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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 19, 1962)
VALLEY HIGHWAYS Two highways one a scenic route along the Rogue river, it exists? Motel and other business owners along Highway 99 between Features SECTION 'Scenic Route' Businesses Try To Attract Tourists Off Freeway By JIM FRAKE Mail Tribune Staff Writer Tourism is important to the economy of southern Oregon and, in particular, to the mo tels that line the highways. To what extent tourist facilities-including motels, res taurants, service stations and scenic attractions-are exploit ed depends largely on two things: that tourists know such facilities exist and that they have a desire to find them. There are many reasons why tourists would want to spend the night in the Rogue valley. Medford is about half way between Portland and San Francisco, the primary in terstate freeway sweeps through the area, Medford is recognized as an important shopping center, there are 44 consecutive performances at the Oregon Shakespearean festival in Ashland, there is easy access to Crater lake and the Oregon caves and, of course, the Rogue valley is on the route to the Seattle World's Fair. Whatever the reason, tour ists are flocking to motels, 1 - a., ASSOCIATION'S SIGN The Rogue River Businessmen's board near the Foots Creek exit of Interstate S. (Knack association spent more than $3,000 for this 60 foot long bill- stedt photos) MEDFORD, B MEDFORD. OREGON. SUNDAY. AUGUST 19. 1962 PAGES 1 to 8 hotels, trailer parks and camp grounds daily, looking for a place to spend the night. Until about a year ago, a motorist could drive from Ashland to Grants Pass and never be too far from motels. Since portions of the new In terstate 5 freeway have been opened a tourist, who finds lodging accomodations in the cities filled, may unknowingly return lo the freeway and con tinue to Roseburg or into Cali fornia. Motels on what is termed the "Rogue River highway," Highway 99 from Rock Point (near Gold Hill) to Grants Pass, no longer are on the main route between Medford and Grants Pass. What effect will this have on their busi ness? The freeway, by-pasing bus iness on Highway 99 from Rock Point to the city of Rogue River, opened late last summer. Another freeway link from Rogue River to be yond Grants Pass opened about June 1 of this year. Along with restaurants, service stations and other bus inesses, there are more than ' W1 the other an interstate freeway Rock Point and Grants Pass think Sports f&JTRIBUNE 50 motels, along the "old" highway. A check of motels in this area showed that most motel owners believe the new free way has "hurt" their business. Many have taken steps to re lain their tourist trade. Others said it was "too soon lo tell." and it was pointed out that this is an "abnormal year" for comparison because of the World's Fair. Jack Shoemaker of the Fly caster motel said their busi ness had been hurt, but "not as bad as we thought it would." Much of his business, he noted, included customers who had stayed there before, and those stopping because of his American Automobile as sociation (AAA) affiliation. Another motel owner had mixed emotions about the new freeway. He said he was glad that the freeway had taken most of the traffic away from his door because of the noise, but at the same time his bus iness had dropped consider ably. Although he had but six units, he said they have re mained empty many nights this summer. ' ,"'V mi are available lo southern Oregon tourists. Will travelers leave the wide so and have formed an association to let the out-of-state traveler know Mrs. Lee Shrode, manager of the Rio Linda court, ad . milted the new freeway may have done "a Utile damage," but said she has had a "pretty good summer this year." She and her husband manage five units. The owners of (he Slar motel, Mr. and Airs. Harold Weed, said their four rentals are filled "most of the time," but that "this is not unusual for August." They also re ported "occasional winter bus iness" until the freeway opened last year. A delivery man, who col lects laundry from motels along the Rogue river for a Grants Pass firm, claims that motel business has dropped two-thirds "for the most part." He contends that business was "good" north of Rogue River along the old highway be cause of the "overflow" from Grants Pass when the down town motels are filled. Ed Schrccengost, owner of the Laurels motel, upheld that the freeway had "cut out the transient business." Neverthe less, he said that "within five years there'll be more busi ness than ever before." The owner warned that motels, es pecially the small ones, would, have to keep up with the times. Those motels that don't at tract new business will "real ly suffer," he concluded. Tourists Art "Confused" The majority of the small motel owners In the affected area had one thought in common-tourists are "confused." As Marvin LcManter, who op erates the Foots Creek Coun try store and trailer park put It: "They're not sure what's off the freeway, and many don't even realize they're near river." "They're lost," Is the way one motel owner described it. Mack Lillard, who owns the Welcome motel located be tween Rogue River and Grants Pass, says many of his regular customers go by with out realizing they've missed the motels along the river. Of major concern to the people In this area is having adequate signs on the freeway to tell motorists where tourist facilities arc and that they can reach Grants Pass via the route along the Rogue river. Lack of Signs LcMasler insists there is a lack of signs. Another said there were "no signs to show that there was anything here (along the river.) I've never seen such a bunch of crazy signing In my life," he com mented. Shoemaker agreed that the freeway "isn't signed right." He felt that there were no signs saying where the old highway goes. Motorists don't realize that it's "the scenic route," one businessman not ed. In an effort to obtain better signs on the freeway, several motel owners have written to the state highway commission seeking assistance. The com mission, in turn, has met with area residents to discuss the situation. Al Head, who supervises in stallation of signs for the high way commission, has helped the motel owners "consider ably" according to some, but others claim there isn't ade quate signing. One motel own er said the "gas-food-lodging" niarkers re "very effective," while others say they are too small and fail to point out the scenic attraction of the Rogue river. Shortly after the freeway opened, the commission posted a sign near the Fools Creek exit indicating the turn-off for the Redwood highway (Highway 199). Under this ar rangement, motorists would travel along the river on the old highway until they reached the U. S. 199 junc tion in Grants Pass. Earlier this summer the sign was re moved and U. S. 199 traffic now turns off the Interstate