City requests new input on I-5 rest stop

With new members on board, a City Council majority wants to take a fresh look at a proposed rest area and welcome center south of Exit 14.

Jackson County Commissioners have started a series of public hearings about the facility, which would be outside Ashland's urban growth boundary and under county jurisdiction.

The welcome center and rest area are being proposed by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Although the city of Ashland has little direct control over the approval of the project, ODOT is asking the city to extend water and sewer service.

On Tuesday night, new City Councilor Greg Lemhouse proposed the city request that ODOT and the county address neighbors' concerns about crime and livability impacts from the facility.

"It's a prudent thing to do for any project of this size," he said.

Lemhouse disclosed that he lives near Oak Knoll Public Golf Course area neighbors who are most concerned about the project.

Lemhouse, new Councilor Carol Voisin and incumbent Councilors David Chapman, Russ Silbiger and Kate Jackson voted to send the request.

Incumbent Councilor Eric Navickas opposed the move.

"This project could be very beneficial and bring economic stimulus not only to our area, but to the entire state," he said.

The state Tourism and Transportation Task Force has identified the welcome center and rest stop as a top priority.

City Councilors were more split about whether the city should schedule its own public hearing about the issue.

Councilors Lemhouse, Voisin, Chapman and Silbiger voted to have a public hearing during the next council meeting on Jan. 20. It starts at 7 p.m. in the Ashland Civic Center, 1175 E. Main St.

"A new election brings fresh eyes. That's the spirit in which some of these requests are made," Voisin said. "There's some deep concern about the direction the county is going."

Councilors Navickas and Jackson voted against scheduling the public hearing.

Although neighbors spoke out against the rest area and welcome center, both Voisin and Jackson said they were hampered by not hearing from supporters or ODOT officials.

In February 2008, the council heard a presentation from ODOT staff, who showed architectural drawings of the facility and answered questions.

Ashland Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sandra Slattery told councilors on Tuesday night that she doesn't dispute the neighbors' concerns about crime and livability issues.

She added, however, that people in the region have worked for more than a decade to get a new welcome center, ever since one higher on the Siskiyou Pass closed in 1996 due to crashes.

Slattery said welcome center supporters would have come to the council meeting if they had had more notice that the issue would be on the agenda.

New Mayor John Stromberg added the item to the agenda at Lemhouse's request. Usually items suggested by individual councilors are placed at the end of the agenda, but Stromberg moved up the item near the beginning.

Audience members waiting to talk appreciated the move, but Navickas complained about the change.

Library levies

In other business Tuesday night, the council learned from the Citizens' Library Advisory Committee that a series of supplemental city levies is the only means at this time to fully fund the Ashland Public Library. Jackson County has provided funding for county libraries to open half-time.

While Ashland library supporters appreciate the partial county funding, that has removed the financial incentive for other communities to join Ashland in a library district, library committee chair Pam Vavra said.

Voters here approved a renewal of the supplemental levy for the Ashland Public Library in November.

Also Tuesday night, the council:

"¢ agreed to review a proposed resolution about Local Improvement Districts at its Feb. 3 meeting;

"¢ approved a study of city employee wages and benefits;

"¢ finalized approval of an ordinance setting policies for reviewing, acquiring and removing public art;

"¢ directed City Recorder Barbara Christensen to form a committee to look at options for voluntary campaign spending limits for city elections. Former City Councilor Steve Hauck, who was the original co-sponsor in 1995 of the city's voluntary spending limit code, has said the code has proven ineffective.

Staff writer Vickie Aldous can be reached at 479-8199 or vlaldous@yahoo.com.