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40 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 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 Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? 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 July 18, 2004 Billings course hinges on lease By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune The developer of the controversial Billings Ranch Golf Course wants Jackson County commissioners to let him know now how they stand on a lease proposal that could make or break the $10 million deal. "I’m asking the commissioners to say in concept we would agree," said Mike Peru, who represents Ashland rancher John Billings. "I’m not asking for approval. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it." But two commissioners said Friday it will be at least a week before they can all meet to consider whether to endorse leasing 9.2 acres of Bear Creek Greenway public land to complete a private, 18-hole golf course. The commissioners will have to act carefully to avoid veering into legally questionable land-use decisions, Commissioner Dave Gilmour said. "It’s a cart-versus-horse thing," Gilmour said. "It’s a dilemma." Advertisement At the heart of the dilemma is whether the commissioners can agree on the concept of the lease without also appearing to grant tacit approval of a future conditional use permit required to build the golf course. The land is zoned for exclusive farm use, but it could be developed as a golf course with appropriate permits. Peru said this week that he has asked the county board, via Commissioner Jack Walker, to let him know whether it supports the lease proposal. Peru has submitted no formal proposal, and he said he wouldn’t require a written answer from commissioners. "I’d do a verbal," Peru said, adding later, "It doesn’t even have to be three commissioners. It can be two." After investing more than $400,000 in the project, Peru said he didn’t want to expend more time and money if commissioners object to the idea. Scheduled vacations for commissioners Walker and Sue Kupillas have prevented the full panel from meeting. Kupillas said the issue could be added to a public agenda the week of July 26. Kupillas declined to say whether she supported the lease proposal. "I’d rather just hold that decision until the public meeting," she said. Walker repeatedly has expressed support for the lease agreement and for the golf course plans. Gilmour said Friday that any lease approval should be subject to specific conditions. "My opinion is if we could work out arrangements to protect the natural area and limit pesticide exposures, I would consider it," Gilmour said. "If I can’t be assured of conditions being followed, I could not consider the lease." The trouble is, attaching such assurances to a lease proposal or contract veers dangerously close to usurping the role of a conditional use permit, Gilmour said. "I don’t know how to resolve that," Gilmour said. "That’s the dilemma. We want to do it right." County Counsel Mike Jewett wouldn’t comment Friday on the legal issues raised by the proposed lease agreement. He said he’d discussed the commissioners’ options in executive session and wouldn’t talk about them in public. "The devil’s in the details on something like that," he said. Proponents of the proposed golf course argue that it would provide a valuable open space buffer between county land and the city of Ashland’s urban growth boundary, plus economic benefits that could pump $5 million to $7 million annually into the local economy. Opponents argue that the developers should confine the course to Billings’ own 170 acres and leave environmentally sensitive public land alone. Peru in June withdrew a request for a legislative amendment that would have paved the way for the lease agreement. County planners returned an unsigned $15,000 check from Peru to pay for staff time. Peru has not been billed for an estimated $3,600 to $4,600 in county time already spent on the project, a staff member said Friday. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, 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 © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. 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