City will pay up to $1.18 million for crossing upgrades ahead of major repaving project, despite questions about future freight traffic

By Damian Mann for Ashland.news

Ashland Mayor Tonya Graham cast the tie-breaking vote Tuesday for a new rail crossing on North Mountain Avenue as questions swirl about the fate of the freight-train line.

Central Oregon and Pacific  Railroad (CORP) “is no longer using the track section from Ashland to Yreka,” said Scott Fleury, director of Ashland Public Works.

In December, Roseburg Forest Products shut down a mill in Weed, which was serviced by CORP, and laid off all employees in Weed.

Graham’s vote was needed to approve an agreement between the city and CORP, in which the city pays for the upgrades to the track.

Fleury said the new rail crossing is needed in advance of a large repaving project on North Mountain, from Hersey Street to Main Street, that will start next winter.

Phase 1 of the two-phase project started this week to repave North Mountain from Interstate 5 to Hersey Street. The work, which should be completed by June 30, will include upgrading disability ramps and pedestrian and bicycle improvements.

Councilor Dylan Bloom, who joined councilors Gina DuQuenne and Jeff Dahle in voting against the project, said he thought the city should pause on Phase 2 because of potential plans for a new civic center at 90 North Mountain Ave., immediately to the southeast of where the rail line crosses North Mountain Avenue, and because of uncertainty about the rail line.

He said the roadway on Mountain Avenue might need considerable work after repaving to accommodate an entrance to the proposed civic center, which the council is considering to consolidate city services and address deferred maintenance.

“I’m a bit trepidatious about tearing up roads,” he said.

Councilors Bob Kaplan, Derek Sherrell and Eric Hansen voted in favor of the crossing agreement.

John Bullion, general manager of CORP, said Wednesday that for the time being there won’t be many trains rolling through Ashland, but said, “It is not shut down.”

But he said there isn’t much business in Weed since the closure of the Roseburg Forest Products mill.

“If somebody buys the mill, we’ll keep going,” he said.

In the meantime, the train will only be used for occasional runs to deliver supplies for the Oregon Department of Transportation to help with ice on the roads.

Since there are no major customers in Ashland, CORP will mostly send trains from Medford or Central Point north to Roseburg and Eugene and back again.

Bullion said CORP still plans to continue working with Ashland on the rail crossing at North Mountain.

The rail crossing project would add a sidewalk across the tracks on the west side, and the crossing would be modified to accommodate the repaving work on North Mountain, including the addition of bike lanes.
Fleury told the council that he preferred no delays in the project.

“From an infrastructure point of view, I wouldn’t agree to that,” he said.

He said delays could lead to increased costs down the road.

“There is a risk not doing anything,” he said.

Fleury said he thought upgrading the rail crossing would still work with a proposed civic center project.

He did say that the railroad has continued to work with the city, though at a slower pace than he’d like.

Even if CORP doesn’t use the rail line now, it might in the future.

If, for some reason, CORP backs out of the deal, Fleury said the money could be used for a traffic study for the proposed civic center project.

The cost estimate for the crossing is $1.18 million, Fleury said, but that’s the maximum amount, and he said his department would work on ways to bring the price down.

Graham said the council delayed many road projects during the pandemic. As a result there are a backlog of streets in Ashland in need of repair, she said.

“This road needs rehabilitation all the way to Main Street,” Graham said.

In other business, the council discussed an ordinance that would  clarify the process to to dispose of city properties that are no longer used.

This is aimed at addressing a long-range divestiture plan related to the proposed civic center project.

Carmel Zahran, assistant city attorney, said the city currently relies mostly on Oregon statutes to dispose of city properties, but a local ordinance would help make the process more transparent for the public.

The divestiture plan could potentially include up to 20 vacant properties and other civic buildings scattered throughout the city.

Having a specific ordinance would make the process clearer for the community, she said.

Mayor Graham and other councilors wondered whether the proposed language would limit the council.

“I’d like it to be more flexible,” she said.

Councilor Gina DuQuenne said the city has previously sold properties using state statutes as a guide.

“I’m comfortable keeping it the way it is,” she said.

Councilor Derek Sherrell wondered if the ordinance would delay property deals.

Zahran said, “I think it would make it a little bit faster.”

Councilor Jeff Dahle supported rewriting the ordinance to add more flexibility to the ordinance.

“I think we need to take another crack at this,” he said.

Johann Pietila, city attorney, said the legal office would revise the proposal and send drafts to each councilor for review before bringing it back for a first reading.

Reach freelance writer Damian Mann at dmannnews@gmail.com.