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Signs posted on a barn on Old Pacific Highway demonstrate opposition from Tri City residents
concerning annexing into Myrtle Creek, although the city hasn’t taken any further action on the issue.
TRI CITY — A weathered barn on Old Pacific Highway offers a hint that there’s a new group in town.
Mounted to its side, two large signs read, “Stop Land Grab” and underneath, in large capital letters, “No Annexation.”
Farther down the road, Tri City markets and businesses used their replaceable letter signs as tools to advertise the group’s meeting, which was held on Tuesday at South Umpqua High School.
With more than 70 people in attendance, the Tri City Citizens Alliance conducted its second official meeting to discuss its opposition to annexation, despite a claim from the city of Myrtle Creek that it has no such intentions toward the unincorporated area.
Since the Myrtle Creek City Council passed a motion months ago to begin the voluntary annexation process of the Highway 99 business corridor to Exit 103 into Myrtle Creek’s Urban Growth Boundary, Tri City residents have protested in force. An Urban Growth Boundary is the area in which a city plans to grow.
The council decided a meeting with the Tri City business community might determine the level of annexation interest. The result was a heated gathering at Myrtle Creek City Hall in February, with dozens of angry Tri City residents in attendance.
And according to City Administrator Aaron Cubic, that’s where the city has left it.
“No further development has occurred from the city’s stance,” Cubic said. “The council has looked at annexation options available and the only options explored would mean individual property owners wishing to come in at their own desire.”
Cubic said the city has had an open door policy. Interested individuals are welcome to stop by City Hall to discuss annexation options, but Cubic said it has been from a voluntary standpoint only.
Members of the Tri City Citizens Alliance are not convinced.
Signs are just one of the measures the new group has taken to ensure the city of Myrtle Creek is aware of its opposition.
They’ve developed a board of directors, built a Web site — www.tricityca.org — and they passed a motion to establish a post office box at Tuesday’s meeting.
They also collected about 1,400 signatures for an informal petition, which they presented to the Myrtle Creek City Council at its meeting last month.
According to chairman of the alliance Dan Wiggins, the council had no reaction.
“They looked at me and basically didn’t say anything,” he said. “But they definitely know we mean business.”
According to Cubic, the petition discussed issues that were never addressed at a council level.
Several theories were tossed around at Tuesday’s meeting, one being that the city of Myrtle Creek is trying to expand on Tri City’s dollar. Another was the idea that the city of Myrtle Creek might annex in a “sneaky, backhand(ed) way,” as one woman put it.
The city of Myrtle Creek maintains its position that no further action has been taken to annex any properties into the UGB.
Even so, the Tri City Citizens Alliance is asking residents to register on its Web site as members, demand that the issue go to a vote and write to elected officials at the county and state levels.
• You can reach reporter Cara Pallone at 957-4208 or by e-mail at cpallone@nrtoday.com.
Mounted to its side, two large signs read, “Stop Land Grab” and underneath, in large capital letters, “No Annexation.”
Farther down the road, Tri City markets and businesses used their replaceable letter signs as tools to advertise the group’s meeting, which was held on Tuesday at South Umpqua High School.
With more than 70 people in attendance, the Tri City Citizens Alliance conducted its second official meeting to discuss its opposition to annexation, despite a claim from the city of Myrtle Creek that it has no such intentions toward the unincorporated area.
Since the Myrtle Creek City Council passed a motion months ago to begin the voluntary annexation process of the Highway 99 business corridor to Exit 103 into Myrtle Creek’s Urban Growth Boundary, Tri City residents have protested in force. An Urban Growth Boundary is the area in which a city plans to grow.
The council decided a meeting with the Tri City business community might determine the level of annexation interest. The result was a heated gathering at Myrtle Creek City Hall in February, with dozens of angry Tri City residents in attendance.
And according to City Administrator Aaron Cubic, that’s where the city has left it.
“No further development has occurred from the city’s stance,” Cubic said. “The council has looked at annexation options available and the only options explored would mean individual property owners wishing to come in at their own desire.”
Cubic said the city has had an open door policy. Interested individuals are welcome to stop by City Hall to discuss annexation options, but Cubic said it has been from a voluntary standpoint only.
Members of the Tri City Citizens Alliance are not convinced.
Signs are just one of the measures the new group has taken to ensure the city of Myrtle Creek is aware of its opposition.
They’ve developed a board of directors, built a Web site — www.tricityca.org — and they passed a motion to establish a post office box at Tuesday’s meeting.
They also collected about 1,400 signatures for an informal petition, which they presented to the Myrtle Creek City Council at its meeting last month.
According to chairman of the alliance Dan Wiggins, the council had no reaction.
“They looked at me and basically didn’t say anything,” he said. “But they definitely know we mean business.”
According to Cubic, the petition discussed issues that were never addressed at a council level.
Several theories were tossed around at Tuesday’s meeting, one being that the city of Myrtle Creek is trying to expand on Tri City’s dollar. Another was the idea that the city of Myrtle Creek might annex in a “sneaky, backhand(ed) way,” as one woman put it.
The city of Myrtle Creek maintains its position that no further action has been taken to annex any properties into the UGB.
Even so, the Tri City Citizens Alliance is asking residents to register on its Web site as members, demand that the issue go to a vote and write to elected officials at the county and state levels.
• You can reach reporter Cara Pallone at 957-4208 or by e-mail at cpallone@nrtoday.com.
