STOP CAMPING ON THE GREENWAY
2021-04-01
All 1569 individual comments from 4117 letters Emailed to the Medford City Council and Jackson County Board of Commissioners via The Greenway Recovery Project.
1: I feel it’s absolutely ridiculous that the city Council is allowing a homeless population to overtake our town not just the Greenway but the whole entire town when people come into our town the first thing they see our tents along the highway we’re starting to look like San Francisco it’s disgusting and now their deaths the Greenway is for the public to exercise on to enjoy with her children but I sure as hell will never take my children down to the Greenway it’s unsafe it’s disgusting it’s not acceptable. Majority of the homeless population choose to be homeless they choose the way they live and it’s not fair that my children have to suffer for it and other members of the community have to suffer for it. If I were driving through this town my first impression of this town would be that it’s trash clean up the Greenway if you guys want the homeless to live down there why don’t you move them into your home why don’t you throw some tents in your backyard and house them there.
2: I personally experienced being homeless over a decade ago, and I thank God I had my car for my dog & I to live in back then. Homelessness is no excuse for complete lack of care for the world you live in. There are many different reasons one may find themselves homeless, entering into the dangerous area & deadly influences of the Greenway could very well make or break an individual at a very vulnerable desperate point in their life. Homeless from other counties & other states have heard about our counties tolerance, lenience, and ignorant gullible citizens, making our county a modern day gold rush destination and free for all playground for every ill intentioned Tom, Dick, and Nancy out there. A hornets nest may swarm and attack when disturbed, and if you leave it hanging in the tree it’ll grow and the swarm will eventually become deadly, you have to knock it out of the tree to stop future attacks.
3: I worked at the Medford visitor Center for several years. I can’t tell you how sad it made me to warn visitors to not walk our greenway . They would pick up a beautiful brochure and want to Explore our wonderful city. After experiencing a walk with my girlfriends in the middle of the day, none of us felt safe.
What is the environmental impact to Bear Creek with the garbage and human waste? In Medford we recycle, we plant trees and do things to make our Community better. But then we allow this.
I recently got off the freeway in Salem. So many homeless plug the streets and off ramps that I got right back on the freeway and went to the next town. Please don’t let our town to become overrun.
I’m all for spending money to help people get back on their feet. And to create a safe environment. But people who don’t want help Need to be encouraged to move on.
4: To whom it concerns, There should be NO CAMPING period in non camping areas as it has always been. The fact an ordinance needs to be passed in order for This to stop is Ridiculous. It has never been allowed. The constant Lawlessness of these individuals and other like it is due to the Hideous laws passed by our Governor. When will This County Take back its integrity of honoring the Law abiding whom pay property taxes and live rightly. I’d like to see this County back to what it was when I grew up here. . The lawless where removed Period. A lot of these folks are here do to the hard drugs, Heroin, and marijuana threw allowances placed on the Ballots that should have never been allowed in the first place. Or the illegal grows threw ordinances and Land Use Compatibility Statements By the county Planning Dept. in areas of Family’s, Children. In other words This County needs to get its back bone back and stop allowing it. ( Just because you can, doesn’t mean it should be approved) Crime in our area is constant. When I wake up and see individuals defecating at the front of my property from camping over night by my mailbox, My family is no longer safe. Soon all your law abiding tax payers will leave Oregon. Then what? We support the removal of these disgusting camps. You state you want to have no harm come to them, I agree , But they are Hurting us, with no regards to their actions and the cost and toll it takes on those constantly dealing with this inequities of these individuals. You have to want to be a part of society, these folks do not want to be a Part of society. They are here for free needle , free everything. There is no reason for them to leave its all handed to them at my expense threw funding of the Health Department. Enough is enough. Our Law Enforcement deserve better than this and so do the Good Citizens of our County. Stop the Destruction of our County before its exactly like Portland. Thank You.
5: Why doesn’t the town use the Environmental Laws to get the squatters off the Greenway? The EPA should be used to take back the Greenway, along with all the other existing laws on the books. The City of Medford is the filthiest place I’ve ever seen. If the State Governments don’t end this breakdown of law & order then the public will forcefully remove these squatters. We all are sick and tiered of all the excuses used by the State & City government officials on why they can’t act and to refuse to do their jobs in protecting the citizens buy requiring everyone to live by a basic set of civilized standards.
I don’t want to hear all the excuses, just get the job done NOW!
6:
Hi, I don’t know if this is possible but could you send a copy of the comments I sent concerning the camping on the greenway? I blew it and forgot to print it out or save it and would like to use it if the public can talk at the meeting on April 1st. I have checked all my other boxes and hoped for a miracle but it was not there. Such a pain to try to do it again. It was sent yesterday March 21st.
Thanks, Linda Borum
7:
This must be addressed
8: #SendThemToSanFran
9: I live in Jackson County, and am concerned about the current state of affairs relative to community safety, fires, criminal activities, hard drug use, general refuse and human waste on the Bear Creek Greenway. I support the City of Medford Town Council and Jackson County Board of Commissioners passing new ordinances or strengthening existing laws to support enforcement of no camping laws within the Medford City limits and County borders. Please move forward in helping people currently camping on the Greenway find available services and enforce no camping policies so the Greenway can recover and be used by all local citizens and visitors again.
10: I live in Jackson County, and am concerned about the current state of affairs relative to community safety, fires, criminal activities, hard drug use, general refuse and human waste on the Bear Creek Greenway. I support the City of Medford Town Council and Jackson County Board of Commissioners passing new ordinances or strengthening existing laws to support enforcement of no camping laws within the Medford City limits and County borders. Please move forward in helping people currently camping on the Greenway find available services and enforce no camping policies so the Greenway can recover and be used by all local citizens and visitors again.
11: I live in Jackson County, and am concerned about the current state of affairs relative to community safety, fires, criminal activities, hard drug use, general refuse and human waste on the Bear Creek Greenway. I support the City of Medford Town Council and Jackson County Board of Commissioners passing new ordinances or strengthening existing laws to support enforcement of no camping laws within the Medford City limits and County borders. Please move forward in helping people currently camping on the Greenway find available services and enforce no camping policies so the Greenway can recover and be used by all local citizens and visitors again.
12: I live in Jackson County, and am concerned about the current state of affairs relative to community safety, fires, criminal activities, hard drug use, general refuse and human waste on the Bear Creek Greenway. I support the City of Medford Town Council and Jackson County Board of Commissioners passing new ordinances or strengthening existing laws to support enforcement of no camping laws within the Medford City limits and County borders. Please move forward in helping people currently camping on the Greenway find available services and enforce no camping policies so the Greenway can recover and be used by all local citizens and visitors again.
13: 4 years ago, my husband and I chose Jackson County as our home for retirement for several reasons, two of them being it’s rural beauty and safety. Within just 3 short years, Medford has become a disgusting blight and we no longer feel safe. Where are the so-called leaders of Medford and what are they actually doing with all of our hard earned tax dollars? The rights of hard working, tax paying citizens who contribute to society should come first and our goverment agencies of which are employed by us need to do the job we pay them to do. Ready to move to and contribute our money to a community that protects the people who earn their way through life and not the "takers".
14: A close friend was recently chased and subsequently attacked while walking the greenway. We no longer feel safe to use it…like most people in the valley. I am shocked at the number of tents, trash and piles of (likely) stolen bikes littering our town. Everyone is talking about this…it’s time to take action.
Please consider the majority of tax payers who are unable to use the resources we PAY FOR.
Thank you.
15: A few weeks ago we tried to go for a walk with our kids by Hawthorne park there was people shooting up drugs under the bridge at 8th st and the smell of human feces was so bad we left its seriously not safe for anybody to be down there especially females and children
16: A hand up is key.. not enabling druggies, or those sponging off over giving enities. God helps those who helps themselves..you can only turn a blind eye so long. This situation has devistated our valley, and thousands of hard working people have lost their homes..gor what? The time is here to clear this mess. We as residents deserve better.
17: Absolutely appalling! Quality of Jackson County has gone down hill! The virus is just an excuse! I worry tremendously how this filth and trash is affecting our wildlife and environment for those that are SOOO into this Green environment. Our property is being depreciated. They are living worse then animals.
18: Absolutely crime ridden and horrific acts on the greenway, this pathway has more potential than a homeless waste bin. Please remove the campers to benefit everyone including the homeless who reside there.
19: Actions speak louder than words!
It just been a bunch of talk for many years!!! We need a solution now and put it into immediate action!!!
I’m over the trash, deaths, and fires!
North Medford exit for starters is embarrassing to our city!!!
I’m all for helping the homeless that really want the help!
Tired of people on every corner asking for $$$.
Tired of the lack of help for mentally ill!!!!!
So what’s the answer?
What are the options?
Let’s quit talking about it and do something!!!!!
20: Additionally, the Greenway needs to be cleaned up and maintained so that fuels for future fires are minimized and it is inviting to the general population and not a high risk area to frequent.
21: After a call in to the Mayor’s office, I received a call back from two very kind knowledgeable Supervisors with Parks and Roads for Jackson County. For every suggestion to clean up Medford, there was a reason it was impossible:
Pandemic
Shelter in Place
Community Service: Cant put them in a van together to clean up the messes
I-5 Dirty – ODOT’s fault and their resources are being used in Portland
Dumpsters every 1/4 mile – Costs the Count $300 per load and Health risk if someone jumps in and gets poked
The list went on and on
22: After having moved away in 2006 and then returning in 2018, I was VERY disappointed in what has become of this area.
23: After losing my home to Almeda fire I am very concerned that the camping on the greenway is a huge fire hazard. The other morning I drove by in the morning and saw several fires at different tents. Smoke billowing out of the tents. It’s not only a fire hazard to all neighborhood residents but to the campers themselves.
I grew up in Ashland and for about the last 15 years I have avoided using most of the Greenway for walking or biking. It saddens me that I don’t feel safe using such a beautiful path. I have been followed or yelled out by the transients. Please, give us back the Greenway! It was meant to be used by the community not a place for camping. I truly believe that the community wants to assist the homeless and find a safe place where support can be provided. It’s time for real solutions and actions. I hope that new and fair policies can be put in place.
Thank you,
Maria Soriano
24: After the damaging fires, an ordinance needs to be passed. We need a multi-agency police approach to patrol the entire greenway.
25: After the trauma of the Almeda fire, those of us who live in Phoenix and Talent, cannot believe it is even being considered to permit camping during the summer along the Greenway. Also, as someone who used to run on the Greenway, I don’t feel safe anymore.
26: After watching the Greenway situation get worse over the years, despite every effort to stop it, I’m inclined to vote for clearing the homeless out permanently. We have given and cleaned up and donated to death. There is no end to their demands for more and more. Stop baiting them here by catering to them. Our kind people deserve some of the empathy heard on these homeless.
Return our Greenway to us.
27: All of the various services being provided are making the problem worse. Quit enabling the addicts.
28: All this illegal camping on the Greenway is horrible for our town. Just looks like a garbage dump all the time! Please make it stop!
29: Allowing camping is a disgrace to our community. Not only do we have to look at the garbage (and pay for it’s removal), bit it affects our tourism industry in that drivers see the destruction.
It is dangerous as some of these people do not have the ability to understand that they should not light fires in the middle of summer.
I’m scared. Do something to fix this problem.
30: Allowing people to camp in what becomes filth and squalor is neither humane nor logical. We are better than this.
31: Allowing the epidemic of transients living and trafficking drugs, sex and the increase in crime throughout Jackson County and Medford is one of the most blatant waste of my tax funds provided to the county and state. I not only work in and behind the scenes that the state of Oregon and city and county have allowed to take place and my children have to grow up looking at this mess created by poor mismanagement of tax funds and democratic policies it is time for a change its time for Medford, Central Point, and Jackson County to take a stand and take back our community.
32: Allowing the homeless to camp along the Greenway is asking for a repeat of what happened last September 2020! Clear it all out and make them stay out. It’s ridiculous and embarrassing seeing the mess that they create. They don’t care and they won’t change. They don’t want help. If another devastating fire happens because of the transients on the Greenway, I hope the city of Medford gets sued for everything they’ve got.
33: Allowing the homeless to camp anywhere along or around the greenway is in no way helping them, it is only enabling and even encouraging them to continue to destroy our beautiful state. Enforcing and strengthening our existing laws as well as giving them a choice of, either or else move along. Otherwise, offer them a hand up or leave the area. If they just want to continue their behavior, then they must leave not just Medford, the whole State of Oregon as well. It’s very hard to know which ones genuinely want and need help. There’s so many of them who are just lazy and want to continue to destroy where ever they go. This problem will only get worse if nothing is done. I have talked to many people and everyone of them are disgusted with what is happening and are seriously looking to moving out of Oregon. What has been allowed to happen to Oregon is a disgrace. Shame on our so called leaders. These people don’t need new texts, they need tough love.
