file photoA couple {} ride their bikes through Blue Heron Park in Phoenix on Sunday morning.
The pending sale of a 1.36 acre lot next to Blue Heron Park for an upscale RV park has left some residents dissatisfied with the Phoenix Urban Renewal Agency. They fear the sale will result in the loss of wetlands on the property.
BBMFR LLC, led by James Beard, has signed a purchase agreement with the agency to purchase the package for $ 375,000. The sale should be completed by October 29th at the latest.
Douglas Day, operations manager on the project, said it was premature to discuss details like the number of locations and the types of customers the park is trying to attract. As part of the purchase contract, the buyer must submit a zoning application to the city before signing it. An architect was involved in preparing this plan, Day said.
“The buyers and PHURA are still in negotiations. The entire project is still to be determined, ”said Al Muelhöfer, CEO of PHURA. The store would be called Blue Heron RV Park, he said.
The company plans to build the RV park on the property and two adjoining plots that they have purchased that will house Dun Rov-N RV Park and Frontier Lodge apartments, both of which were destroyed by the Almeda fire.
An empty old house on the urban renewal site was also on fire. A total of 4.02 hectares would be built on. All of the land is adjacent to Highway 99 in the South 4300 block. The PHURA parcel is adjacent to the north entrance to the park.
PHURA held a special online meeting on September 13th to give residents the opportunity to comment on the sale, even though the agency had already signed the sales document on September 1st. Three people raised concerns about the project and written testimony was also provided. Concerns centered on the future of a wetland on the site that contains a spring.
“When we became aware of this, many of us were alarmed. Nobody sees the wetland as an asset. They are seen more as an obstacle, ”says Annie Dräger. She also wondered why there wasn’t a public hearing before the sale and what effect this would have on the road into Blue Heron Park.
“It’s an invaluable asset,” said Kristina Lefever, who works at the Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, headquartered in Phoenix. She regretted that the spring and the riverside area would not remain public property.
LeFever had presented a proposal for a nature learning center on the premises at a PHURA meeting on July 7th. Other organizations would have been involved in the center, and she stated that the location in a wetland area would aid the educational effort.
“We need a learning center to learn the value of wetlands and to create a positive relationship with nature,” said Dräger.
PHURA had suggested that the shore area of the land, about 0.63 hectares in size, should remain in public ownership. But the board later withdrew that idea after the developers indicated they wanted the entire package, Muelhöfer said.
As planned, the wetlands would be covered and land in another wetland conservation bank would be purchased to replace the lost riparian area, Day said at the meeting.
“We definitely plan to adhere to all the rules and regulations required to develop this park,” said Day. He reported that the LLC has hired Portland wetland engineer Phil Scoles to lead this part of the project. He said it could take up to a year to go through the wetland permitting process.
In response to questions, Joe Slaughter, Phoenix Community Development Director, said that all wetland considerations are handled by the Oregon’s Division of State Lands.
“The city isn’t involved (with wetlands), it’s the Division of State Lands. It’s not uncommon to have wetland conservation banks for this purpose, ”Slaughter said. The government agency’s wetland mitigation requirements would be included in the city’s permits for the RV park.
Board member Terry Baker, who is also mayor of Phoenix, called for more meetings so that the public could be kept informed of the progress of the project. The Phoenix City Council serves as the agency’s board of directors. Day indicated that the company is ready to attend additional meetings to provide information.
The agency’s board of directors held board meetings in July and August at which property sales were cited as the reason for the meetings. A first purchase offer was received on June 30th. The agency made a counter offer on August 31.
The appearance and operating standards for the park must be submitted to the city as part of the zoning application. The age and condition of the motorhomes and the occupancy of pets are among the items included in the standards listed in the sales contract.
You can reach Ashland, Tony Boom’s freelance writer, at tboomwriter@gmail.com.
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