by Wayne Lee – Reporter/Photographer
Edited April 26 to correct a name.
The city has a new project approved for the Old Fire House property after its regularly scheduled meeting held April 14. The council had previously heard two new proposals for the space the city has been trying to develop for years and voted to accept the proposal from Snyder Development which is planning a 5,600 square foot tap house and restaurant that fronts Main St. with a pair of commercial units of roughly 1,400 square feet each, one of which will be occupied by Snyder.
The other half of the property which faces Loto St. will be a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments. The plan also includes a driveway from Main to Lotto that will provide parking for apartment residents. It should be noted that this is an initial proposal in its infant stage and subject to modification down the road by the council as the project moves forward.
Council President Kevin Walruff stated, “I like both proposals. The last proposal built out right to the property line. This setback looks more welcoming,” on both Main and Loto streets. “It better fits downtown,” he said. The council voted unanimously to move forward with the Snyder proposal.
The council also voted to approve the request to build five homes on six acres of land off Palima Dr. at the outskirts of the east end of the city limits. The zoning change approved earlier by the council could allow up to 17 homes on the six-acre parcel. However, the developer agreed to build just five homes in addition to the one that currently exists on the property. The compromise allows development but still makes room for agricultural uses.
Earlier in the meeting, the city honored Assistant District Attorney Maddie Reese for her help in the huge animal abuse case (the Schipperke dogs) in Eagle Point. According to Eagle Point Police Chief Jim Hamilton, Reese not only did the research and laid out the groundwork for the search warrant that made the case; but she also stayed on the site the entire day to follow up on any legal questions that arose during the event.
That was followed by a presentation of the final annual report by outgoing Eagle Point School District 9 Superintendent Andy Kovach who is retiring at the end of this school year. Kovach touched on how he came into the job during the COVID years and had to deal with the staff requirements needed to cope with the extra effort to keep children safe.
The post-COVID lockdown era saw a slow decline in attendance as home schooling and other alternatives became available. Still, class attendance is down almost 20% since 2014 and has been declining at roughly 2% per year. Additionally, the district is in the midst of bargaining with the union for a new contract while increasing tutorial opportunities for students who now realize they only have one semester left to graduate.
Kovach discussed the various projects still underway such as the wrestling room for White Mountain Middle School, batting cages for the high school softball team and pickleball at the new park created by the city at Little Butte School which, according to Kovach, “Is a land mine you don’t want to step on.” He noted that since the courts are on school property, he gets phone calls regarding the courts almost daily. However, the city leases the land from the school district to provide additional recreational opportunities for local residents and is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of which is now known as the Old Schoolyard Park.
The council also tackled the Neighborhood Enhancement Commission recommendation that a skate park be located at Nova Park next to the existing splash park. Council member Brad Hewitt came out strongly against a skate park noting several objections, many of which he said commonly occur in area skate parks. Some of the objections he noted are the widespread graffiti and vandalism that takes place in skate parks, as well as the effect of teenagers next to small children in the splash park which could include older kids riding their skateboards through the splash park.
Chief Hamilton noted that skate parks can cause problems, including older kids harassing younger children, citing a couple of times his department in Grants Pass had to fish a scooter out of a creek due to older kids’ harassment. However, Councilor Stacy Fields said, “The community has wanted this for a long time. The NEC chose this and I agree.” Councilor Lena Beach suggested the future Highland Park might be a better location because, “it would provide more room.”
Chief Hamilton noted, “Every skate park has these issues. I prefer Nova Park simply because it is easier to monitor.” City Administrator Aaron Prunty stated, “staff will be putting something in the budget,” to at least get the process started.
In other news, Mayor Kathy Sell announced the Showa auction held April 11 at the Jackson County Expo raised more than $22,000 to help defray the cost of airline tickets for the 12 students and three adults traveling to Eagle Point’s sister city.
In addition, Chief Hamilton announced his officers are wearing blue badges in recognition of Autism Awareness Month and his officers have purchased special badges to commemorate the 250th anniversary of our country.
