Council could put vote-for-fees measure on ballot — or require backers to gather petition signatures; Grand Terrace units off Highway 99 at northwest city limit require annexation of land into city limits

By Steve Mitchell, Ashland.news

After years of legal wrangling, the Ashland City Council on Tuesday, Nov 4, will again take up a proposal for a major housing project that could bring a 210-unit apartment complex to the northwest end of Ashland.

This will be the third time the plan comes before the Ashland City Council. The council has twice approved the plan, but legal actions taken by Rogue Advocates, a nonprofit conservation organization, torpedoed the approvals.

The Rogue Advocates past opposition was related to traffic, parking, wildfire risk, sustainability and affordability. Since then, the organization has abandoned its opposition to the project, stating on its website that its approval is “inevitable.”

Located at 1511 Highway 99 North, the council sees Grand Terrace as key in Ashland’s efforts to build more affordable housing. According to meeting documents, developers intend to designate 24 apartments as affordable units for households earning 80% or less of the area’s mean family income.

The remaining units would be rented or sold at market rate, but would still be affordable compared to single-family housing, which dominates the Ashland market.

Legal miscues in prior approvals led to two Rogue Advocate appeals of the approval by the state. The approvals were sent back to the city for amendments and reconsideration. The Ashland Planning Commission ultimately approved the plan in May.

The ordinance before the council Tuesday would annex into the city an 8.53-acre parcel and adjacent right-of-way
and railroad property currently outside city limits but within Ashland’s urban growth boundary, which extends northwest along Highway 99 to the Jackson Wellsprings area.

One issue that remains is the 176 parking spaces for the apartment units. The state requires the removal of minimum parking requirements for most residential developments under Oregon climate legislation. The developers insist the complex’s residents will rely on public transportation and other non-car alternatives.

The plan has shifted from its original design, with 20 fewer units and an increase in the size of some of the affordable units, eliminating studios, and making them all one-bedroom units. The updated plan also spreads the affordable units throughout the 10 buildings and includes fire-resistant building materials and solar power. Additionally, nearly 80% of the land — almost 7 acres — will be preserved as open space, including a wetland area and landscaped recreation space.

Neighborhood concerns

Nearby residents, including Brent Thompson, a former planning commissioner, still oppose the project.

In a letter to the council, Thompson wrote that the project does not does not conform to the city’s Climate Friendly Area criteria, which apply to the area bounded by Ashland Street, Tolman Creek Road, and Siskiyou Boulevard.

Thompson also raised environmental and infrastructure concerns, noting that the development would use city water but not connect to the city’s sewer system, meaning wastewater would not be treated locally or returned to Bear Creek to support fish and wildlife habitat.

He added that North Main Street is “a hostile environment for pedestrians and bicyclists. … There is no suitable alternative route,” he said.

Thompson wrote that a large-scale complex implicitly means that a real estate investment trust will own and manage the project, not “local and more caring people.”

“There is no guarantee that sensitive Ashland residents will want to live in a large complex,” he wrote. “But it is guaranteed that existing residents in the North Main area will be increasingly inconvenienced.”

If the city approves the first reading, the council will come back for a second reading of the ordinance and final vote, likely on Dec. 2.

Study session Monday

The Ashland City Council will again mull a proposal to its charter amendment that could change how new city fees are collected.

First discussed at the city’s previous study session, the discussion will center on whether to allow a citizen-driven initiative to proceed through the traditional signature-gathering process or to expedite it by approving it for placement on the ballot.

The ballot measure proposes to change the Ashland Charter and require any new tax or utility fee to be subject to voter approval.

The potential ballot measure comes on the heels of the council’s approval of hikes in the rate of two fees and the addition of a third fee on utility bills to support wildfire mitigation, public safety, and the Parks & Recreation department earlier this year. Additionally, the council is considering making its food and beverage tax permanent, which already would require voter approval.

The proposed amendment has come under fire by some, with resident Karen Smith writing in a letter to the editor that it would reduce the council’s “decision-making to a crawl and create much more conflict with endless debate.”

The proposal’s chief petitioner, George Kramer, wrote in rebuttal that the proposed amendment is “reasonable” and is a way to ensure the city’s leaders are more thoughtful before imposing fees on taxpayers.

Monday’s study session starts at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday’s business meeting at 6 p.m. Meetings are held in the Ashland City Council chamber at 1175 E. Main St. Proceedings are cablecast live on Channel 9 (or 180), streamed online at rvtv.sou.edu (RVTV Prime), and posted online the day after the meeting.

Email Ashland.news associate editor Steve Mitchell at [email protected].

Related stories:

Ashland City Council weighs charter amendment requiring voter approval for new city fees (Oct. 22, 2025)

Grand Terrace apartment decision postponed to Nov. 4 (Sept. 13, 2025)

City Council to discuss wildfire plan, housing project and emergency shelter upgrades on Tuesday (Aug. 17, 2025)

Ashland City Council to discuss enhanced law enforcement area, Grand Terrace development (Jan. 31, 2025)

Grand Terrace applicant expands on reasons for project withdrawal (Oct. 16, 2023)

Developer announces withdrawal of application for Grand Terrace development (Oct. 5, 2023)

Viewpoint: A closer look at the Grand Terrace proposal (Aug. 21, 2023)

Ashland Planning Commission approves Grand Terrace development for the third time (Aug. 16, 2023)