City Government

05-10-2006 02:22 PM

Public meeting scheduled tonight to discuss growth issues
City Council and Urban Area Planning Commission to focus on issues in the Redwood Area

By TIM BURLESON

GRANTS PASS, OR - The Grants Pass City Council and the Urban Area Planning Commission (UAPC) are holding a joint meeting today at 5pm to discuss growth issues within the City of Grants Pass.

The UAPC recently attended a Council workshop meeting and expressed concerns about growth especially in the Redwood Area. The UAPC cited concerns with infrastructure, traffic, storm water run off and failing intersections. UAPC member Ferris Simpson told the Council, "We're getting pretty nervous on the Planning Commission about approving subdivisions."

Simpson told the Council that a 110-lot subdivision had been turned down at the last UAPC meeting because it failed to meet approval criteria due to failing intersections.

Improvements planned along Redwood Avenue to deal with traffic issues include signals at Dowell Road (scheduled later this year) and Willow Lane (scheduled in 2007) and improving Redwood Avenue between Redwood Highway and Dowell Road (construction planned for Spring 2007).

Council president Phil Paquin said the time has come for the Council and the UAPC to look at growth due to safety and traffic issues. "I think the trigger was the turn down of the 110-unit subdivision here recently by the Urban Area Planning Commission," Paquin said.

The meeting will be held in the Courtyard Conference Room at 5pm at City Hall (A and Sixth Street) at 5pm. The public is welcome to attend, however, but no public input will be taken at this meeting. Paquin says the opportunity for public input will take place at a future meeting. The meeting is scheduled for two hours between 5pm and 7pm with the UAPC starting their regularly scheduled meeting in the Council Chambers at 7pm.

Reach reporter Tim Burleson at 761-0195 or tim@grantspassclimate.com

Copyright © 2006 Grants Pass Climate