Developers to appeal chip seal

By Troy Heie

Ashland Daily Tidings

TALENT - After crunching numbers, a pair of Ashland developers will appeal the chip seal project along Alpine Way near the approved Lithia View subdivision, citing unreasonable expenses, an attorney says.

Gregg Adams and Andy Cochrane, partners in the Lithia View project approved July 26 by the Talent Planning Commission, contend chip sealing along the dusty gravel road in south Talent costs too much, despite residents' concerns that it is needed to handle future traffic flows into the new 20-home neighborhood nearby.

"They had thought that the chip seal would be a way with reasonable costs to solve the issue from the staff report, in relation to traffic created by the subdivision," said Ashland attorney Chris Hearn, who represented Adams and Cochrane during negotiations over developing the 3.8 acres of property near Lithia Way. "It is more expensive than initially thought. It seems to be too much."

Hearn, also an Ashland City Council member, said he will not be involved with the appeal. He said Adams and Cochrane will handle it on their own.

Neither Adams nor Cochrane returned phone calls seeking comment.

City Planner Kevin Cronin is out of town and unreachable for comment, according to City Administrator Betty Wheeler.

Wheeler said she has little information other than the fact that the chip seal is being appealed. She said a hearing is tentatively scheduled for the Sept. 18 council meeting.

Lithia View - first dubbed Montecito when it was proposed as a planned unit development this spring - was approved by the Talent City Council in July after Adams and Cochrane agreed to chip seal 600 feet of Alpine Way. Nearby residents had been opposed to Montecito with its smaller lot sizes, but generally were in favor of Lithia View when it came back to the city as a subdivision with larger lots.

The chip seal proposal was OK'd by Hearn and the developers at the July 26 public hearing on Lithia View, with Hearn at the time calling it an acceptable temporary solution until a local improvement district can be formed to make more permanent street changes along Alpine Way.