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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-1101 Documents Submitted at Mtg Tim Wood From: Tim Wood Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 20118:35 AM To: 'tidingsopinion @dailytidings.com' Subject: FW:ATT Cell Tower in Ashland Dear Editor, City Council, Planning Commission, Ashland Residents & Our Ashland Street Landlord: As the Senior Vice President and COO of Coming Attractions Theatres, Inc., it is crucial that we inform you of our strenuous objections to any placement of a cell tower on or near our business at the Ashland Street Cinema, where we have been long term tenants under a recently renewed lease. Over the months we have received hundreds of comments and complaints from our customers here in Ashland stating their heartfelt objections to a cell tower on the theatre building, and their intention to not patronize our theatre if a tower is ultimately placed on the building. We are currently in the midst of converting to a state of the art digital cinema system at both of our Ashland locations (Ashland Street and Varsity). This equipment is much more sensitive to outside interference than our existing 35 mm film projectors, and we are extremely concerned that a cell tower in our immediate vicinity might adversely impact our ability to conduct business. One new aspect to the cinema business that we expect to integrate immediately is the ability to download digital content via satellite feed. We are also highly sensitive to the possibility that a cell tower may also interfere with this broadcast signal. Placement of a cell tower on our near either of our theatres does not have the support of Coming Attractions Theatres. Sincerely, Tim Wood Senior VP& COO COMING ATTRACTIONS THEATRES, INC. 1644 Ashland Street I Ashland, OR 97520 T: 541-488-1021 ext. 115 1 F: 541-482-9290 www.catheatres.com r ' also 11 ,1111 PEDESTRIAN PLACES PROJECT SUMMARY OF POINTS SUPPORTING PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL 11/1/2011 IPCO / Brombacher (Submitted by Chris Hearn) PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS • BASED ON HOURS OF DISCUSSION — March 29 , 2011 — Planning Commission study session with public input. — October 11 , 2011 — Planning Commission public hearing with additional public testimony . PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED MOVING OVERLAY BOUNDARY TO EAST IPCO / Brombacher (Submitted by Chris 11/1/2011 Hearn) 2 VII '-AP.D ST j O F- N :a ¢13l,°.CHVVUQJ w J W U � pAcCALL DR ¢ pr CLAY ST F ~■ y ■ ■ ■ ASHLAND ST ■ ■ U) ■ F �n cn TAKELMA Y � ¢ Planning Commission MICKEL SON WY � Recommendation: Relocated Eastern CLAY CREEK �Y Boundary z NO TAKE t4A WY w W W L 0 1 STAFF REPORT TO COUNCIL • " 1 . Pedestrian Place Overlay for Tolman Creek Rd ./Ashland Street. The Planning Commission recommended reducing the Pedestrian Place Overlay in the Tolman Creek Rd ./Ashland St. area to exclude the area between Tolman Creek Rd . and the interchange because "the Commission believes the area between Tolman Creek Rd . and the interchange, including businesses such as Albertsons, Rite-Aid , Les Schwab and Super 8 Motel, is and will continue to be developed in a highway orientation , has limited development or redevelopment potential, and is and will continue to be an environment that is not conducive to pedestrian , bicycle and transit travel ." The attached map shows the original overlay, and the recommended reduced overlay area. This revision has not been made to the attached ordinances, and staff needs direction as whether to proceed with this amendment." Staff Report, pg. 1. IPCO / Brombacher (Submitted by Chris 11/1/2011 Hearn) 4 E I REASONS SUPPORTING PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS • PROXIMITY TO FREEWAY . Many commercial and employment uses reliant on heavy truck traffic choose to locate between 1 -5 freeway and Tolman Creek Road for close proximity to freeway . • ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Area east of Tolman uniquely suited to siting regional businesses reliant on truck traffic , and inclusion in overlay could stifle relocation . IPCO / Brombacher (Submitted by Chris 11/1/2011 Hearn) 5 REASONS SUPPORTING PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS • Existing Businesses like Les Schwab , Albertsons , Rite-Aid , Super 8 Motel , DMV, and service stations are existing examples ; BUT an array of future prospective businesses dependent on truck and highway orientation must have an appropriate location which serves their needs . As Ashland 's only direct freeway access , the area east of Tolman provides the City's only option for these businesses . IPCO / Brombacher (Submitted by Chris 11/1/2011 Hearn) 6 1 0 IPCO / BROMBACHER LOTS ly IL .I r ' I IPCO / Brombacher (Submitted by Chris 11/1/2011 Hearn) Brent Thompson P.O. Box 201 Ashland, OR 97520 I 28 October 2011 RECEIVED Ashland City Council OCT 312011 . 