More apartments converted into condos

Reluctantly, the Ashland Planning Commission approved the conversion of two apartment complexes into for-sale condominiums, while the ordinance they are crafting to thwart such efforts works its way through the system.

While most commissioners expressed a desire to reverse the trend of losing for-rent housing to for-sale housing, a majority agreed that they could not deny the two applications before them Tuesday night.

"We can't resolve broad policy aspects on one application," said Commissioner Pam Marsh. "There isn't a person up here who hasn't tried to address this situation. But all we can do is rule on the application in front of us, and this one meets all the criteria."

Converting apartments into condominiums has become a hot-button political issue in Ashland. The planning commission recently forwarded a new condo-conversion ordinance to the Ashland City Council. But the draft law was recently sent back to the planning commission because "the legal department has determined there might be some issues with how it is worded," according to Ashland Housing Specialist Brandon Goldman.

Community Development Director David Stalheim said he is meeting today with a city attorney to work on some of the problematic areas of the proposal.

In the meantime, 14 more apartments were approved to be sold as condominiums.

Ten of the apartments are at 117 Garfield St., in an application brought forward by Tom Giordano. The other four are at 1880 Ventura Circle, and are owned by Barbara Allen.

Allen explained that, though there will be no way to guarantee the condos would be rented out, they could be. She added her new condos would allow people of moderate incomes to afford to buy real estate in Ashland.

"I really feel like they are clearly meeting the need for affordable housing," she said.

Two commissioners — Commissioners Olena Black and Tom Dimitre — who voted against the change argued the city's comprehensive plan gave a reason to deny the two projects.

"The comprehensive plan says we will provide housing for a class of people called renters," Black argued. "The comp plan says we will do this through market forces."

But Commissioner Michael Dawkins, who has lobbied for a policy change on this issue, said these two projects were not the proper place to seek this change.

"We can't deal with this case by case," Dawkins said. "It does meet all the criteria, sadly."

Instead, Dawkins took issue with Ashland's delay in addressing this policy. "A whole section of town is being sent off to Gold Hill and Grants Pass," Dawkins said of the decline in rental space.

In other business, the commission also listened to complaints about the Falcon Heights project on Russell Drive.

Falcon Heights is a 7,762 mixed-use project proposed to be built "extremely close to the existing subdivision neighborhood," according to staff planner Derek Severson.

At least seven neighbors of the project testified that because it is so close to them — and several feet higher in elevation — it has already had an adverse effect on their private lives.

"Our back fence is seven feet high and their parking lot is one foot above our fence," said Arlen Gregorio, who lives directly behind the Falcon Heights proposal. Cars and people in that parking lot "peer down directly into the private living spaces of our home."

The neighbors are not happy with the project, but believe their best recourse is to demand adequate screening between the new development and their homes. They have been working with the applicant to develop a vegetation screen that would block the new building, but previous plantings have been neglected and neighbors feel this could happen again.

"What do the people on Williamson Way do when no one takes care of these plants?" said Mera Gagnon. "Do we as a neighborhood have to monitor this or will the city take it on?"

The commission continued this proposal until its April meeting.

Staff writer Robert Plain can be reached at 482-3456 x. 226 or bplain@dailytidings.com.