Citizens, councilors, key staff members discuss important Ashland issues over coffee
By Emma Coke, Ashland.news
Around 20 people showed up to Ashland’s “Coffee & Conversation” event in the Enders Shelter at Lithia Park Friday morning to raise concerns directly with city councilors and senior city staff in an informal setting, complete with hot and cold brewed coffee.
Citizens brought up issues ranging from fire danger and affordable housing to a desire for more pickleball courts.
Kenny Andersen came to the event with his wife. The two of them were concerned about an acre-and-a-half plot of land near their home that wasn’t being taken care of. The plot of land had dead grass several feet high, according to Andersen.
“Fire season is here and it’s been neglected,” Andersen said. “The neighborhood’s all worked up about it.”
Rather than sending an email or calling, he decided to come to the event to meet directly with the city.
Tom Besich was also concerned about neglected land and fire danger. He talked about how he’s noticed many properties that seem apt for fire and he would like to see the city do more about it.
He asked Jim Bachman, an Ashland Parks & Recreation commissioner, if the city is ready for a big fire. Bachman said the city is trying to get ready for it.
“It sounds like you’re just throwing your hands up and giving up,” Besich said.
Bachman said the city is doing what they can, and that with parks, they are trying to make their parks fire-safe.
Bachman responded that there are limits to how much the city can do when it comes to private property. The parks commission can’t maintain the properties Besich brought up because they don’t own them.
Besich said there are city ordinances the city could enforce.
“Personal property rights have tremendous protections,” Bachman said. “Now I don’t know the answer. I’m not a lawyer and I won’t pretend to be one.”
Weed abatement, as the weed cutting regulations are known, are actually under the purview of Ashland Fire & Rescue. City code requires landowners or occupants to cut grass and weeds to no more than 4 inches high by June 15 each year and maintain that height throughout the fire season. Violations can be reported on the city website by clicking here.
Jean Hanna came to the event to discuss building more affordable housing. She wondered what the city had in store for long-term plans.
“There’s not enough housing,” Hanna said. “It’s not a 10-year project, it’s like ‘What are we gonna do?’”
Hanna feels the city isn’t prioritizing the need as much as they should, stating that the school district is losing kids and many people are being priced out of their homes.
“Ashland is going to become this charming community where only the wealthy can live here,” Hanna said.
Sabrina Cotta, interim city manager, said that the city has projects in progress with Habitat for Humanity. Hanna responded that those are only single-family homes and she wants larger, multi-family projects.
Linda Adams, Transportation Advisory Committee member, brought up Ashland Community Land Trust, who she said is working to buy land to make affordable housing.
Adams also said that Ashland is getting a lot of support from the state to work on making affordable housing.
It takes about $400,000 to build one new property, Adams said, according to the Housing Authority of Jackson County.
Cotta brought up how the city is working with architects to provide free accessory dwelling unit plans to those interested in building another house on their property.
“We are trying to break down some of those cost barriers to people who do want to provide that type of housing,” Cotta said.
Cotta also mentioned that they’re working on land banking for additional properties, which she said is one of the biggest barriers because the developers need to make money.
“The need is so great (for affordable housing),” Hanna said.
A sizeable group of avid pickleball players came to the event. Margie McKinsey was one of them, and she was interested in getting two more pickleball courts.
“The use is here,” Margie McKinsey said, talking about current courts in Lithia Park. “It goes on all day long …. You go down and it’s packed. It’s not only just older people, it’s younger people, too.”
Rick Landt, a Parks & Recreation commissioner, told McKinsey it should be possible to also line basketball courts planned for Ashland Creek Park for pickleball as well.
McKinsey seemed pleased enough, stating that the proximity to the creek “sounds lovely”.
The next Coffee and Conversation will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, at Railroad Park.
“That’s why these are so important,” said Ashland Mayor Tonya Graham. “Because we can have this exchange, it’s more than 140 characters and you can see my body language. You can see how I’m explaining things, you can hear the tone of my voice. None of those are available in the (online) forums.”
Email Ashland.news reporter intern Emma Coke at [email protected].
July 17: Reference to land making corrected to say land banking.
