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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-01-25 Planning Joint SS MIN ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION JOINT STUDY SESSION MINUTES JANUARY 25, 2000 The meeting convened at 7:05 p.m. Council members present were: Don Laws, Susan Reid, Cameron Hanson, Carole Wheeldon, and David Fine. Absent members were Mayor Cathy Shaw and Steve Hauck. Planning Commissioners present were: Steve Armitage, Russ Chapman, Mike Morris, Alex Amarotico, Mike Gardiner, Chris Hearn, John Fields, and Marilyn Briggs. Kerry KenCairn was absent. Staff present were John McLaughlin and Sue Yates. The meeting opened with John McLaughlin giving a brief introduction of the SOU Master Plan. The draft document is a continuation of the on-going relationship between the City of Ashland and Southern Oregon University. McLaughlin introduced Dr. Stephen Reno, President of SOU. Dr. Reno in turn introduced members of the consulting firm WEGROUP: Ron Slusarenko, President; Blane Skowhede, Principal; and Tyler Carlson, Planner. Ron Bolstad, Vice President for Administration and Finance and Bruce Moats, Physical Plant Director and Assistant Dean for Facilities Planning were also in attendance. Dr. Reno gave some background information on the make-up of the SOU campus at present. The planning process began in January of 1999. He noted pages 30, 31, and 32 in the Master Plan have not been fully revised and completed and should be ignored. They met last week with all the neighbors of SOU to talk about the plan and receive their input. The Oregon University System requires an update of the campus master plan every ten years. The process articulates with the OUS Capital Construction Planning and preparation of the Governor’s biennial budget. And, it articulates with the SOU Foundation’s Comprehensive Campaign. Dr. Reno said the plan reflects the balance between the importance of the Ashland campus and “tele-education” and the feel of a small campus with room to accommodate growth while being both smart and flexible. Blane Skowhede presented the Master Plan and talked about each color plate. Highlights of the plan include providing some faculty housing as well as some mixed use dormitories, parking and transportation improvements that will encourage alternative transportation, and community use zones. He explained how the campus boundaries would stay as they are now with the exception possibly of Grace Lutheran Church. SOU is talking with the church at this time about possible acquisition of property. Some members of the audience expressed their concern about the possible university overlay and SOU using their right to eminent domain. Dr. Reno responded to these concerns by saying that the university has no interest in acquiring property by any means other than mutual negotiation with landowners. McLaughlin added that the purpose of the overlay district would be for college related uses, similar to the Health Care (HC) zone near the hospital and would require a re-zone. Blane said the overlay is just a proposed area where the university realizes there could be businesses that would benefit the university as well as the university benefiting businesses. The overlay would allow for private landowners to meet the needs of the university without the university having to go out and buy land. Laws said anyone looking at the maps in the plan would be led to believe the re-zone was already done. He suggested redoing the maps. Reno agreed that this is a plan reflecting what SOU could do if the circumstances and funding were appropriate. Dr. Reno mentioned the university’s interest in further developing the north campus area (Natural History Museum) with activities that support the campus. Chapman thought the document needs some passion. He suggested the consultants delete about 1000 words and add the hundred or so from Dr. Reno’s column from the alumni newsletter. Briggs felt the proposed closing of Iowa Street to enlarge the playing fields was in direct opposition to the City’s commitment to connectivity of streets. Blane understands how this would be a serious disruption to the flow of traffic and they have no plans to close Iowa. Fine and Wheeldon mentioned their concern with regard to pedestrian safety on Siskiyou Boulevard. Reno asked if anyone had a different name for the university district that would be more appropriate and not be a sticking point to the plan. Someone suggested “partnership district”. McLaughlin closed by saying how fortunate the City is to have a healthy university and especially the cordial and cooperative relationship he has had with Ron Bolstad and Bruce Moats. McLaughlin explained the Council and Commission have been presented with a plan. Not everything in the plan will have to be adopted. The Master Plan is very important to both parties. This will be a document that serves us day to day for each new project, and he would encourage adoption. There will be a public hearing regarding the adoption of the Master Plan at the February 8, 2000 Regular Planning Commission meeting. The plan will then go to a public hearing before the Council. Assuming the plan is adopted, the document will then be incorporated into the City’s Comprehensive Plan. The meeting closed at 8:50 p.m. ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL 2 ASHLAND PLANNING COMMISSION JOINT STUDY SESSION MINUTES JANUARY 25, 2000