34: Allowing this problem to exist and grow is not helping anyone. If you want to allow camping then make bathrooms, garbage disposal easy and charge fees….perhaps work or money. Hire a force to patrol and expel anyone without a permit. Set up time limits for visits just like any other park in Oregon. If we can’t control this then we need to clear the Greenway. I, for one, have not felt safe to use this public space for years even though I live near it in Central Point and would love to walk on it. Also, I have been under evacuation 3 times lately because of fire. We really need to control the use of the Greenway.
35: Along the roads, greenway, in the parks AND in front of businesses as well.
36: Although this is a great step in the right direction, I am not understanding why the rules/laws about camping on public property that were put in place in 1988 are not being enforced.
37: An interagency controlled burn would eliminate all underbrush and future wildfires. It should of been done years ago!! Dealing with the POS’s down there making a mess….I say we load them on a bus and ship them back north to Portland. They don’t want the help that is out there. They choose to live like that. I work in the city every day and it’s a disgusting town. My wife and I don’t take our daughter to the Medford parks. I see what the transients do in the the parks when it’s dark. The Greenway needs to be revamped. It could be really nice like up in Bend along the Deschutes River.
38: And move those who are from out of town out!
39: Arrest them, fine them and make them clean up the mess they are leaving for their freedom.
40: As a business owner and Jackson County property owner for thirty years, I want to express my outrage regarding the rapidly growing number of people allowed to trash our community, in particular the BC greenway. It is my understanding that the greenway was constructed with taxpayer dollars and for the recreational enjoyment of the community members initially planning for a trail (for bikers, runners, dog walkers and families) that would run rom Ashland to Grants Pass. Now those that paid for the Greenway’s development not only are unable/unwilling to use it because of safety concerns but find themselves paying additional tax dollars cleaning up an area the citizens cannot even use! When tons of hazardous waste is removed from the shrubbery and plastic and human waste is dumped into the creek, I say enough is enough! In fact, what will it take before the Council and the Commissioners find it necessary to take definitive action against the destruction of city and public properties! As if these unsightly, unhealthy, and destructive conditions aren’t reason enough to put an end to the occupation of bums ruining our community, add to that assaults, drug use, arson and murder. The situation is critical and will only get worse without a no nonsense no tolerance approach. I am counting on you as representatives of our local government to take a stand on this issue that affects so many other issues in our county. I for one want to live in a community that says this is NOT going to happen here! We should have taken the radical steps necessary to prevent the situation from getting to the point where it is now. But since we haven’t, it is time to be bold and do the right thing! Let’s return Jackson County to a community we can be proud to live in, where our families feel safe and can use the public properties and parks without fear. Set a precedence. Let’s not be a Eugene, Portland, San Francisco or LA, or the countless areas nationwide that have allowed their communities to be taken over. Let the vagrants who migrate from place to place intimidating shoppers, trashing and defecating the Greenway, and ruining the beauty of our beautiful valley learn that Jackson County is NOT a place where this behavior is tolerated and to go elsewhere. Please stand up for the citizens and taxpayers, the business owners and children and return the Rogue Valley to its pre-encampment city beauty.
41: As a community we all need to get involved and not turn our heads!!
42: As a concerned, tax paying citizen of Jackson county I find it appalling that our county and city leaders have allowed the homeless situation on our once beautiful Greenway to grow and fester. I can only imagine what is being washed into Bear Creek, a sensitive fish habitat. Personnally, I can’t enjoy the Greenway as it is completely unsafe. Each time I travel the length of I5 between the north and south exits I’m disgusted at the absolute filth. The "bike shop", tent with at least 30 bicycles, probably stolen has been in place for well over 30 days. Why is this tolerated? If you say because the courts tell us that homeless drug addicts and mental patients have the right to camp, you’re telling me I have no rights. No rights to safety, no rights to the Greenway I pay for with my tax dollars, no rights to a clean environment. Grow a set and stand up to the courts and tell them this county will not comply, we will not tolerate this blight and then REMOVE the problem for good. No camping on the Greenway AT ANY TIME. Declare the area along Bear Creek as a sensitve habitat, which it is and close it off. Find an area within the city where these campers can go. Install port-a-potties, showers and trash cans but get these folks off our Greeway for good.
43: As a descendent of the original god placed people here it is sad to see that with all of the industry revolutionary and all the great makes of man and this is how great we are. I see the waste going right into bear creek. It is one of the water sources that gives life to our area. If it is not protected and cared for like many other water sources we will soon see worst. Stop the greed and let’s help Mother Earth out
44: As a drug and alcohol counselor and licensed professional counselor working in Medford, I can say we are doing nobody any favors by enabling this kind of behavior…. It doesn’t help them, it doesn’t help us….
45: As a farmer here in Central Point we irrigate out of Bear Creek,Jackson and Griffin Creek . This is not only a hazard to my own health but to anybody consuming produce raised by Rogue Valley farmers .The Salmonella will run rampant this summer with homeless using these creeks for their own personal restroom . Something needs to be done so have some fortitude and STOP THIS NOW !!!!!!
46: As a father of two I find it hart breaking that my children can’t ride thier bikes on the green way whith thier family like I did growing up we need to fix this
47: As a female runner, often with a jogging stroller… it’s pretty devastating to have MILES of paved flat bikepath through our valley that could be an incredible training grounds if we could only feel safe using it.
48: As a home owner, it’s my responsibility to keep my area clean, safe from debris and pay for garbage service. If I want to go camping, I have to pay and reserve a spot. Not only is the camping on the greenway bringing crime, uncleanliness. It seems like a light of a match could cause another destructive fire. As a family, we don’t feel safe riding our bikes on the bike path any longer.
49: As a law abiding tax paying citizen in Jackson County in Medford Oregon I request the Greenway be cleaned up of all the illegal camping.
50: As a long time resident of Central Point I have watched my hard earned tax dollars put to work on the construction of a beautiful Greenway for all to enjoy. Now I watch my hard earned tax dollars go to complete waste as trash, needles and human excrement pile up. I find it shameful when I have family visit from other communities in Oregon that they have to see this. Our beautiful communities and common areas are being turned into third world dumps. Shame on our city councils for allowing this to happen.
51: As a longtime resident of Medford, I am embarrassed and disgusted every time I drive along I-5 and see all the litter along Bear Creek and the Green way. It is way past time that authorities do whatever is necessary to put a stop to it!
52: As a paraplegic, I wish I could safely use the Greenway to wheel on and use for safe exercise. I remember when it was first established. I was able to use my legs, so at that time I would use it for runs and walks. Now it looks like a trash pile for drug injecting addicts. Salmon still try to swim up this polluted creek. A creek that is used as a toilet by uncaring mentally bizarre humans. Please stop all camping along the Bear Creek Greenway.
Thank you
Gayle
53: As a resident of Jackson county with employment in Medford I am very concerned that we will see another tragedy within city limits such as the Almeda fire if homeless are allowed to stay on the Greenway. While it used to be a beautiful trail myself and many of the people I know no longer access the Greenway to use it due to the drug problems and safety concerns associated with it. Please consider devising programs and safer camping alternatives for the homeless within city limits to increase the safety of the city.
54: As a responsible bike shop owner in Central Point I always advise my customers to use the Greenway with caution and not go alone. Camping along the Greenway should never be allowed and be strictly enforced. It’s a beautiful trail and commute path for all Responsible people to use.
55: As a small business owner and a parent in Medford I would love to see our greenway be a place we could all feel safe using again.
56: As a small business owner in the City of Medford, I am appalled that this is allowed to continue in my city. Our seniors and children should not have to be in fear of the transients, thugs, and drug addicts who are becoming more prevalent in the areas where outdoor recreation should be enjoyed in relative safety.
57: As an avid bicyclist I am in support of this effort.
58: As long as we don’t forget out lying areas and towns.
59: As much as I love walking and riding my bike, I totally avoid the bike path and the entire greenway. As a retired peace officer I do not feel safe in these areas alone.
The entire greenway is dotted by makeshift campsites, trash and abandoned drug paraphernalia of all types. It’s extremely disturbing to witness the extreme degradation that the greenway has undergone due to the inhabitation of the unfortunate homeless, and people with untreated mental illnesses who many, by no fault of their own cannot get treatment. Unfortunately this area is not equipped nor suitable for camping and it needs to stop! It is a huge eye sore in our community, and takes away from our overall revenue as vacationers would never take an evening stroll down our greenway of trash and decay. Let’s end this cycle of sitting by in silence while a few get by trashing our city.
60: As part of this community for 38 years, I’m very frustrated and concerned about the filth and fear now felt by those of us that funded the greenway. Those of us that used to enjoy a walk or bike ride, can’t do this now with all of the scary drug use and other criminal activity that now ‘lives’ there. I’d like to know how many of these people have even lived in the valley for 2 years? My guess is these people know we’re idiots, tossing money at them on street corners and the spreads fast. I just witnessed a homeless person walk out of South Fred Meyer with clothes that weren’t paid for. The clerks acted like that was common and didn’t call security. Now I feel concerned about even shopping there…. these people have nothing to lose and they are on drugs. The signs regarding transfer of objects from vehicles are just another reminder to them that Medford is packed with idiots! Park and watch as I have…
61: As someone who grew up loving the bear creek park and the bike path all the way to central point, this is heart breaking. Now I have my own child who I would not take near there, it’s dirty, scary, and you never know who lives there in those bushes.
62: As someone who lives in Ashland and who has a business complex in Ashland I’m incredibly concerned that this will be what happens to our area if it’s not carefully monitored. As the weather gets nicer I’m already dealing with more people camping or lottering on our property leaving trash etc.
63: Aside from the filth and crime occurring on the greenway, it’s only a matter of time before we see a campfire take out the upper half of our valley. It’s an extreme risk to businesses and citizens of this valley. I think the Fires we saw last year and how traffic bottlenecks for over an hour should be a huge indication that if a fire took off like it did up in CP you’d have a mass casualty event. We’re considering moving out of the area because it’s disgusting and unsafe here. The people who hold public office were voted in the help better the community and were now seeing the opposite.
64: At one time we wanted to beautify Oregon, well that’s not happening. I suggest paying alittle for sacks of garbage brought in to a certain location
65: At the risk of sounding harsh and mean spirited, I feel we need to stop enabling the tent dwelling individuals. No more handouts unless they agree to move into a shelter. Yes, we need more shelters but only with a zero tolerance for drug use.
The Greenway is a disaster. Filthy and dangerous. Taxpayers are afraid to use it. I have experienced this first hand while riding my bike under the bridges in Medford.
Please! No more dwelling along the Greenway!
66: Ban all camping in Greenway!
67: Bear Creek has become a gray water ditch! Walked once from the dog park to Hawthorn Park along the creek. Saw tarped out houses hanging over the water. The trail reeks near every over crossing. Does not make me proud to claim this city as my home.
68: Bear creek is home to multiple endangered species. The pollution from homeless camps is no doubt having a very negative impact.
69: Because of these camps I have experienced numerous trespassing and theft from my property.
70: Been on the radar too long. Let’s come together and take some pride in the cleanliness and safety of our greenway!
71: Been on trail got better
72: Besides the fire danger, this is a public health and livability issue. Many people contributed our time and money to put in the greenway path. It has been stolen from us. There are other options for the houseless, such as the urban campground, where there is sanitation and safer cooking options.
73: Biden wants to pay for illegals living here. I say what about the homeless? Something has to be done for our people and veterans!
74: Born and raised in the Rogue Valley. I now am raising my kids here. I am worried and embarrassed of my home town. I feel that I need to consider another place to live to provide safety and a good example for my children.
75: Born and raised in the Rogue Valley… work in Medford… it is beyond sad to see what our once prestine beautiful home is turning into…
76: Born and raised in the valley, it’s changed a lot! Some good and some not so good! Let’s keep safety and encourage people who need help to get it! Let’s keep our communities safe for all who live here! Thank you for urging safety first for all residents!
77: Born and raised in this valley and find myself wondering if this is where I want to retire. We have lost our sense of security and our pride in our town. Allowing those who choose to live a lifestyle that destroys a community is not ok. We already spend thousands of dollars reaching out, if we spend another dime it should be to assist Jackson County in funding a jail where those who need help the most can obtain services. That pocket of humans will not go willingly, and are already known to law enforcement. The Greenway cannot continue to be the Jackson County Jail alternative.
78: Born in Medford in 1950, I’ve sadly witnessed the evolution of the BC Greenway from its inception. Unfortunately, like many times with government, the law of unintended consequences has bitten our esteemed leaders on the ass. The Greenway has become just another government sponsored rat hole, consuming at least a quarter million tax dollars annually, to maintain the currently unacceptable status quo. My grandfather told me, when you pander to a problem, you perpetuate the problem. He should have been a county commissioner!
79: Both city & county ELECTED leaders need to heed the warning signs of our community deterioration……if they wish to obtain future funding from TAXPAYERS they had better take their oath to protect our community seriously…..otherwise people will avoid the downtown and parks!
80: Businesses are impacted negatively by the Greenway camping. Theft, vandalism, large amounts of trash. Safety is also an issue.
81: Bye bye.