20 East Main Ashland, .Oregon 97520 Re: Ordinance Changes.f :ede sirian PlacesDear Mayor and Council, I support the thinking reflected in ordinance changes de to encourage infill by reducing parking required in all neighborhoods to a standard for a normal need not maximum possible need. A part of this is reducing the length of the standard used to calculate Credit for On Street Parking from 24 feet to 22 feet 1 also support an increase in the credit for on street parking permitted, and 1 believe this increas6i can play an important part in permitting property owners to do a little bit more with their land, thus retarding sprawl. And as has often been the case, when Ashland has evolved its planning program in such a manner, these ideas are borrowed by other jurisdictions who also come to see the benefits of wasting less land and other resources in coping with the growth forced upon them. Thank you. Best regar s, 9�eJ� Brent Thompson 541.944-6954 lRRECCIEI(V�tED� November 1�1 2011 NOV 01 2011 To the Ashland City Council, My family and I have owned and operated most of this property beginning in the late 50's. It consists of Walker Plaza which was the old Bowling Alley, Home of Anytime Fitness,Timbers Motel,the Great American Pizza Building and Gateway Shopping Center which is also known as the Market of Choice Shopping Center. I would like to start by addressing the near term plan. I like the idea of creating some excitement and a place for festivals but this plan will also be expensive. Perhaps some of the grant money would go to make this happen. You cannot close Walker Street for street venders and festivals because of the truck access to Market of Choice. They receive deliveries via trucks every day and all times of the day. All businesses in the shopping center are set up for back door deliveries. I would not allow festivals on my property if we close the street unless we could coordinate a timeframe that works for all businesses affected. Another concern is the parking for festival patrons, not everyone is going to walk to and from the street festival. It is not fair to the existing businesses to provide parking spaces. Parking spaces have been narrowed down in what is already a tight lot and we still have three vacancies. Also,when you mix big semi-trucks with pedestrians you create liability and safety issues. I don't see on the plan where there is even a place for trucks to enter and exit. I just spent a lot of money and time making changes to the corner of Walker and Ashland Streets to conform to the City of Ashland requests. I reconfigured the truck access going over another tax lot; I installed an electric gate for safety,special concrete treatment and very expensive landscape and irrigation to the corner. I do not wish to change anything anytime soon. Originally, it was my intention to develop a mixed use building on that corner but because of the change of the truck access, by the city, the building envelop has gotten a lot smaller. It is a very valuable corner, perhaps too valuable for street carts. Closing two successful restaurants, Great American Pizza and the Chinese Restaurant, is not business friendly. They have been in business for a long time. It would be very costly to remove and repair. I can only speak for Great American Pizza but they provide a good service to the students and community. They are also a good source of rental income for my corporation. Also installing a nice sidewalk along the back side of the Timber Motel would not work because pedestrians would be looking down into our guest's bathroom and showers. There are windows all along the back of the motel for ventilation. In summary, all of these changes would be detrimental to my tenants and cost prohibitive for me. In terms of looking at the long term concept plan, it just would not happen as long as I owned the property. Also in the long term plan there is not a single building left standing, they would all have to be demolished. I would lose all my current businesses,the jobs they create and have to find new tenants. Having a two story grocery store on the corner makes no sense and it would be difficult to find an independent grocer to fill the space. This plan has no possible way of working for me financially. I am also carrying a large loan on the improvements I made to this property on the recent remodel. I have spent millions of dollars remodeling and upgrading the shopping center and old Bowling Alley. Both buildings are like new. This includes new electrical, plumbing, lighting,sewer, HVAC, roofing, exterior and interior construction. The costs of tearing it all down and relocating each building would be prohibitive. The architectural fees and demolition costs alone would be prohibitive. In conclusion, I have spent a lot of time and money making recent upgrades and changes to my properties to conform to city standards and do not have the financial means to tear down any or all of it and rebuild. We have current businesses that cater to the college students as well as the local community and feel it is pedestrian friendly except the sidewalk along Walker Street. It was agreed this sidewalk improvement would be addressed with future development. If more residential is needed perhaps we can entertain a new building of mixed use with the current layout. In the last meeting I suggested taking a look across the street at the Pines Trailer Park, it would be a good location for some festivals and provide walk ways between three shopping centers and create a place for long term mix use. Thank you, Steve Meister President,Owner Meister's Buy-Rite Inc.