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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1963)
SUNDAY. MARCH 31, 1963 MEDFOHD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OREGON East-West Arterial Street From Freeway Planned Later During Year Southwest Medford Is ex pected to get an east-west arterial street from Interstate 5 sometime this year now that the public utilities commis sioner has approved the Bar nett rd. crossing of the South ern Pacific railroad tracks. The 1,285-foot extension from Barnett rd. to South Holly st. is part of the arterial street program voted on by Medford residents in 1956. It will join Holly st. at Melrose ave. All costs of the crossing's construction, except for pav ing in the immediate area of the three railroad tracks to be crossed, will be paid by the city. In connection with the pro ject, the Oregon state high way department announced in January that designs were be ing drawn for a traffic signal at the intersection of Barnett rd. and South Riverside ave. The state at that time said plans were to have the signal installed and in operation by July. Assume Maintenance Costs The signal's $12,000 cost will be paid half by the city and half by the state with the city assuming the costs of maintenance and power. While the PUC had ap proved the railroad crossing at Barnett rd. Aug. 11, 1960, nearly 16 months after the city had filed its application, I stipulations governing its op- LROSE " - t -fA "AX- BURNETT ROW STREET EXTENSION The Barnett rd. extension across the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks will intersect South Holly st. at Melrose ave. The road's extension, only 1,285 feet, will provide the city ah east-west arterial street from Interstate 5 to the southwest area. A public utilities commissioner order, approving the city's request for the grade crossing at the railroad tracks, was signed last month. The project is part of the 10-year arterial street program voted on by Medford residents in 1956. Chamber Committee Discusses Signs Along Freeway Viaduct Signs on the elevated free way within the city limits ol Medford dominated, last week's meeting of the gov ernmental operations commit tee of the Medford Chamber of Commerce. Chairman Robert D. Heffer nan, Jr., prepared the mem bers for the monopoly by one subject by announcing at the opening of the session that It would be devoted exclusive ly to discussion of the pro posed signs. ' Dale Hearrell of Pulver's Motel and H. A. Mauch of the Travelodge spoke for the erection of signs, and Attor ney Otto Frohnmaycr opposed signs along the freeway. Al Bradford,, representing the Medford city council, ex plained why the city had not taken definite action on this "important issue," long be fore this. He said the fact that the city would have jurisdiction over the signs within the city limits had been overlooked through a misunderstanding, adding that the council members had la bored under the mis-information that the state would have this power. No Effective Advertising Hearrell maintained that Wayside Industries would have no effective advertising without signs on the high ways to inform tourists of their services. Legislating all signs from the elevated freeway would be discriminatory legislation, he declared, against a large and important segment of Medford's economy. Motels, hotels, restaurants and gas stations, Hearrell said, are heavy taxpayers in the community. Prohibition of signs would be unfair to the taxpayers and an injustice to the traveling public, he said. Plead for Signs Mauck continued with the same line of thought, plead ing for regulated signs to aid the sizable income to the state from tourists, who brought Oregon an income of more than $200,000,000 in 1982. If the freeway is not marked here, Mauck insisted, Medford will miss out on many of the traveling dollars. Frohnmaycr, in answer, pro- Frohnmaycr, in answer, pro tested the signs already erect ed by Sambo and Richfield along the freeway, describing them as detrimental to the scene over Medford. Propo nents of such signs would render a disservice to Med ford, he declared, in that they would solve no problem. Such signs are viewed too late to inform the tourist who is going 70 miles, and more, an hour, he explained. These freeways belong to all of the people, the attorney contend ed, since the federal govern ment pays 90 to 92 per cent of the cost of construction. If the signs are erected, he added, tourists would soon type Medford as nothing but a Disneyland attraction. Som Serious Questions The permits already issued, Frohnmayer stated during the question and answer period, involve some serious questions of constitutional rights, ques tions which cannot be answer ed without a complete and thorough study of the facts. Examples of promotion of areas through signs were list ed by Mauck, who stated that the National Travelodge asso ciation is allotting $280,000 for billboards out of a pro motion budget of $800,000. The Jackson County Motel as sociation is contemplating ex penditure of $8,000 for a sign at Yreka promoting the Rogue valley and the Highways 5 and 99. Suggested signs outside the approaches of the city were introduced. In this category were placed "welcome" signs north and south of Medford, incorporating the services available within the city. The topic will be discussed again Wednesday. Brooks Named Head Of Insurance Week Bill Brooks, local life un derwriter, has, been named chairman of Life Insurance Week by the Rogue Valley Association of Life Under writers. The announcement was made by Gene Williams, presi dent of the association. Brooks will coordinate the plans of the local association members and arrange educa tional programs, concerning life insurance. ening were opposed by the city. Since that time, the city appealed the order in Jackson county circuit court and liti gations continued until March, 1962, when the case was re moved from the trial docket and remanded to the PUC for consideration of new evi dence. In the earlier order the PUC had stipulated that the city would have to choose be tween Barnett rd. and the 11th st. crossing of the rail road tracks. In the order which became effective Friday, several rea sons were stated for the PUC's change. In testimony given January by the Southern Pacific rail road, the company said that increased use of mechanically refrigerated cars substantially reduced the train movements to the ice house in the 11th st. crossing area. Company offic ials explained that switching problems had been eliminated by transferring makeup traf. fic from the area to the com pany's tracks three miles north. Testimony by the railroad showed that control of through train movements in the crossing's vicinity had changed since 1959. The auto matic block signals, originally located 200 feet south of 11th st., which caused delays in ve hicular traffic, have been re located in the vicinity of the north and south Medford city limits. At the January hearing, SP officials asked that the orig inal PUC order setting the speed of trains at the Barnett rd. crossing be increased to 20 miles per hour to coincide with the speed limit on Stew art ave. Reason given was to assist in the elimination of traffic congestion. Abide By Findings teepinffie Vaarf of See us right away If you need money to help pay your Income taxes. "Money from Crater Fi nance is like Money From Home." I CRATER FINANCE $ 135 PINE CEPNoTi5xL 664-1273 g At the time of the request Medford city officials said they would abide by the find ings of a safety study by the PUC staff. The study's find ings, according to Peter Suk alac, Salem, PUC information officer, showed that the speed of 15 miles per hour previous ly established as the highest permissible speed of trains at the Barnett rd. crossing is safe and reasonable. The crossing would, not be made safer for the public, nor would the railroad company realize any material benefit by increasing the maximum speed to 20 miles per hour. "Therefore," the study con cluded, "there is no cogent reason for changing the pro vision of the previous order as they pretain to the permis sible maximum speed over the proposed Barnett rd. crossing." . Neeotiations are continu ing by city officials for th final strip of property needed for the road's right-of-way. City officials hope to sub mit an ordinance to the city council April 4 authorizin the call for bids for tha street's extension. SEE Z ALE'S FIRST MHD Anniversary Price 0) YOUR CHOICE U99 Special Anniversary Price YOUR CHOICE plu tax TAKE A YEAR TO PAY plus tax a. 4 brilliant diamonds set in magnificent wedding set of 14K gold. $99 b. Man's S diamond ring accented by florentina finish... 14K. $99 c. Bridal pair boasts 8 fine diamonds set In elegant 14K gold. $99 TOTAL-WEIGHT NO MONEY DOWN CONVENIENT TERMS! Ilfuttrolloni nlargtd to ihow dofoll d. 8 diamonds gracefully set (n romantic bridal pair of 14K gold. $199 , Man's ring with 15 bold diamonds la new 14K gold mounting. $199 f. 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