82: Camping along the Greenway needs to be stopped immediately. Pollution to the environment and Bear Creek are a major concern as is safety to the public. These are public spaces that are being destroyed and made unusable and unsafe. Stop camping on the Greenway and allow for law enforcement to enforce the law.
83: Camping in the greenway would be illegal for a law abiding citizen. Why are the laws overlooked just because the people doing this have nothing to lose and citations are meaningless to them? In the current state of affairs no decent person (taxpayers) would even consider using the greenway.
84: Camping on the Bear Creek green way has become dangerous and is creating an unhealthy system not only for people but for the health of animals along Bear Creek and for the Rogue River and our ocean. The fish become contaminated with the drugs that are there. If we have empty warehouses why can’t they be remodeled with a community kitchen, a living type room and individual bedrooms so that these people can get help. They need a drug treatment program, schooling and to change their lives. Isn’t it about time we help them.
85: Camping on the greenway should not be allowed at all. The greenway should be safe for citizens to use and it is not. People come running out of the bushes at you, yell at you, and leave a mess everywhere. They need to be held accountable for their actions and should not be allowed to live there and wreck it for law abiding citizens.
86: Camping should not be visible along the road especially our freeway. It’s not attractive for people to see passing though our town. It’s honestly disgusting. There needs to be a discrete location for these homeless people. But it should NOT be along visible roads by any means. I do not appreciate seeing it along the freeway.
87: Can’t believe Medford pd just lets this happen????
88: Central Point my town also sees much trash vandalism confrontation filth, but Matt and the crew he built have made a difference❤️?✝️
89: Central point resident.
90: Central point, OR
91: citizens of Jackson County do not feel safe utilizing the greenway bike path in its current state. The tax payers of Jackson County cannot be responsible to pay for upkeep of the Greenway Bike Path when we’ve allowed it to be completely overtaken causing it to be unusable general public.
92: City of Medford, please do something about the camping on the greenway. Not only is it awful to look at, but there are several areas where I won’t take my child because I would fear for our safety.
The greenway has also created horrendous conditions for fire season. My family fully supports taking action against camping.
93: Clean it up NOW
94: Clean it up or dont tax me for it. This is a DRUG problem. The needle exchange should have some responsibility in this and NOT BY HANDING OUT MORE NEEDLES!
95: CLEAN IT UP!!! IT MAKES MEDFORD LOOK SO BAD
96: Clean it up!!!! They possibly could sue Jackson county for doing nothing!
97: Clean it up. So horrified by what us being allowed with homeless camps garbage etc. It used to be a beautiful safe place to live when i moved here 30 years ago. None were contemplate moving. Sad!
98: Clean it up. Tired of getting asked for a cigarette or any change I can spare.
99: Clean the entire greenway behind our house. This is a discrace to our community and our persuit of happiness.
100: Clean the Greenway up and stop all the homeless camping. It’s dangerous and un usable.
101: Clean up the freeway too! It’s an eye sore with all the trash and destroying all the fencing along the freeway, what a disgrace we have to put up with!
102: Clean up the Greenway!
103: Clean up the greenway!!
104: Clear out the Greenway!
Our tax dollars are not being used efficiently!
The Greenway should be the jewel of our community not the eyesore and embarrassment it is!
105: Clearly there is a larger issue of affordable housing shortages that impacts homelessness in our area. Please continue to seek humane ways of providing shelter in a structured manner so that those seeking support have viable options.
106: Close Camping on the Greenway for the safety of all.
107: Closing on a home in Medford next month.
Business is in Medford now
108: Coming from someone who was once homeless and addicted, you are enabling addicts by letting them live in tents on the greenway. You are enabling addicts by giving them clean needles and needle kits. STOP ENABLING ADDICTS. Stop making it easier for them to get high and die. I have four years clean now, I have been there. I can say IT IS NOT HELPING ANYONE TO ENABLE THE ADDICTS.
109: Coming into town from the north on the Freeway first thing you see is tents, tarps and garbage every where. It continues threw Medford south to Ashland, nothing but trash and homeless tents!
Looks disgusting to anyone traveling through let alone to us that live here and see it everyday!
Lets get this cleaned up, take the homeless way south or way north to live, not here!
110: Compassion for the homeless has turned into enabling. At no time should they be allowed to set up camps, or even leave a gum wrapper for others to clean. The law should apply to all evenly. If throwing garbage out the car window is worthy of a fine, then certainly needles, garbage, human waste, etc should be dealt with swiftly. They are ruining our cities. If the homeless are not interested in the facilities that are in place to help them, they should be driven to the edge of town and told to keep going. Perhaps being detained long enough to get clean and sober is the answer. I would rather my tax dollars go towards that.. We have made it to easy on them. It’s time for some tough love!
111: Concerned citizen of Talent. No camping on Bear Creek Greenway!
112: County and city leaders listen up. The tax payers are tired of this disgusting filth in our community and it’s time for it to stop. The time is near for all new county and city leaders unless action is taken.
113: Currently the Greenway is not safe for normal citizens to enjoy.
114: Dear City of Medford Town Council and Jackson County Board of Commissioners,
We used to take our children biking along the Greenway 30-40 years ago. Now we would never consider taking our grandchildren on a walk or bike ride anywhere along the Greenway. PLEASE either pass new ordinances or enforce no camping laws to remedy this problem!
-Daren and Barb Thomas
115: Dear Council Members,
We lost our home due to the ALAMEDA fire. I know firsthand of mental illness and homelessness. Suspicious cycle must be stopped. We as a community must help.
Thank you, Joyce Hess
116: Dear Council,
I recently relocated back to my hometown of Medford, and couldn’t be more excited about being back! That being said, I am deeply concerned and disgusted at what is going on with the Bear Creek Greenway and overall cleanliness of our city!! I want nothing but help for all the homeless people that are having a hard time etc, but the camping in tents, drug paraphernalia and disrespect to our once beautiful city and waterways is just shameful! Who is in charge of our city? I want to see action in regards the to high crime rates, garbage along I-5 and tents littering our area…it’s absolutely disgusting!!! If you want business and tourism to come back and make this city thrive, something needs to change ASAP!! This is the time to make change, otherwise watch people leave in droves. With more and more people being able to work remotely, why not live in Medford with all the amazing things outside our doorstep? No more excuses, people of Medford want results!
Concerned,
Dean Altenhofen
117: Dear Medford Mayor, City Councilors and County Commissioners,
Please make it illegal to camp in the open areas we should be enjoying along the Green Way.
Find a place out in White City on some County barren land-fence it – staff it – take the homeless, vagrants, drug addicts, criminals, runaways and all of their tents and tarps and sort through them. Determine who needs a bus ticket, or counseling, rehab, or jail. And keep doing it until there is no incentive for them to come here.
I was raised here.
And as a Realtor I was once proud of our beautiful Rogue Valley! What has happened to our Bear Creek Green way is a disgrace to our community. What a deplorable site to see from the freeway for people passing through, visiting and considering a move here – I am embarrassed for our community.
Don McCoy
118: Disgusting seeing all the tents from the freeway. Looks worse than a ghetto in a 3rd world country.
119: DO IT!
120: Doesn’t it make sense that those of us who live here and contribute to the tax base should be able to feel safe enjoying ourselves on the Greenway?
121: Don’t let Oregon become a trashed California. Tough love is needed.
122: Driving by the greenway now is horrible and disgusting. I use to ride my bike with my grandpa on the greenway when I was a child but now it’s not safe for anybody much less a child. Please do something about this
123: Driving on the freeway looking at these disgusting stains on society and the wreckage they cause, is beyond my comprehension as to why they are allowed to stay on our beautiful greenway. Haven’t we all lost enough. My mother in law lost everything in the Alameda Fire including her cat. The insurance on her mobile home wasn’t even enough to replace her home. She had to leave state to live with her sister to survive.
Shame on all of you for allowing this illegal camping to continue.
124: Driving on the freeway, seeing all the tents and trash is horrible!
Now there has been a second death!
We need something done!
125: Driving through Medford on I-5 and looking around is a complete embarrassment. I can’t imagine what travelers must think when they drive through our city and see the incredible amount of garbage, tents, and the general unacceptable appearance of Medford. If I was from out of the area, I would quickly classify Medford as a place I had no interest in returning to. I can’t blame anyone for thinking this. This first impression of Medford that thousands get every day surely must cost our region significantly in terms of economic impact. Please step up and aggressively enforce illegal camping, littering, drug use, warrants, etc. We should be proud of Medford and the surrounding area, not embarrassed. Thank you. -Andrew Burg, Central Point Resident
126: Driving to south Medford every day for work is just a DISGUSTING sight to see all the homeless camps and garbage EVERYWHERE and to think that the city of Medford has no issues with this, it is not a hard concept to grasp, throw all that shit away and remove all the drug infested assholes that live there and start fires, let them be like everybody else and contribute to society, get a job and quit being a piece of shit.
127: Enabling and allowing people to live in beyond filthy conditions while causing a health hazard to tax paying citizens and their families. Why can’t elected officials see this as a problem?
128: Enough is Enough! I lost my home in Phoenix! It will happen again if you don’t do something now!
129: Enough is enough. Just driving along _I-5 you can see the desperate need for intervention! The state of the greenway has hit extreme measures! These people don’t care about their surroundings! They don’t care for the environment! Enough is enough!!!! It’s time to do something about it so our kids don’t ask why people are living there as we drive down the freeway from one side of town to another.
130: Enough is enough. The greenway is becoming a dump as well as a fire hazard. It’s a crime to let this behavior continue. Anyone else would be cited, fined and or arrested for these illegal fires, littering, drug use, defecating in public etc. Setting up camp by the children’s train park is an extra concern and let’s not forget the rape attempts on innocent female joggers being pulled from the sidewalk as they pass by.
131: Every single year I worry about fires! These people are trashing our valley! Literally trashing it! My husband and I are in agreement that we don’t actually mind them camping out, but throwing their garbage everywhere and urinating and defecating everywhere is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE and COMPLETELY UNSANITARY! Not to mention their dangerous used needles lying around where anyone can come in contact with them and get a potentially deadly poke. My taxpayer dollars go to this. I’d rather have the money spent on beautifying our valley, not clean up after fully grown a$$ adults acting like children. Get this taken care of!
132: Every time I drive down the freeway, or through parts of Medford I see the garbage strewn all over along the green way. I used to ride my bicycle along the bike path from one end of Medford to the other but I can’t do that anymore because it is no longer safe! It is time to put a stop to this illegal behavior and clean up the area for the good of the tax payers that have been funding the green way.
133: Every time I drive into Medford, the unregulated living of homeless people along the greenway and freeway is just disgusting! From an outside perspective, there would be no way I’d want to live or move to an area that lets that go uncontained. It is a mess and it creates a bad neighborhood around those areas which in turn brings down property values. I wouldn’t want to live within a mile of that. Please please do something about this and clean it up! Our tax dollars are getting wasted over this enough already.
134: Every time I drive up and down i5 I can’t believe how much trash is around. Jackson county looks like the county dump! Not to mention I have been evacuated from my home 3 times in the last three years from fires on the greenway! I have been lucky that my home has been spared.
135: Every time I leave the house it is heart wrenching to see the Green Way covered in trash, and occupied by tents of people who don’t care about the natural beauty around them and continue to leave piles of their waste for others to clean up because they don’t care enough to do it themselves.
136: Every time I leave the house it is heart wrenching to see the Green Way covered in trash, and occupied by tents of people who don’t care about the natural beauty around them and continue to leave piles of their waste for others to clean up because they don’t care enough to do it themselves.
137: Every time I leave the house it is heart wrenching to see the Green Way covered in trash, and occupied by tents of people who don’t care about the natural beauty around them and continue to leave piles of their waste for others to clean up because they don’t care enough to do it themselves.
138: Every time I leave the house it is heart wrenching to see the Green Way covered in trash, and occupied by tents of people who don’t care about the natural beauty around them and continue to leave piles of their waste for others to clean up because they don’t care enough to do it themselves.
139: Every year my house and neighborhood is threatened by fires all year round.
140: Every year my house is in danger of burning because of illegal fires on the Greenway, sometimes even in the winter.
141: Everytime my family drives down Biddle Rd or drive on the freeway and see all the trash and camping, we talk about moving out of state. It is a complete eye sore to Medford in addition to safety issues. I do not feel safe enjoying the bear creek pathway with my children as a woman-fear of something happening to me or my kids with all the homeless along the way. Not to mention these homeless people need encouragement and plug into resources our county has to offer.
142: Fed up with it being unsafe to even walk the greenway let alone use it with kids!
143: Fire safety has to be a priority after what we experienced last year. The greenway was a major factor in the big fire. We need to be safe.
144: For decades many people in our community have fought hard to improve the greenway. Oregon Stewardship and Jim Hutchins are a great example of individuals and organizations dedicated to turning it into a true asset even when they had little support. I hope we can keep their efforts, what they dedicated their lives to, from being lost.
145: For Medford to thrive as a city, people must feel safe on our paths/trails, neighborhoods, and around our businesses. I personally no longer use the Greenway, and I prefer to dine out in other local towns due to them having a safer cleaner environment.