ft freeway at the Grants Pass Sixth st. exit. It was reported the sign was moved for "the eonvenience of the traveling public." It was felt that rout ing motorists who arc travel ing to the coast off the free way at Grants Pass would be more "direct." One motel owner suggested that the old highway be called the "business route," or some other designation that would identify it as having river-side businesses as well as being another route between Med ford and Grants Pass. Erect Billboard One attempt lo solve the "sign problem" and end the "confusion" was the erection of a 12 by 60 foot billboard adjacent to the freeway. It was paid for by more than 100 owners of motels, restaurants, service stations, sporting goods stores, grocery stores, building suppliers and other businessmen who have formed the "Rogue River Business men's Association." The sign, which cost about $3,000, was erected In early April about a mile cast of the Foots Creek exit. Located at the left of the roadway, the sign encourages tourists to travel the "famous" Rogue river route. The project was spearhead ed by Mr. and Mrs. Jim Oli ver, owners of Rogue Valley motel located between Rogue River and Grants Pass. Scores ,of people were contacted in the last few months to seek support for the sign. Not Necessary Although the sign has been met enthusiastically by most people, some feel it Is "on the wrong side of the highway" while others don't think it's necessary. In their attempt to let tour ists know about the Rogue river and the businesses along it, the RRBA members are thinking of other ways to pro mote their area. A pamphlet, featuring this area is now being printed. Bumper strips telling of the Rogue River highway may also be distrib uted, according to the Olivers. One motel owner summar ized the situation by saying that the "freeway won't dam age anyone if the area is prop erly promoted." Another agreed that "those making an effort" will do okay, regard less of the freeway. "Those who aren't keeping up with the times and are 'out of style' are the ones who will be hurt." one stated. Worried About 'Small Guy' Jack B. Kaufman, who owns the Motel Del Rogue near Grants Pass, is one who is concerned about what the freeway Is doing to motel bus iness along the old highway. Although it's not hurting his business, he admits, "I'm wor ried about the small guy." Kaufman charges that there It little cooperation from the ribbons of divided pavement for a scenic slower route if they know that tourist facilities are available across the river. i I-w J "-SI If. pat? "' 'T.w"v "Tp,I7Wi v ADEQUATE?-Some business owners along Highway OP be. tween Gold Hill and Grams Pa.s feel mai he Oregon Hign way department signs do not tell the motorist enough so they will leave the Freeway and seek accommodations along the "scenic river route." downtown motels in Granls Pass. He said that when tour ists find the downtown motels filled they follow the "north bound" and "southbound" signs and end up back on the freeway without knowing that there are scores of motels along the old highway. After a letter he wrote on the situation appeared in the Grants Pass newspaper, Kauf man said he received at least 50 telephone call's. Forty-five per cent of the motel owners supported the charges, he said. Owners of some of the down town motels "apologized" for any misunderstanding and in sisted that they didn't discour age tourists from taking lre old highway if the Grants Pass motels arc filled. Jack McMahan, manager of the Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce, rebuked the cries of "less business" and the charge that downtown motels are "unfair." He said he un derstood that the motels on the old highway were "doing quite well" this summer. If they want any signs or special promotion, he continued, they should "do it themselves." Rtsponiiblt lo Members McMahan emphasized that there were only one or two . motels outside of the down town area that belonged to the chamber of commerce and that "we are responsible to our members." After the Kaufman letter was printed the rnanager re portedly received four or five calls from motel owners deny ing the charges that they were trying "lo get all the gravy" and not trying to help the "little man." "Whenever possible," Mc Mahan continued, "we have made referrals to them (motels on the old highway), but the chamber is primarily respon sible to its members." In Jackson county. Max Weston, president of the Jack son County Motor Court asso ciation, said definitely that "cooperation between motels in the valley is needed." Re garding the freeway, Weston said the motels were going through a "transitional per iod," but would be able to ad just. Another point of view on motel economics was taken by an area real estate man. The salesman, who asked his name not be mentioned, said some of the motels who are con cerned about a.tyss of business FOOTS CR. EXIT 9 (tirt V i uL'H have "never been highly prof itable." "It takes about 20 units to make it (owning a motel) prof itable," he stated. Several of the motels from Rock Point to Rogue River are four to eight units in size. More than one of the motel owners tried to sell before the freeway was opened, he noted. For Sal Signs The Mall Tribune reporter found at least three small mo tels deserted in the area with a "for sale" sign posted. Oth ers don't cater to overnight travelers but rent by the week or month to people working in the area. On the other hand, and flavored with a touch of irony, is the fact that two ma jor developments are planned for the arca-a 100-space mo bile home park and a motor court resembling the famed Village Green enterprise near Cottage Grove. Although little Information is available on the two pro posals, it was learned that the trailer park will be known as Rock Point village. It is to feature a recreation hall, swimming pool, putting green and hobby shop. A billboard, located on a site facing the Rogue River highway near Rock Point, promises "a com plete community for adults." Hold Option The motor court Is expected to be located at the Foots Creek exit adjacent to the In terstate 5 freeway. The devel opers reportedly have an op tion to purchase additional land across the old highway on the Rogue river. At least one nation-wide oil company is also expected to join the project. The consensus seemed to be that the freeway itself won't be detrimental to the economy of this particular area. If bus inessmen are able to adjust. The immediate effect of tak ing a main highway away from one's door (If he is a mo tel owner who depends on tourist trade) certainly can, and has been In some cases, disastrous. But with long range planning and proper promotion, the tourists will gladly leave the freeway to spend their money here. As one person put It, the opening of a freeway has al way's affected someone's home or business, and Rogut River highway Is no excep tion. , 51 J-
