Ashland, Oregon
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7/12/2005
Ashland is fast becoming a mecca for the wealthy moving up from San Francisco and the Bay Area. Consequently, housing costs are going through the roof with small, older homes costing $300,000 and up. Zoning and land use restrictions make available building sites prohibitively expensive. A typical building lot of 5000 sq ft (if you can find one) will cost $200,000 and up. One acre of rural property runs $450,000 to $1,000,000 or more.
Because Ashland is becoming a retiree haven (and a "tourist town") local schools are in trouble. The retirees don't bring kids, thus Ashland has already closed one grade school and other schools in the local area are also under threat of closure. The increasing cost of housing and living expenses means that many average income cfamilies annot afford to live in Ashland. Tha Ashlanc city council seems unable to provide planning solutions to housing and living costs.
Even adjacent communities are facing many of these same issues. Talent, located just four miles north of Ashland, is seeing a housing boom in tract housing and developments. But even here, typical "contemporary" new home prices are $300,000 and up. What you get for your $300,000 isn't much (small yard, little or no privacy, questionable construction and design, etc.)
Medford (7 miles north of Ashland) is also undergoing an explosive population growth. Though it's a city of over 80,000 it has little in the way of "neighborliness" and a city center not in the center of anything. Medford is a place for the locals to shop but who choose to live elsewhere.
Me? I'm moving elsewhere too.
Matt | Talent, OR