Pollution of Bear Creek not only affects the wildlife and water quality around the creek but the Rogue River as well. It must be a high priority to Jackson county residents to protect one of our greatest resources, clean water.
146: For the safety of our community please prohibit camping along the greenway.
147: For years my wife and I enjoyed riding our tandem bicycle up and down the Greenway, whether on cool summer early mornings or crisp fall afternoons. Today this option, a rare Rogue Valley amenity and regional draw, is denied us by the current unfortunate situation. Thank you for doing all you can to wrestle the Greenway back from its current deplorable state to the use for which it was designed, and for which it was taxpayer-financed.
148: Get the homeless off our streets, our alleys, our parks and off OUR Greenway!! Provide for them in some other area of the city or county but get them out of our public spaces. The pollution and trash are incredible and dangerous…..so are their cooking and warming fires. Quit ignoring the problem!
149: Get the homeless out of green way and help them get housing also for the addiction give them options help recovery or jail choices
150: Get this cleaned up or stop taxing me for it. Last year is a prime example of your lack of leadership and neglance in southern oregon. Fires. Man made fires. Caused by these people. Get it cleaned up or close it down and have police inforcing a no camping law YEAR ROUND. we shouldn’t have to live in fear due to YOUR mis-use of funds, and the gaul to stand up and do something.
151: Give the tax payers back their green way and safe places. Remember, you work for us.
152: Green way hasnt been used by the public because of the homeless for years. This needs to change.
153: Greenway camping has to stop and a new, organized, safe alternative has to be developed for the homeless! Camping makes the walking/running/biking/commuting path unsafe and it is destroying a healthy outlet for Jackson County residents. Bear Creek could be a municipal gem in the heart of the city for parks, businesses, and waterfront housing but instead the current rules allow it to be turned into a dump.
154: Greenway has became for years unsafe for Anyone! 6 yrs ago when i first moved to medford i have reported houseless who has set fires on the bike path. I have refused to use the bike path do to safety issues i use to ride my bike and no longer be able to. Lets not forget the murders that occured on the trail and the drugs and sex activity and the trash along with fecies.
155: Greenway is embarrassing and needs fixed
156: Greenway is out of control, please do something to fix this!
157: Growing up in the valley I remember taking bike rides along the greenway with my family. Now that I have a young family of my own I’d like to do that, but seeing the tent cities and trash when driving past on the freeway I don’t think it’s a family friendly place anymore.
It’s evident that there are needs for mental health and drug services. Allowing people to live in these conditions is not good for them or our society. Please restore some order and cleanliness to our city and region.
158: Hate seeing the trash and dozens of tents. The area doesnt feel safe to be in. I use to enjoy bike rides down the path but now I dont ever go.
159: Have the people that are living out there clean the trash up for there FOOD STAMPS
160: Have to be careful even taking my grandbaby to bear creek park now too. Last time my kids went there was human feces on the little ones play area on one of the actual structures. Sadly we haven’t been back since and it’s a shame be cause it’s such a beautiful park and was our favorite.
161: Having lived here more than 20 years I can confidently say this is not the town I use to love.
162: Having people camp on the Greenway is a infringement of my rights as a taxpayer. I am not allowed to park my camper anywhere I want, and when I do park it, it has to be in the appropriate place and I pay to camp.
I cannot throw trash out my car window because I will be fined.
Why is it that these people have more rights that I a tax paying citizen have?
I have seen trash cans and wash stations vandalized beyond use in these areas, without ever being used.
We the taxpayers pay for the Greenway to enjoy the beauty around us, and so our children and grandchildren can enjoy being outside.
When my children were younger we enjoyed using the bike path. I would never let my grandchildren walk that path now.
It is time to get rid of all the trash and not let squatters vandalize what was once a pleasant place to walk and take our grandchildren.
NO CAMPING ON THE GREENWAY
IN MEDFORD, PHOENIX, CENTRAL POINT, AND ASHLAND
163: Hawthorne Park is such a beautiful place, but the one time we went there, my 5 year old needed to use the bathroom. When we opened the door, there was a semi naked transient/homeless man smearing feces all over the walls. As we were leaving (rapidly) I noticed three hypodermic needles and an arm band sitting on the ground by the trash can. This is a true tragedy.
164: Hello, I am a truck driver and drive and work in many states including California. I have never seen the amount of homeless in one city that you can see from the interstate as Medford. I have lived and raised my family in the Rogue Valley since 1980 and it has changed so much for the Worst. Looking to move elsewhere if it doesn’t improve soon.
165: Hello,
My family and I want to be able to enjoy the greenway but it’s always full of trash and it is so dangerous. If we aren’t approached by shady people then we come across needles and other dangerous objects. It’s sad when you feel like you have to carry a weapon to defend yourself to go on a walk or a run. Please make the greenway clean and safe again so that our family and many more can enjoy the greenway the way it was intended.
166: Hello,
I’m a Rogue Valley resident, who lives at the border of Central Point and Medford, less than a mile from the Bear Creek Greenway.
I have a great deal of compassion for those struggling with homelessness, but the greenway has become a disaster of epic proportions.
I used to regularly bike the greenway till 2010, when multiple incidents with greenway transients left me fearing for my safety. Those incidents include (but are not limited to) repeatedly being chased/lunged at by unleashed dogs belonging to greenway campers, repeated sexualized commentaries by greenway campers I passed, and several sexual propositions by said campers. The final straw came when one of the greenway transients tried to stop my bike by grabbing the handle bars.
My story is not unique.
In the decade since I’ve stopped using the greenway, its trash and drug refuse problems have grown exponentially.
The absolute lack of safety and usability of this community amenity (Bear Creek Greenway) is a stain on local governance and a disservice to the people of Jackson County.
Now that I’ve addressed the perpetual issues with the greenway, lets turn our attention to the fire hazards presented by greenway campers.
After last year’s fires, there should be no question as to whether camping should be prohibited on the greenway. I never want to spend another night locked in bumper-to-bumper snail-paced traffic with my kids trying to escape the fire caused by illegal greenway burns. The safety of the local residents should be our elected leaders’ first priority, and there should be NO question as to whether no-camping laws should be enforced.
I would think that any future fire destruction rising from illegal greenway burns would fall at the feet of local governance if they fail to take action to prevent greenway-originating fires. At this juncture, camping on the Bear Creek Greenway has been proven to be not only a fire hazard, but a threat to the entire community. If our local leaders don’t take action to mitigate these risks to the tens of thousands of residents affected by greenway fires, then those leaders should be culpable for property damage, injuries, and loss-of-life resulting from future fires.
As to solutions…
The bramble on the greenways needs to be removed. The growth provides cover for those participating in illicit activities, and so long as the brush stands, those areas will continue to attract trouble. Additionally, the greenway bramble is a fire hazard. Raze it. Turn it into a park-like setting that can easily be seen from the nearby roads.
Among our valley’s long-term homeless, there are some great folks. Our PD knows which ones they are. I suggest we look into offering some of those people steward positions along the greenway. They keep an eye on things, alert LE to problems, and earn compensation for their efforts.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to seeing you take action to protect our local community at-large.
167: Help make a better more clean environment for our Oregonians!
168: Hi,
I live in Central Point and we are very concerned about this year’s fire season and if our town will be next to burn down, as we are along the Greenway. We would like for the city and county to step up and do their part in enforcing the Greenway rules. It would be nice if my family could use the Greenway safely, but we avoid it like many other families because of all the crimes along it. And, as illegal campers are pushed out, if they begin living along the I5 Corridor please consider cleaning the dead brush/blackberry bushes, large bushes along the fence line to citizens homes. I know for sure this is an issue between Central Point and Medford on the south bound side. Its a fire just waiting to happen as well.
169: Homeless camping along the greenway is disgusting! We look like Portland, and that is not a good thing. You need to stop supplying these people with food, shelter, needles!!! The more you handout to them, the more of them that come here. Very few are even from this area. Your job is to protect your citizens! It’s asinine that utilize police personnel to clean up after them! Make them clean it up. No one feels safe anymore. And you are loosing tourism money because people see the damn trash everywhere. You have got t to clean this mess up now!
170: Homeless is bad in our area. And so is Mental health. But more than that is the drug issues here and in our state. Homeless does not mean pigsties, property damage,theft,and fear of our bike and walking paths and parks.
171: Homeless or not you can not destroy our beautiful home!
172: How can anyone with a conscience allow the greenway to become a squalid wasteland occupied by the dregs of society? The time has come to stop living in denial and put right what has gone seriously wrong.
I demand to know why people can get ahold of illegal narcotics so easily in Medford and why no one can stop them. Liberal politics threatens to destroy any chance for respectable people to have a decent quality of life. We are all at the mercy of degenerates and things never should have been able to deteriorate to the extent that it has.
We must act to preserve our way of life immediately! Those who defile our land must be held accountable! Those who are responsible for maintaining law and order must likewise take responsibility for this disgrace! Heed my warning: things will become much worse for the community as a whole if the deplorable conditions on the Bear Creek Greenway are left unchecked.
173: How many fires will we see started off the Bear Creek Greenway in 2021? The Greenway is being largely misused, and is very rarely used for its intended purpose. What was meant to be an asset to the community is now a liability that puts the whole area at risk for fires.
The Greenway is an eyesore and a waste of taxpayer’s money. We need to put more efforts toward remediating the current situation to return safety to the surrounding communities. There are plenty of parks where people can camp at while requiring payment for services rendered, notably rule enforcement for the sake of others. If we’re going to continue treating the city like a campground, we need sensible campground rules and required fees to reflect this.
174: How much money was spent in past years to recover Bear Creek for the fish?? Now it’s a human toilet which is definitely not good for either fish or humans! What a waste of our county dollars
175: I agree and fully support cleaning up the Greenway.
176: I agree with and support the ordinance making tent camping in parks and along the Bear Creek green way illegal. ICurrently the situation deprives a larger part of the population of free and safe use of these areas. A designated alternative area needs to be provided that has proper sanitation facilities and where services can easily reach the homeless. A tiny house/tent city such as refugee camps with the goal of moving people out of homelessness. I see the current situation as inhumane allowing people to remain homeless sleeping outdoors month after month, year after year.
177: I agree with keeping the Greenway clean and safe. Rogue Retreat is a start to helping our homeless. There needs to be a shelters for people with animals to get off the street. They will not leave their furry family behind to get out of the cold or heat.That causes health emergencies for these people and their animals. Homelessness sometimes is due to a lot of untreated mental illness and addiction. The addiction comes because of untreated mental illness.
We need more investment into the problem of homelessness in southern Oregon to help solve this issue. These are human beings regardless of addiction or mental state. Let’s not put a band-aid on this, but real solutions. Homeowners have a right to safe areas to enjoy, like the greenway.
The homeless do create unsightly garbage, human waste and unsafe conditions for those wanting to use the Greenway. Fires are a great concern for those of us that have homes near our Greenway.
The solution isn’t just removal of the homeless population. Out of sight out of mind is what happens. Homeowners need to invest money along with the city and county. Land needs to be provided to build shelters and transition housing. This is an "OUR" problem so let us make it an "OUR" solution.
178: I agree with the statements and concerns above. Our community and future generations need to keep the green way and bear creek clean and safe !
179: I agree! Something needs to happen. It’s so sad to come off the highway or ride along the Greenway and it’s just tent after tent. Garbage, Garbage and more Garbage. There was a time when we didn’t even see a piece of paper along the road. In town or along the highway. If we don’t take Action it will only get worse. Thank you for stepping in and hopefully we can all figure out how to make a difference and get our beautiful Medford back!
180: I also live in Jackson County on and off for over 40 years and have watched it’s decline over the years. Used to be a wonderful place to walk and enjoy the nature, Not now, very dangerous place, even for the homeless that try to live there. Something needs to be done about the camping and homeless down there to make it a nice place for everyone to visit, I would and do support Medford and Jackson County and law enforcement to Not have Camping on the Green Way, Give this back to the citizens and visitors and us all.
181: I am 5th generation born in the Rogue Valley and I am ashamed to tell people where I am from and the vibrancy issue is the main reason! This has to stop. Stop giving free places to pitch a tent, start ticketing. Please, please do something.
182: I am a 3rd generation resident of this city and it is truly disgusting and heartbreaking what the Greenway was created for and the mess and eyesore it is now. Plus it’s a hazard for our community and environment.
Very sad that it’s such in unsafe pathway and area that I can not take a bike ride or walk with my family without feeling threatened or concerned for their safety.
Please do everything possible to bring the Greenway back to the community instead of the druggies and transient camps.
183: I am a 5th generation Oregonian and a 4 generation Southern Oregonian. I used to ride my bicycle with my friends on the Greenway when I was a kid growing up in the valley. Something that once was a safe place is now littered with trash, unsafe and uninviting to this community. We have an opportunity to clean it up and make it a beautiful safe place again.
