on a limb if it allows subdivisions in rural areas. "Have we gone about as far as we should reasonably go in regard to state laws?" he asked. Planning commissioners also said it would make the new regulation more complicated if a provision was made for subdividing land. Changing a property zoning to rural use doesn’t prevent someone from later approaching the county Planning Department to seek another zone change that could allow a subdivision. While planning commissioners want to help property owners, they pointed out that they must be mindful of Oregon laws. "The basic concept of Oregon land-use laws is to preserve natural resources," said Leon Hofford, Planning Commission chairman. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, 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 © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times