A Medford Wal-Mart Supercenter is back for a limited public hearing today, although the proposal’s opponents wish all comments were welcome.

"We do know that they are trying to limit the scope of the testimony and we think that’s wrong," said Shareen Vogel, spokesperson for Citizens for Responsible Development, a group formed in opposition to the supercenter proposed at the former site of Miles Field.

The group sent out 2,000 postcards to Medford residents last week encouraging people to attend today’s meeting or contact City Council members.

John Huttl, Medford’s city attorney, said today’s hearing will not be as if the project is starting from scratch, but will be a new public hearing on some limited issues.

The supercenter application, with architectural modifications, is going back to the Site Plan and Architectural Commission at noon today in City Hall Council Chambers, 411 W. Eighth St., Medford.

Advertisement

The hearing came about after the Medford City Council voted in November to remand the project back to the commission.

The council in May 2004 denied the commission’s approval of the 207,000-square-foot supercenter to be built along Highway 99 at the former site of Miles Field. In June 2004, Wal-Mart appealed that decision to the state’s Land Use Board of Appeals, and in March 2005 LUBA remanded the decision back to the city.

LUBA had ruled the council erred on two counts: It did not properly explain its reasoning for denial, and it did not explain why a traffic study was not required for the application. The South Gateway Partners, property owners near the proposed supercenter site, have expressed concerns about traffic and have requested a comprehensive traffic study be done.

The council sent the application back to SPAC with the stipulation that its members only look at the architecture and design changes but not consider the footprint, size of building or orientation.

Greg Hathaway, a Portland attorney representing Wal-Mart, said issues such as scale, size and orientation of the building can’t be brought up again because they’ve already been considered.

"The only testimony that people can talk about (today) are the new items that we’re presenting," said Hathaway.

He said anybody could testify on the new information. And traffic is not part of that.

"The traffic issue for South Gateway is only going to be a legal argument. There will be no new information," said Hathaway.

The latest proposal, presented to the Planning Department in January, calls for a roughly 205,700-square-foot store with heightened facades which feature earth-tone colors and a variety of textures, as well as awnings and additional entrances, to help break up the appearance, according to the application’s amendments.

A 900-foot-long wall along Highway 99 to hide loading docks has been replaced with a 6-foot-high berm and evergreen trees. The plan also would eliminate cargo container storage on the property. It would add shade trees in the parking lot, planters in a plaza in front of the store, benches, a bus stop and pedestrian walkways around the parking lot.

"Wal-Mart did not have to make these changes or modifications," said Hathaway.

Vogel said she’s worried the Superstore will add more traffic than the existing streets can handle, especially with the south Medford interchange project bringing more cars to nearby Garfield Ave., and she said the proposed building is not compatible with adjacent buildings.

There may have been some changes made, but it’s not enough, she said.

"The back of the building still faces Highway 99," she said, adding such positioning creates an eyesore at what is the gateway to the city.

"That’s not a welcome sign to Medford," she said.

Hathaway said if the commission gives the green light, Wal-Mart hopes to begin construction late spring or early summer.

"We intend to proceed rapidly," he said.

Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail mlanders@mailtribune.com.