184: I am a concerned citizen of Jackson County.:
The greenway has become a health hazard, and a serious safety issue for all of the residents of Jackson County, including the people who are living there and contributing to the garbage, needles etc. it is imperative that we develop a no camping law. I support strict enforcement rules, including relocating people back to their hometown. People have come here to take advantage of our resources that have become available due to the fires. The greenway, the bike path, are now an unsafe place for people to go and enjoy. Bear Creek is contaminated with filth. Allowing people to live there, is not safe or healthy for anyone. Let’s put a stop to this nonsense.
185: I am a drug and alcohol treatment nurse in Medford. I am a former mental health nurse. I support services to the homeless. I do not, however, support continuation of the current circumstances on our Greenway. It is a hazard to public health and safety, and I believe it is a disservice to our homeless community.
186: I am a lifelong Jackson County resident. One of my favorite memories growing up was when our parents would load up all our bikes, drive down to the Rogue Valley Mall and bike all the way to Bear Creek Park via the Greenway (and back). It was safe, and we could ride our bikes to our hearts desires way out in front of our parents. Screaming under the bridges was the best to hear the acoustics. I thought how fun it would be someday to do the same with my children.
Now I am at that stage of life with three children and my husband and I won’t go anywhere near the Greenway.
It is disgusting to see the condition of our once pristine Greenway and what it has come to. Furthermore, how we as tax-paying citizens are no longer able to enjoy one of the benefits that we pay for with our hard earned money. It is way past time to permanently eliminate these inhabitants along with our increasingly growing homeless community to do better and get out. There are many options and resources available, but many don’t want help. We also do not need to solve this problem with yet another crushing tax hike. Get help or get out!
It is beyond time that we take back our beautiful Southern Oregon to the tax-paying citizens of Southern Oregon! I hope sometime in the near future, I can share the same childhood memories I had, with my young family and enjoy a pleasant bike ride to Bear Creek park again along the Greenway.
187: I am a long term resident and tax payer in Jackson County. The Greenway has become filthy, dangerous and a source of criminal activity here in Jackson County. It is imperative that be closed to camping immediately.
188: I am a Medford born and raised young adult. The slow takeover of the greenway these last five years as really upset me seeing my beautiful town and valley being taken over by tents and trash on the greenway. I currently work as a nanny and would love to take the kids on a bike ride on the nice bike path but because of its proximity to the greenway I feel unsafe to take the children there. Furthermore the remodel of Hawthorn park’s playground was excellent unfortunately I still don’t feel comfortable taking the children there because of the numerous needles friends and family have found there. I love the town of Medford and the rogue valley as a whole and hope to one day raise a family of my own here but with more and more people flooding the greenway my town is beginning to feel less and less safe. Please stop this illegal camping on the greenway before our beautiful town becomes nothing more than a less metro and more sad version of Portland. Thank you for listening to concerned residents like me.
189: I am a Medford homeowner who would love to utilize the Greenway more for my morning training runs, but as a female running by herself I absolutely do not feel that it will be safe to do so until something drastic is done to clean up the Greenway by ceasing to allow camping.
190: I am a runner and use to enjoy running the Greenway. It was a beautiful safe place. I do not feel that way any longer.
191: I am afraid to use the Greenway for recreation sure to not feeling safe. I would love to be able to bike the path, without seeing the refuse, tents, and not be worried about personal safety. It is not a free campsite for homeless.
192: I am also a volunteer that helps to clean the greenway from Cellular Park to Barnett.
193: I am angry that we have laws against illegal dumping and trash that are not inforced. Is it not enuf that we have e-coli in the water. Our local and state government need to protect what we have for our children and stop making excusses to let criminal activity endanger the safety of other’s!
194: I am appalled by the horrible state of living conditions of the homeless, the pollution all along the Greenway, and the murders and drugs activities that are occurring there. This is a critical HUGE FIRE HAZARD. I’ve witnessed several times from my home on the foothills overlooking the town the fires that have occurred at Bear Creek Greenway. It’s frightening that anyone could get burned and fires spreading through our town. Enough is ENOUGH. We need to help the homeless AND protect our towns.
195: I am ashamed and embarrassed each time I get off the freeway with the continued growth of homeless camps popping up all along our most visible areas in Medford.
196: I am ashamed at the current condition of our once beautiful valley! When I asked about a community effort to clean it up I was advised that the garage was someone’s personal property and could not be touched without their permission I was appalled!
How do we take back our community?
197: I am asking that you please pass this ordinance on behalf of myself and my 3 children who used to be able to use the Greenway to ride our bikes to the mall each week for our family outing. This is no longer a possibility due to the increased drug activity and homeless camps. The last time we made this trip we saw a dog tied to a shopping cart in the sun on a mid-summer day with no owner around. When we returned 3 hours later the dog was still there and clearly in distress, again no owner around. When we attempted to help it, we were shocked by the number of needles and debris in the vicinity. It has gotten so much worse since then. It is clear that these individuals have no respect for our town yet we are allowing them to steal these public spaces away from our children for nefarious and illegal use resulting in destruction and increased crime. It is bad enough that the city has handed over our downtown areas to them, now we are handing them our spaces that were used for family? This must stop and we must give these special places back to our families and children.
198: I am concerned with the warmer weather coming the chance for fires happening again. I am worried that this year the fires could be even more catastrophic. I work at a business in Central Point and having to evacute said business, not once but twice due to fires burning up to our business is terrifying! The homeless population who has commandeered the greenway have made it unusable and unsafe. We need to take our cities back and deal with this issue. They have no incentive to cha nge because they get away with camping anywhere they want to. They have trashed our beutiful communities and this is unacceptable. Theses people need consequences not more handouts!
199: I am conferenced for our communities environment. The greenways were created to enjoy the outdoor use to exercise and feel safe. This has not been the case in many years if anything the fires helped clean some of the greenway from overgrown thorn bushes and transient camps. I’d like to enjoy these walks I did as a kid with my children today but I fear for our safety. The drug use, littering and unlawful camping seems to be condoned by our city officials. Please help clean this community. Many businesses backing into the bear creek could enjoy beautiful outdoor seating around down town if it was safe and clean. Our families and children could enjoy the outdoors in town if we felt safe and clean.
Thank you
200: I am deeply concerned about the situation happening around us on our greenway. It’s been continuing to get worse and worse with no end in sight. Solutions need to be searched and and put into place to return the area back to its natural walkable enjoyable space.
201: I am discuted by what our country has turned into. I was born and raised here and used to use the parks and Greenway for walking, picnics, an taking children. No park in Jackson County is safe to visit at any time of day now. Druggies have ruined the lives of all the rest of us and we pay taxes and have nothing or no where we can safely go. Burn down the greenway and all public places as they are dens of drug and criminals. Very unhappy with this situation.
202: I am disgusted to see how the Greenway has gone downhill. I do not feel safe walking the bike path anymore. Please pass something that camping is not allowed along Bear Creek. Some needs to be done now before another fire roars through the Greenway endangering thousands of innocent people.
203: I am embarrassed at the state of the greenway & it’s visible to all who drive I5. It’s hard enough to entice people to move to this area with the cost of housing, lack of entertainment options & lack of jobs paying more than minimum wage. Add to that the filth & crime happening all over the greenway & it’s no wonder people don’t want to move here & are leaving this area. The people camping on the greenway have chosen this lifestyle for the most part to avoid working for a living, having to pass a drug test, following rules, regulations & common responsibilities that the hard working citizens that pay for the greenway do every day. The local government has turned a blind eye to the problem through lack of enforcement & resources.
I’ve lived in this valley my whole life & used to love this area but if it weren’t for aging parents who need help, I’d leave here in a heartbeat. I travel all over this country & with the exception of the west coast, you don’t see the filth we have here. Please do something about this problem.
204: I am embarrassed by the greenway. It’s your job to organize an effort to deal with this.
205: I am embarrassed to have travelers driver through our valley.
206: I am extremely concerned about the current state of our greenway. It is unsafe for families and I wouldn’t even think of taking mine anywhere near it. It is unfortunate that the entire community is unable to enjoy what the greenway used to be. Please help!
207: I am highly concerned with the rise in crime, drugs, fires, filthy living conditions, people crossing I-5 in the dark, aggressive behavior by pan handlers in local business parking lots, car thefts, burglaries, robberies, etc… i am a retired security officer who worked nights on patrol and monitoring security cameras. Its scary out there and the public only sees a portion of it.
208: I am in complete support for whatever measures are needed to clean up the greenway. I definitely enforce passing laws to ban camping within the city limits and get this area back to the way it supposed to be. I am a southern Oregon native and it is heartbreaking to see what our city is becoming. I am mystified as to why this has been allowed long enough to have ever gotten this bad before any call for action.
209: I am joining with the concerned citizens of our once beautiful and safe area. There is a lot of resources that will help the homeless live in safe ty and get the help they need. As a teenager I used to enjoy the areas now occupied by illegal camping and transfers. I quit taking my daughter to these areas and wouldn’t consider thanking my grand children. I drive from South to North in I5 each morning and can’t believe how sad it is to see the trash, cut fences and massive amounts of tarps and tents that litter this area.
Please help those find safe help and let’s clean up out City. Let take back what we have had! Thank you for your help.
210: I am living it in the hotel I am staying at still from the fire! I am so sick of them taking away from us people who ACTUALLY HAD homes & dragging all their druggie friends in to do their laundry in the same washers I do mine in~ telling me that their friend had so many sores they had to soak their clothes off in the tub, never knowing WHAT I’m gonna walk into whenever I go outside or into the parking garage. The needles. The fights. The drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and even child trafficking. I have been assaulted, I have been groped, I have been propositioned & I AM SICK of the creeds they seem to live by. At first I had empathy for them; but they choose to live that way & take it with them wherever they go. Not anymore~ not ever again. They caused the fires & will do so again.
211: I am not a resident of Jackson county. My home residence is technically in Josephine county, but I work at Providence Medford Medical Center and pass by the greenway everyday on my way to work.
212: I am saddened by all the garbage that is left where these people camp/live along the Greenway.
213: I am saddened to see more and more tents pop up around our valley along the Greenway. Not only the trash, but the needles from the continued drug use as well. Yesterday, my son and I went on a bike ride along a part of the Greenway. Well, we ended up turning around after only a mile. We passed two people talking to themselves, one guy so tweeked out he could barely walk and the garbage was unbelievable. It wasn’t safe for us. It has gotten so much worse this last year and it has to stop! This place use to be beautiful, and the homelessness, and drug use has ruined a decent place to raise kids in. Please stop this, I am begging you.
214: I am saddened to see the greenway, and frustrated that things have been allowed to get to this state. I understand the struggle and the housing crisis, but this is absolutely unacceptable. What once was a beautiful path is now a landfill. Exiting the I-5 south to the north Medford exit literally brings tears to my eyes. This isn’t the town I grew up in, and I have always wanted my children to grow up here, but have been seriously reconsidering due to the current nature of our city. This doesn’t feel like our beautiful quaint Southern Oregon anymore. Please, stop the illegal camping now, before it is completely destroyed.
215: I am scared to be in Medford anymore. As a single mom, I am always on high alert. I am so sick of seeing trash and waste everywhere.
216: I am so disappointed and disgusted by the way the homeless and drug users use our greenway. Me and my mom used to ride our bikes and walk this path but now I am afraid to step foot on the greenway thinking I will be jumped, raped or possibly worse. Something has to be done about the trash and irresponsible transients. Thank-you!
217: I am so disheartened to see what’s become of the Greenway in the Medford area. There are services and resources available to these folks but they would rather create a destructive sub-community in our once beautiful greenway. I believe this soon will become a public threat. I also fear greatly about this community’s effect on fire season. It could very likely lead to devastating effects. Sadly, I don’t feel comfortable taking my children for bike rides any longer. The images of abundant needles and trash create a very unsafe and unstable environment. Within the bounds of the law I believe we should allocate resources to clean up the area, patrol and ticket violators. Those who pay taxes in our community are unable to use the area along the Greenway and from what I’ve heard this group of people have already caused thousands in property damage. Tourism is a strong part of our economy and our first introduction to our largest city is becoming an embarrassment. This takes money out of hard working businesses pockets and results in less tax revenue for the City. This is clearly a difficult issue and I feel for the mental stability of these people, but allowing them to gang up in this manner seems like a fatal experiment for our City.
218: I am so sad to say our community going down the tubes some of these people need help most of them just need to move on they are taking advantage and we are paying for it..
219: I am so tired of not being snake to take my children on a nice walk along the greenway without them having to see homeless camps, drug addicts and the filth they leave behind. It sickens me and should sicken every law abiding person in our community. It is so sad to see what our once beautiful community has turned into with the homeless and drug addicted people allowed to roam free and shoot up in public and destroy once beautiful areas with out being help any way shape or form accountable for the damage they cause.
220: I am so tired of seeing our city and its hard-working citizens being impacted by those who are destroying it with theft, filth, and drug use. I’ve been a lifelong resident of the Rogue Valley. I used to think I would never leave but now that our beautiful home is being overrun by these disrespectful behaviors I don’t plan on staying here forever. If people cannot respect the community or themselves they need to move on. Enabling this behavior hurts the homeless and everyone else in the community! Enough is enough!
