North Mountain Park offers Ashlanders a combination of sports parks and natural wetlands. Ashland Daily Tidings/AMY ALONZO

What: Second community meeting to update the Ashland Open Space and Park Acquisition Program

When: Monday, 7-9 p.m.

Where: Ashland Middle School, 100 Walker Ave.

By Vickie Aldous

Ashland Daily Tidings

In a world of finite resources, the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission is continuing to seek public input on how to prioritize future park and open space land acquisitions.

Three main questions have surfaced:

Should Ashland create more neighborhood parks to serve adults and children, especially those living in high density housing?

Or is protecting trees and wetlands through the purchase of open space more important?

And what about creating more athletic fields, or preserving access to popular trails crossing private land?

The commission will host a public meeting on Monday, the second in a series of community forums to give guidance on future purchases under the Ashland Open Space and Park Acquisition Program. The initial meeting was held last month.

"The first meeting was a lot about sharing information and giving people the opportunity to nominate property they would like to see included in the (acquisition) plan," said Commissioner Rick Landt. "This meeting is an opportunity for the community to help commissioners prioritize what types of property they would like as part of the parks and open space plan."

Residents at the first meeting came up with a laundry list of sites around Ashland that they would like to see preserved as parks and open space.

Land purchases are financed through a portion of the prepared meals and beverage tax passed by voters in 1993. Although the tax is not set to expire until 2010, most of the expected tax proceeds already are committed to make payments on land that has been purchased.

The parks department will be able to purchase $300,000 to $400,000 worth of property with expected tax revenues before the meals tax expires, according to the Ashland Finance Department.

By way of comparison, the parks commission allotted $830,000 for its most recent purchase of six acres along Ashland Creek, making the purchase one of its last using tax revenues.

Commissioners and residents will delve further into the issue of possible sources of revenue for future land acquisitions at later meetings.

For now, commissioners want to hear what types of parks residents value and desire most.

After the passage of the meals tax, the parks department made the greatest strides in the acquisition of open space land, boosting the number of acres from 149 in 1989 to 514 acres today.

Open space - or passive park land - is basically undeveloped and is used for hiking, research, bird-watching and similar activities. Open space frequently protects natural resources such as creeks or woodlands.

Meanwhile, land acquisitions have lagged for neighborhood parks - those serving surrounding areas and often featuring playgrounds - and active recreation parks, distinguished by athletic fields, tennis courts and other amenities.

The parks department has added 10 acres of neighborhood park land and 15 acres of active recreation park land, according to department statistics.

"One of the questions I really want to hear answered by people is whether we should continue the focus on open space property or focus on other areas," Landt said. "Certain areas don't have a neighborhood park. Should we try to meet the goal of having a neighborhood park within one-quarter mile of each neighborhood, especially in the high density areas? Lots of people are stacked closely together."

While some neighborhoods lack parks, other needs also are pressing.

The shortage of athletic fields in the city has prompted heated controversy.

In order to optimize use of existing fields, the parks commission previously voted to light one field per year at North Mountain Park if sports groups would pledge 35 percent of the cost of installing the lights.

At public meetings held prior to the vote, sports groups and lighting opponents - who feared disruptions in the neighborhood from the lights - both agreed the amount of athletic fields in the city is inadequate.

Reduced access to trails crossing private lands also has created community concern as private landowners block off popular routes.

Trails could be protected through outright purchase of the land, or through land donations or easements, Landt said.

As a further consideration for residents, Landt said the cost of purchasing land for open space, neighborhood parks, active parks and trail preservation is often comparable, but costs for developing and maintaining neighborhood and active parks can be far higher. However, neighborhood and active parks usually serve larger numbers of people, he noted.

Growth in Ashland parks and open space land, by type

1989 Present

Open space 149 acres 514 acres

Neighborhood parks 18 28

Active recreation parks 16 31

Source: Ashland Parks and Recreation Department

Foundation seeks more `kicker' refund checks

Ashland Daily Tidings

School funding advocates are holding their second meeting in Ashland to raise funds for public education.

The "Kick Back for Kids" event, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bellview Elementary School on Tolman Creek Road, will allow residents to sign over their Oregon "kicker" tax refund checks to benefit students in Ashland public schools. The average refund this year is about $155.

The first event raised $5,000 and to date the Ashland Schools Foundation, which is sponsoring the fundraising effort, has collected nearly $9,000, according to foundation spokeswoman Sue Bacon.

"This is a great start and we hope to build the amount from our next kicker event," Bacon said.

"Kick Back for Kids" organizers say the fund drive is needed to help offset impending budget cuts within the Ashland School District.

For more information, call 482-8197.