221: I am so tired of this. This is an envoromental hazard, it degrades our city and does nothing to help the people that are allowed to camp indefinately. So tired of weak politicians bowing to advocacy groups to remain in office. Enforce the laws on the books, quit enabling drug users that draw the drug dealers.
222: I am tired of our beautiful area turning into a free for all. We deserve to live in a clean, safe valley. We need to stop the homeless from destroying our valley.
223: I am tired of seeing all the trash. I do know the people living along the Greenway need a place to live, but there has to be a better solution.
224: I am unable to use the paths due to uncomfortable encounters where my way was blocked. What a beautiful place ruined by a few.
225: I am very concerned about the garbage and it bringing in disease. It is very unsafe for all. So upset that our beautiful
city looks so terrible. This has to be dealt with before the situation worsens. Not to mention all the tax dollars that are being spent to clean it all up. Please don’t let Medford be a disgrace and turn its back on this problem. Thank you from a 44 year resident.
226: I am willing to donate some time to aide in the rehabilitation of our green way.
227: I am worried about the direction of this area. As a father of 3, I worry about my kids growing up in this area and the kinds of people that loiter all around us. I know of several families that moved out of the valley because of the direction it’s heading, and our leaders don’t seem to be doing anything about it. We love the area but I don’t know how much longer we can put up with the catch and release method for these criminals. It obviously doesn’t work and it’s destroying our community!! I worry about my house burning down because of a careless drug addict. IT’S TIME TO FIND A BETTER SOLUTION FOR THESE PEOPLE BEFORE THE PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY HAVE HAD ENOUGH AND LEAVE!! What will be left? A terrible community that was neglected by our leaders. Is that what you want of your legacy to be here? Failure!! Because that’s what it is right now!!
228: I applaud the work done on the greenway by our city and by our police officers last fall. I had a small hope that we could continue to keep that up and not allow camping there, but was frustrated to see campers just move back to it right away. I will support any way we can make the greenway (as well as any other part of our towns) cleaner and safer for all.
At this point, I never feel comfortable in any area within walking distance of the greenway. I don’t take my kids with me to many businesses in the area (and often won’t even go to those businesses by myself) because there are people lurking and loitering in the parking lots. It’s a sad time for our children and community to have this experience being raised in our town, and completely different from the experience I had here as a child.
Thank you for your work on this, it’s very appreciated. Also, thank you for the way the situation was handled in Hawthorn Park & the greenway last fall, it was a tough situation and it was handled in the most responsible, de-escalating and tactful way possible in my opinion.
229: I appreciate your support in the recovery of our Greenway.
230: I avoid this trail due to safety issues. I am an avid biker and stuck on the busy and dangerous roads to get my training in. What a waste of a resource!
231: I believe and hope I am right that there is enough safe housing provided for the homeless
I would love to walk with my dog on the greenway! but at this point won’t go…
very scary
232: I believe that all the people living and making the mess should have to do community service and clean up the messes . I think that we are already offering support for them so feed them and give them a trash bag and send them to clean up the trash. Maybe they will think about leaving trash after that.
233: I believe that the availability of used needles on the ground and playground is such a liability to innocent and undeserving citizens.
234: I believe there should be a resource that the homeless can go to and get results but living on the Greenway is not the answer. The Greenway use to be a safe and wonderful place to take a walk and enjoy the scenery but now it is neither .
There has got to be a better conclusion for both parties!
235: I believe we can come up with a better plan to help the homeless but the green way is not the answer. When I drive by all you can see is the trash everywhere and I don’t walk it because it’s unsafe yet my tax money is paying for something I can’t use in a safe manner also we need a area for people to have dignity even if they are homeless like a toilet, shower. But I understand they don’t want to follow rule or have others tell them what they can and can’t do but I’m sorry we all don’t like it yet we comply to laws so we have a safe and happier life. Please do what we have voted for you all to do and clean up and enforce our laws. Thank you a real tax payer of Jackson County
236: I bike a lot and would love to feel safe biking the greenway. I went the other day with my boyfriend and we were both deeply saddened and uncomfortable with how many homeless encampments were throughout the path. It’s a shame it’s gotten this far and something needs to be done.
237: I came in 1974. I remember what it was like n the little stream thur bear creek. None of us were worried about being in the creek. I work at rogue retreat. Have been with them 20 years. We are trying to make a dent in the homeless population. I just do not know why they can not take out what they been in. There are trash can to be used.I am for no camping.
238: I came to the valley in 2004. When I moved here after the military I was excited because it was such a beautiful area. Since that time, it has been allowed to dwindle in beauty by the damage caused from the homeless camps along the greenway. It’s no longer safe for a family to take a bike ride on. This is sad as my girls and I used to love doing this. Fires, murders and violence ooze from the path. Something needs to be done. It’s embarrassing to us as a county that we cannot come up with a solution to help or at least clear out those who don’t want the help. It’s time to start standing up for the citizens that live and love in this county and state. Please set an example and enforce what needs to be done.
239: I can no longer utilize the bike path with my family for lack of safety, or fear of unhealthy conditions due to refuse and human waste.
240: I can’t even take my kids or dogs on walks because of the homeless in the area. We are constantly being yelled at by the homeless. Southern Oregon used to be so pretty. Now it’s a place I’m ashamed to call my home.
241: I cannot believe we turn a blind eye to this, but enforce others. Come on Medford pd help stop this. And make them clean it there mess
242: I cant believe how bad the greenway has gotten
243: I cant support this until we have a plan for the homeless to have housing. Not only is this a crisis that needs attention.. but its also an increased risk to the community. I am very familiar with the greenway sweeps that (used to) happen. They would do it a few times a month, and those weeks we would find homeless sleeping behind and in front of our office.. frightening to arrive to a stranger at your place of business at 5am in the dark. There is no progress if we don’t have a plan. Simply telling them they can’t be there will only spread them throughout the community, which fixes the true issues for nobody. The solution to the greenway isn’t removing the homeless. It’s finding stable housing and care for those less fortunate. Otherwise they will only find other corners to survive in. It’s an issue all the way around and there needs to be serious SOLUTIONS. Not problems that will need more solutions at a later date.
244: I can’t walk my dog on the Greenway and feel safe. I used to be able to less than 5 years ago. It’s an open space we are all supposed to be able to enjoy. But now the homeless, crime and last year wildfires have open our eyes. We must not allow overnight camping anywhere along the Greenway year round. Maybe then we’ll see less loitering and hopefully everyone can enjoy the Greenway for what it’s was intended.
245: I completely agree with the camping ban. We cannot allow our public areas to continue being destroyed!!!
246: I continually see fires going at the camps and have called one in on my way to work. Recently a fire was set on the greenway behind the complex where I live with my children. Besides the massive amounts of garbage and human waste being littered on the greenway, I am concerned what will happen once fire season is upon us. We came very close to losing our home with the almeda fire in 2020 and would hate for our town to experience that again.
247: I currently advocate for children in foster care here in Jackson County through my appointment by the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court.
I see the vicious cycle of poverty, homelessness, substance use, alcoholism, abandonment and domestic abuse.
There has to be a better way to offer services through qualified social workers, and programs versus law enforcement. We can do this!!!
248: I definitely support "no more camping on our Greenway"!!!! As an older woman I am now to worried about my own safety if I were to go walking on the trail anymore! I used to love to be able to walk by Bear Creek and see a bit of nature here within the valley. It’s much more cost-effective than having to drive up to the lakes or up to the Applegate.
However I have been homeless several times in my life and I’ve had to live in a tent for up to six months at a time. I know a lot of these people are in the same situation I am one Tech not coming could put you into a free-fall where you lose your housing!!! Here in the Rogue Valley we have to do something to provide a better housing situation for the elderly for the disabled and for those who are mentally ill. We also need to know that we will always have homeless people in this Valley. So we need to figure out a place for them where they can camp with some minimal security and basic things like water, trash removal and security.
249: I do believe it is worthwhile for all to have established camping sites (more than one) off the greenway, acceptable for those currently living without housing, and to increase helpful resources to get people out of this situation. It does not need to be expensive, it needs to be safe and a place to pitch a tent. It seems the current site in Medford is successful. It needs to be strictly enforced that there is NO CAMPING along Bear Creek. Resting does not mean pitch a tent or build a fort, and does not allow littering or using the creek as a bathroom.
250: I do not feel safe to ride my bike or take my grand children in the Bear Creek Greenway.
251: I do not feel safe using the path along bear creek and I am Embarrassed for what tourist and out of town or see from I-5
252: I do not live in Medford now but still would like to use the Greenway but I refuse until these people are moved on they propose a danger to the public and to themselves. Specially after the fires of last year and with all the drug use I work in the security industry and deal with these people on a nightly basis so I see what is going on. Please do something about it. Thank you.
253: I do not support camping on the greenway. I want the greenway to be able to be used by families for walking and biking and feel safe.
254: I do not use the Greenway because it is not safe due to homeless population camping. Medford is the new Portland.
255: I do not want Medford to turn into a homeless magnet as Portland and Seattle have done with policies that encourage people to come! I want a safe and clean beautiful green beltway to be enjoyed by all!
256: I don’t even feel safe to bring my family in a bike ride here anymore ? such a great path wish I could use it.
257: I don’t feel safe going to the park alone with my son anymore
258: I don’t feel safe using the greenway in the current state it is in. It’s supposed to be a bike riding/ walking trail and you can’t even use it in great of being attacked by a maniac drug user.
259: I don’t like paying taxes designated for Parks and recreation and then be afraid to use these parks and recreation. It is unbelievable what has become of this beautiful area. ?
260: I don’t think that people camping alongside a public area like the greenway should be permitted. I’m sick of seeing all the garbage that is piled up, these people pollute our beautiful greenway with garbage and drugs. It should not be allowed. My self and several people I know will not use the greenway because of safety concerns due to the shady people at are squatting on or near the greenway.
261: I don’t want camping along the greenway due to drug use and garbage and fire hazards. I DO want places where mentally ill homeless people can go to safely sleep. Please figure this out and our community will be healthier for it. Thanks for all that you do.
262: I don’t want see all the trashed are not cleaning because we want to save greenway keep cleaning everyday and pls stop let ppls camping there …………..
263: I don’t dislike the homeless. I dislike the destruction of the city, county and country that I pay for.
264: I don’t even want to take my Grandkids riding on the bike path. It used to be a every weekend thing.
265: I don’t feel safe walking with my kids on the Greenway. There’s so much trash, garbage scattered all around.
266: I don’t mind the fact that people are camping out here. Its the trash and the destruction of the land that’s making me irate. Trash fires, trash in the water, piles of trash, it is too much.
267: I dont want to be evacuated from my home again and I sure do not want it to burn down. This needs to be taken care of. It is completely unacceptable.
268: I drive both the freeway and 10th St this is getting so out of hand. The trash just keeps building up horrible!
Also, Drive on Biddle road two tents on the freeway side of the cyclone fence and huge pile of garbage next to them. Also a homeless man in a wheelchair right across from Wendy’s living on the bike path. So sad
269: I drive by the Greenway 5 days a week and I am saddened by all the tents and trash. Please get this under control. The safety of all the citizens of Jackson County are at risk.
270: I drive by the greenway every day on the freeway and see the tents, the trash and open fires everyday, from what I understand the taxpayers paid for the greenway project and now it is not safe for the residents in Jackson County to use. How is this fair to our community ?
You have a few hundred people camping out and ruining it for everyone. Being homeless shouldn’t be a crime, but destroying public property should be. If the county does not take care of the problem now, what is it going to look like in another 10 years? I hope that the greenway becomes a safe place for families to ride their bikes, and it returns to what it was intended to be a nice place for our community.
271: I drive down the freeway and see this. It is horrible. I’m sorry that people are homeless but why do they have to be so nasty!
272: I drive I5 from Central Point to South Medford 5 days a week.At exit 30 heading south all you see is tents,tarps and trash.It is the same heading north from exit 27 to the viaduct by the baseball fields.Used to be proud to call Medford home but lately not so.We really need this cleaned up.
273: I drive on I-5 several times a day. The trash, garbage and junk left anywhere along the greenway is dangerous, dirty and a fire hazard to public health and safety. Understanding some of these people need help to live else where, some will never choose to conform. Please get these people off of public land and house them where the garage and crime can be contained and minimize the threat to public safety.
274: I drive past a huge camp along the greenway on my way to work at RRMC and I see new tents everyday and consistently more and more garbage no one is doing anything about.
275: I drive past parts of the greenway every day. It’s awful! Disgusting.
276: I drive the freeway every day to work and I’m so sadden by our town that once was such a nice drive Shame on you for letting it go this far..
277: I drive through this area daily and it absolutely despicable. I am sorry for the homeless but we should not be forced to see this on our county everyday
278: I drove past the greenway the other day just down from Cottage Street and was completely disgusted with the trash, tents, etc. I remember taking my sons for bike rides down that path to Bear Creek Park and showing them how beautiful and peaceful it was. Now I’m scared to even drive that way. This is no way for our City to look. We need to step up and take back our City so we can have pride in our surroundings again.
PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!
279: I enjoy hiking and walking on the path,But sadly at this Moment WILL NOT,
280: I especially appreciate Heidi Smith’s thoughts on aggressive rehabilitation of the Greenway as a public natural resource. Her visionary management ideas just might actually work to transform the Greenway from a liability to an asset in our community.
However, in order to do something new, we have to stop doing something old… In this case that’s allowing illegal, dangerous, and harmful (not to mention messy) activities to take over the area.
281: I feel sorry for these people, but the Greenway is not intended for them. It’s not safe for anyone anymore.
282: I feel strongly about making the Greenway family friendly again.
283: I find this astounding that our elected leaders have let this go on for so long. This is happening right next to a little league park , bear creek park, and takes away from all. As a property tax paying citizen I demand that this cease, before ends up with stepping on a needle.
City of Medford and Jacksin County commisioners you should all be fired for allowing this, and giving the citizens nothing but excuses for your incompetence. Move out and get someone in there to clean this mess up.
284: I first moved to the Rogue Valley area about 20 years ago with my family and I loved how beautiful it was and how many outdoor opportunities there were. I can tell you now that I have seriously considered leaving Medford permanently. The homeless population that continues to flourish here and the limited use of the Greenway to residents except those who camp there has become discouraging, to say the least.
I support the statement above and share with my fellow community members concerns not only for the health of this community that is being threatened by polluted water, human waste and garbage but also the physical safety we face. Threats from fires and the criminal activity that continues to plague the area are based largely in the open green spaces and large camp communities along the path.
Please support the ban on camping along the Greenway and give the officers of the Medford Police Department the tools and the resources they need to continue to protect this community. Allow it to be the attractive and flourishing city that it has the potential for. Thank you.
285: I fully support ending illegal camping.
286: I fully support making the greenway safer. These are horrible living situations and it needs to stop.
287: I fully support this project! I’ve lived here my whole life and I’m disgusted by what is going on.
288: I generally do not support much the city council proposes.
I do think this population needs a lot of help.
This a huge problem n California as well
289: I grew up here and it’s shocking and sad to see an area that was created to bring enjoyment of the natural beauty of the area and create a buffer zone for Bear Creek slowly turning into such a dangerous area. It’s a bike path, that’s what it was created for originally, not a homeless encampment. There is a large homeless population, but you can’t just shove that away out of sight. Bring back our Greenway! Too much work went into that project to have it result in a homeless encampment. And you can’t poop in the creek. Do you realize the biohazard involved in that?
290: I grew up here and riding my bike down the greenway and going to the train park are found memories of mine, but now kids growing up here cannot experience the same joy because it’s so dangerous.
291: I grew up here in Medford and it was a beautiful place to grow up now it’s a disgrace is embarrassing to see all the trash on both sides of the freeway on each exit we need to clean this up so people can walk and be safe or ride their bike
292: I grew up in Medford and biked the Green way when it first opened up. It’s really very sad to see it now. It is also very sad to see the amount of homelessness we have in Medford the surrounding towns. We need to do something to create a change, and by upholding and developing more ordinances we can start to turn things around .
293: I grew up in Medford and moved away. I moved back two years ago and started a business and purchased a home with three kids under the age of 6. It is disheartening to see all of the tents and trash accumulating on the Bear Creek Greenway. As an Eagle Scout my project was to build benches that I recently found out were removed because transient people were sleeping on them. I would love for the greenway to become a safe place once more for families to enjoy particularly since there is a place for people to go instead of camping within the city limits.
294: I grew up in Medford, but made the decision to move out to rural eagle point because I didn’t like the way Medford enabled homeless culture about 7 years ago. Here we are, currently, overran by homeless culture where we can’t enjoy the greenway, which we pay to upkeep with our tax money, without peace of mind. We can’t even go into fire season without the fear of fires threatening our surrounding cities. Absurd.
295: I grew up in Medford. The greenway was once a safe place for kids to ride bicycles on. It is no longer safe for kids including the parks near it. It makes me sad that it has been allowed to become what it is.. I do care about the well-being of the homeless but there needs to be a balanced approach. I have helped clean up greenway with my kids got lomanaski, we found drug needles and human excrement that we had to watch out for. It has become a dump. This is not helpful to anyone.
296: I grew up in the rogue Valley and still have family and friends there. I live in klamath falls and it saddens me to see the greenway destroyed
297: I grew up in this area and as a kid the Greenway rose place to ride my bike and safely get from one end of town to the other. Today is a far cry of safe. Now I cannot allow my daughters or granddaughters to even attempt to navigate the Greenway especially on their own. As a advocate for homelessness and empowering them through my nonprofit Tailgate Ministries, I am a appalled with the trash and safety conditions.
298: I grew up in this town. In fact my ancestors settled the valley. What the local government has allowed to happen to the valley is down right disgusting.
299: I grew up riding my bike on the greenway as a kid with my friends. There is NO WAY a child should be allowed on the greenway the way it is now! It’s sad! It’s not even a greenway! It’s a hobo camp trail! SAVE THE GREENWAY!
300: I grow up in the valley and road my bike all around Medford including the green way. I wouldnt dare take my kid down the green way these days its just way to dangerous. Its really a shame the local government has let us down and allowed this transformation. I’m glad to see some are taking a stand and saying no more, the amount of used needles is so disgusting!
301: I had an office space by lithia Toyota. I am a business that pays into this country. We had to shut down our office because of the breakins of our office. Drug use and filth we delt with dailey. My staff felt unsafe and clients refused to come to our place of business. Sad, it cost me several 10s of thousands to get that space. We had to leave, now i cant get out of our lease. This is uncalled for and wrong in so many ways.
302: I had to evacuate during the fires i felt hopeless that i might loose my house. I have three children who were scared i do not want to see another fire started on the greenway. If the amazing firefighters wouldn’t have stopped the fire where they did it would have came into Medford and that would have been disastrous.
303: I hadn’t driven down I5 near the south medford exit in a couple of years until last week and was blown away by the homeless camps visible from the freeway. In two years we have turned into Portland. I almost has an accident as my astonishment took over. What have we become? I used to use the Greenway, but with the growth of the homeless population I do not feel safe there anymore. Please do not allow them to rule over my rights and the Greenway that I pay for.
304: I have Lived here all my life. And every time I get on the freeway or a walk on the Greenway always see is homeless trash drugs stealing and other things and it is very sad and I am ashamed of Jackson County for the way the everyone has let Our city and our state go to pot. It is time to stand up and clean this place up so we are proud to live here.
305: I have a business in downtown medford and stay there’s few nights a week. I lived in medford and Jackson county since 1996. While I no longer live there full time, I maintain a vested interest in the community. I completely support the council in protecting the greenway, and prohibiting camping on it, especially during the summer. I also do not want to see Medford’s downtown turn into a tent city, which is what will happen if they leave the greenway. I think the city should consider setting aside an area in an unused industrial zone with existing underground infrastructure and build a large shower and bathroom facility like campgrounds have. Fence it all in with one entrance to contro who and what is allowed in, staffed by volunteers from inside that community of campers. The monetary cost of such a project would be enormous, but the cost to businesses impacted by an influx of campers on our sidewalks and of the fires, loss of property and life, and the damage by filth, garbage and feces makes an investment seem more palatable.
306: I have a small business adjacent to Hawthorne park that historically haven’t felt safe being at alone once it’s dark. There’s a completely different vibe between day and night hours but as of late I’ve noticed that the time of day matters less and less. Being that close to the park and the green way/bear creek makes me feel unsafe and puts me on edge, It’s super sad because I have kids and I wish we could feel comfortable hanging out at the park and taking walks on the green way!
307: I have been chased and yelled at by men when I am out running and even chased down while sitting in my car at intersections and the gas station over at Safeway . I am a female and I no longer run on the greenway for fear of my life. But even the areas / streets that are close to the greenway have become increasingly unsafe for anyone. The smell of urine and seeing adult men relief themselves on near by businesses and the drug paraphernalia that is left is horrific. We are supposed to be a caring community and it has become a open home for those who choose to take advantage of us. There is help for those who need it but it is unclear who really needs help and those who are choosing to abuse Jackson County. I believe the state representatives that vote to let them live where they want should open up their own front yards to these people. Please clear this up so we can keep our children and our elderly safe and able to use the great outdoors that Oregon has to offer.
308: I have been greatly concerned about the ongoing problems on the Greenway for awhile. I support what this petition is suggesting as long as the homeless are offered the resources available to help them. I know that some will never accept the help, but that is their CHOICE.
309: I have been here all my life and have never seen something as horrible as this. Just yesterday my son saw a guy run out of Fred Meyer with 3 pair of shoes and ran right over to the homeless camp. This is the sort of things that happens when you continue to allow this to go on. We cannot take our children on the greenway without having to deal with all of this garbage, needles and feces. One woman stated on the news that people against this are heartless, in fact, these homeless people are heartless. Remember when they put up booths at Hawthorne park to offer services to the homeless and only 7 people took help. SEVEN! that’s it. We have had them run up to our cars when we are sitting at a stop light and the list goes on and on. It is time for this to end. If you feed a wild dog it will continue to come around, the same applies here. These people have been offered many things and refused the help because they don’t want it, they are hooked on drugs and or alcohol and that is what they have CHOSEN. Everywhere you look there are help wanted signs, people cannot get employees. If they wanted better for themselves it is out there but they don’t and we shouldn’t have so pay the price for their choices.
310: I have been thinking about the homeless a lot! How can one not when your driving in your community and that’s pretty much all you see! It’s sad and I do not to live in a community that has this problem. We need to be a part of the solution. We need local and state money to help this problem. We need to build tiny home communities for the homeless reach out to local businesses for sponsorships, get these people cleaned up help them get the treatment they need and help them get jobs if we want it to stop we have to be a part of the solution. A homeless person can not go into a place of business and get an interview they need a place to sleep get clean and get some resources to help them be productive members of society. I support local officials trying to get a handle on this problem! If we don’t it will turn into a little Portland!
311: I have compassion for these people but this isn’t what we built the greenway for.
312: I have enormous empathy for the homeless but if they can cart it in, they can cart it out. It’s littering! It doesn’t matter who does it.
313: I have felt like I was the only person who felt the loss of loosing the BCG. The Bear Creek greenway is a beautiful place that should be safe for my family to walk or ride bikes. Thank you . Thank you, Thank You!
314: I have fond memories of walking the Greenway with my parents as a small child and saddened that as a mother now myself I cannot continue this tradition with my own daughter. I feel it is unsafe for us to walk anywhere on the Greenway and fear it will soon be unsafe to utilize Bear Creek and Hawthorne Parks because of the illegal camping.
Thank you
315: I have grown up in Klamath and been living here for 16 years and the transformation has been absolutely disgusting. Who would want to pay taxes and unable to feel safe utilizing the pathway.
316: I have had a somewhat scary experiance on the green way close to the play ground area on the bike path. It was 930 at night and it was as if someone was following me while I followed the path walking my dog they kept whistling like to get my attention but never said any words it sounded like they were following from along the creek i never saw any one but they kept whistling even after i left the park i live in apartments right across the street from the skate park parking area who ever it was i could hear them whistle all the way home they were able to whistle loud
317: I have had family live right off bear creek for years and now I do as well. The comparison from then and now is astonishing and not in a good way. I never had to fear walking out of my home until recent years where I was chased late at night by a man coming off the Greenway. I never thought I’d have to hear that my husband was assaulted while walking our dog by someone on the Greenway or being followed while they think he isn’t watching. I don’t want people to suffer but when it comes to the safety of my family that comes first.
318: I have heard so many negative comments on the state of the Greenway. Please keep it clean.
319: I have live in Jackson County since 1995. The increase in homelessness, public camping and obvious drug use is ridiculous. I hate that I don’t feel safe to use greenway or take advantage of our beautiful parks due to questionable people. I think it’s horrible that this has become our new norm and people just allow it. Im sorry, I pay taxes to help keep our city beautiful and safe. I don’t want the rif Raf and filth around me and my children.
320: I have lived across from Table Rock Bridge in a home I bought 25 years ago for the past 10+ years every summer is pretty terrifying worried about fires along the greenway.
I was evacuated twice last Sept and thanks to our wonderful firemen and air support our street Gilman Rd and my house was saved. Right now I see camps from my driveway. They trespass across Cascade Christian playing field at night and cut holes in the chain link fencing. Please enforce no camping along the greenway.
Thank you Debbie Reed – Neighborhood watch captain
321: I have lived here 59 years and so sad to see what has happened. Parks built for fun our now places we have to avoid. It’s just wrong we can’t take our children and grandchildren to the park they love.
322: I have lived here for 25 years..we need to make Medford a desirable place to be. This is SO EMBARRASSING
323: I have lived here for about 24 years. And what we see today while driving on the freeway is so much trash along the roads. We need to make some changes to get our town clean again!
324: I have lived here my whole life I have never seen so many homeless people that are involved with drugs all the garbage we need to clean our town up it’s embarrassing! We need the mental health to help these people To get them back on their feet to where they are not a menace to society
325: I have lived here my whole life, born in Medford and raised in the valley. It is honestly ridiculous that this allowed!
326: I have lived here my whole life. When I was younger I rode the Greenway. I won’t go anywhere near it now.
327: I have lived here my whole life. My dad worked for the paper and did a lot with Rotary. He was one of many who supported the original Greenway project and I bet he would be horribly disappointed with and ashamed of what the Greenway has become. I cannot and will not take my daughter in walks or bike rides on the path. It is too dangerous with needles, rapists, drug addicts, and general filth. It is time for this to stop.
328: I have lived here since 1998 and used the greenway as my personal runway and bike ride. A place of God s beauty has become a rat’s nest an thilth. We must preserve the original intent of the development of this natural exercise path. Peace and Good needs to be provided as in other cities by making tricity area for homeless to live in a natural area with housing and campaigns for those who need it. Mentally incompetent, addicts and imegrents.establish government with in this group to maintain their own freedom separate from and support this financial with a tax from the trinity community, Medford,Ashland, Centralpoint .
329: I have lived here since 2003, I grew up here and this is one of the worst things I have seen. I don’t remember our valley ever letting things become this bad.
330: i have lived here with my family from arizona since 1997 ans have purchased 8 homes ans had a thriving business for decades . it is absolutely unacceptable that people are allowed to live on public greenways and highways and litter and defecate with no regard for the sanitation of others!! People get fined for littering but they are allowed to live unbothered like this? What about the devastating fires caused last year by allowing these people to go unchecked? This should land on the governors desk! maybe she turns a blind eye to it in portland but we don’t stand for it here!!
331: I have lived in Jackson Co. for almost 11 years and the changes I have seen are incredibly sad, I felt safe in Medford, but past 2 years it’s not the same , Every corner it seems there is panhandling, and tents on freeway, and everywhere we look. People walking around dazed and confused all due to drugs. I hope this can be fixed and make Medford a desired place to live again.
332: I have lived in jackson County all my life. And never thought it would ever get this bad. And not only that, driving down I5, tent along the freeway. Is just Embarrassing, and looks like we live in a 3rd world country. I used to ride my bikes and take my kids to the parks by the Greenway. Not any more for the last couple of years. Because of the homeless and drug addicts that live there now. And we been have really bad fire season. And the homeless that start the fire along the green way. Every summer now. I really hope we can get something figured out. Or our county is going to start looking like Portland. And jackson county is going to get worse, this is a beautiful place but each year is getting worse and worse.. and if this keeps up and nothing is getting fix.. say good by to this please and the homeless is going to take over. And people wouldn’t want to move here. If they see whats going on and the city isn’t doing nothing about it. I’m jist shocked how far this is going with the homeless. So please please let’s fix this problem.
333: I have lived in Jackson County all my life. I used to ride my bike with my Dad on the Greenway. Now its just a nast dumping ground and a scary place filled with mentally ill and drug addicts. Its an embarrassment to just a beautiful valley.
334: I have lived in Jackson County for 6 or 7 years now and plus some years in-between. The Greenway has never looked worse or been more dangerous than it is now and after last year (2020) we need to keep people out so we don’t have fires in there again this year!
335: I have lived in Jackson County for most of my 28 years. I remember at one point as a younger teen, it was nice to take walks along the Greenway and just be near the creek. Now; I wouldn’t even feel safe during daylight to walk along the Greenway, let alone take my son anywhere near it. Something NEEDS to be done.
336: I have lived in Jackson County since 1971 and the Greenway initially was a fun & safe way to walk and/or ride bicycles. It has become a very threatening unsafe place to be for many years due to homeless camping out there. And most recently the rubbish & tents an ugly eyesore. I have compassion for those homeless, but there needs to be a better solution than camping along the Greenway.
337: I have lived in Medford 14 years. It is getting really bad. Something needs to be done. I wish we could enjoy our cities beautiful creek and parks. We are in dire need of a face lift. We need to make this place somewhere people want to come and feel safe. The nickname Methford is holding true and I wish I could say I was proud to say I am from Medford. Please do something and thank you.
338: I have lived in Medford all my life. 50+ years! I currently live very close to the Greenway and many years ago, would ride my bike from Medford to Ashland. However, the last 2-3 years, it has become unsafe and very disgusting. Trash everywhere. Tents all along the path. I agree that there should be No Camping on or along any part of the Greenway.
339: I have lived in Medford and currently work there; I have never seen it get to this level before. We need to make this safe for people and the environment.
340: I have lived in medford area since 1996 and have consistently watched the situation on the Greenway decline in the last several years. It is unsafe in every way. I refuse to use it and would not allow my children to use it. The drugs, the garbage and the homeless people. Multiple fires started intentionally this past summer during the Phoenix fire. Thefts in the areas around the Greenway are high. And then there is the murder that happened recently. It is very sad to see all the garbage in areas occupied and areas that the homeless have moved on from because they couldn’t stand there own garbage anymore. If I was traveling I would not want to stop in medford because of the impression it gives. The Greenway was not intended for the purpose of housing the local homeless population. A better solution needs to be found for the homeless that can better be controlled.
341: I have lived in Medford my entire life. When I drive down the freeway I am appalled at how atrocious our city looks now. I’m ashamed to live here. I don’t understand why things have been allowed to get so out of hand. We have almost lost our house to fire three separate times over the last couple of years because of homeless people setting fire to the greenway. This needs to be dealt with. The garbage and I’m sure human feces are disgusting.
342: I have lived in Medford my entire liffe. The City is no longer beautiful- crime has gone up and it’s become an embarrassment when you come down the freeway and see all the garbage , tent s, bikes snd homekess – for the people that would’ve stopped to shop and have a meal after seeing that I’m sure that they keep going. Something has to be done. !!! Please make our city beautiful and let us be proud to be from Medford
343: I have lived in Medford my whole life. In the last year particularly, I have been disgusted to see the extreme degradation of our Greenway. I’ve always felt proud to live in Medford but that feeling fades every time I see shopping carts and garbage in the creek, every time I have to stop my dog from taking a drink or getting in the water because I know there is urine and feces floating in it, every time I refuse to bike or walk the greenway because I fear for my safety. Homelessness in itself is not the problem and I do have compassion for these people. However, the abuse, the complete disregard for our once beautiful area is palpable. It needs to be remedied NOW.
344: I have lived in Medford/ Jackson county for the majority of my life and it saddens me to see the state our greenway is in, I used to ride my bike on the greenway frequently with an old mentor, now I have a 2 year old and would love to take him there but don’t feel it’s safe enough
345: I have lived in my home near the Greenway for many years and have seen the deteriorating conditions for 12 years. It has come to the point that it is not pleasant and absolutely unacceptable what is happening to what was once a scenic and relaxing place to walk my dog and get out and enjoy. Now there’s graffiti everywhere, garbage, feces and needles. I sure wouldn’t take anyone that comes to visit me there it’s a complete embarrassment to our community. Something needs to be done before our beautiful town turns into another Seattle. No more excuses!
346: I have lived in my neighborhood for 50 years and the past 2 years are the first time we have had intruders or breakins. We live about a mile from the Greenway and there are young children in our neighborhood. I am also near Holmes Park where lots of kids come to play. I have seen homeless on our streets and while most are harmless, all are not. Please enforce the camping ban within city limits and along the Greenway. It used to be a wonderful place for a bike ride and now is unsafe.
347: I have lived in the Jackson County for 30 years. My parents moved us here for the clean air, trees and safe atmosphere. I I use to be able to ride my bike with my family on the Greenway safely. Now, I wouldn’t even step foot on the Greenway. It is a biohazard area. Trash, needles, human feces and waste all up and down the I5 corridor. It is a disgrace. Please help us get our Geenway back to a safe level.
348: I have lived in the Medford area for 30+ years and have cycled or run on the Greenway throughout my time here. What is happening to the Greenway is disgraceful. If you as a body have ANY shred of pride in the area you will take the steps necessary to clean it up. The people littering the Greenway with needles and trash are making a choice to do so. There are ample resources for people down on their luck. Please act to reclaim the Greenway for its intended use. Thank you.
349: I have lived in the Medford area my whole life, currently live in Central Point, and use the freeway frequently to Medford. I’ve seen all the growth and changes to our beautiful valley for the past 50 plus years, which I’ve been proud to say has been mostly positive. However, the sights of growing homeless areas, seen from I5 has been so alarming. Obviously there is no pride of ownership in the transient lifestyle. The cumulative garbage is a health hazard, an eyesore and frankly an embarrassment. I’ve been hearing horror stories of vandalism and theft from those who live close to Table Rock Road, the Greenway and Bear Creek. It looks and feels exactly like it is; slum existance. The Greenway, as it was intended, used to be a safe place for families to walk, jog, and bike, but unfortunately that hasn’t been true for the last few years. Please do whatever is possible to bring back the reasons why we all worked hard all of our lives to choose to live here, and restore our beautiful local landscape, so it will again be a safe place for everyone to enjoy.
350: I have lived in the Phoenix/Talent areas for most of my life. The homelessness has grown by leaps and bounds. However, it has gotten worse since the wildfires ripped through these towns. There has always been a need for resources for the homeless individuals in terms of safe, clean, healthy housing. The problem with Jackson County providing homes for these individuals is that they don’t respect what is given to them. The photos clearly show how much disrespect they have for the outdoors, I would be extremely worried about the disrespect they would show for any housing that would be provided for them.
351: I have lived in the Rogue Valley for 60 yrs. I have seen it grow and become a beautiful and vibrant place to call my home. In the past few years I have watched it deteriorate and become a place I am truly ashamed of and embarrassed by. I implore the community leaders to use common sense and courage and change this!
352: I have lived in the rogue valley since 2001. When I first moved here I used to run the bike path along the greenway. Around 2005 I finally stopped running along the bike path after three separate incidents of homeless people jumping out and chasing me. I feel this is ridiculous to have a bike path that is not safe to use and only serving as a super highway for homeless pedestrians.
Furthermore, I have lead an environmental club that would go around on the weekends and pick up trash along waterways to preserve the wildlife of bear creek and the rogue river. The amount of trash we would pick up floating in bear creek and along bear creek was astounding. The members had to use canvas bags and leather gloves and constantly be on the look out for needles and glassware from making drugs. I had to instruct them to be wary of picking up paper because it was often covered in human feces. All of this gets washed down the creek, especially when it rains and then goes into the rogue river polluting our very sacred water source and contaminating the homes of the animals and plants that grow along the banks.
Lastly, the homeless camps along the greenway are right next to some of the lowest income housing, meaning that those who live in poverty and are just trying to get by, have to live next to the unsafe, crime ridden, drugged up populations of those camps. How is that okay? Don’t people who rent an old trailer by the creek deserve a safe environment? Or should these residents, some with children, have to suffer because homeless people from Portland and California want to pass through and camp next to their homes while getting high, stealing things, and doing copious amounts of drugs that our state has seen fit to legalize?
353: I have lived in the valley for over 30 years, and within the last 2 years have watched the greenway become a very sad place. We need a solution . It’s going to get worse before it gets better.
354: I have lived in this Valley for my entire life and have never been so ashamed and embarrassed to live here.
I’m embarrassed to have anyone visit our area. I meet friends and family in other states to avoid them coming and seeing our beautiful valley turning to absolute garbage.
Something needs to be done NOW to stop the camping and drug use on the Greenway.
355: I have lived near the greenway for 4 years, and just moved to Ashland about a month ago. I bike from Ashland to central point on the greenway and dread what’s coming once I pass Phoenix. As a smaller framed woman riding alone, I’m having to haul ass through the overpasses and hope no one is sleeping on the path or ready to jump out in front of me. It’s disgusting and scary. My kids’ father works for the Sheriff’s Department and says the greenway sweeps they do are pretty useless. We need a better solution people.
356: I have lived next to the Greenway, about 200 yards from my gate, for 9 years. I would REALLY LIKE to be able to get my exercise walking there, I am retired. BUT I NEVER will walk it by myself!! NEVER!!
But instead, I have to walk on the highway, also VERY dangerous!! But it’s the lesser of two evils. It is a wasted resource that CANNOT be used the way it is intended! I should not have to make THIS sacrifice, it’s a crying SHAME. I already won’t even go to Medford city limits alone. I use public transportation, the bus, and take my money to Ashland.
357: I have many memories of riding bikes with my family on the Greenway as a child. It saddens me that my own child is not able to safely experience the same. It angers me as a taxpayer of Jackson County to see the demise of the Greenway as it currently sits. As a former resource officer of a local hospital system, it is factual and I have witnessed for many years that a large majority of homeless persons refuse local resources that they are eligible for. It’s time for this nonsense to come to an end.
358: I have never felt safe on the greenway, people are killed, raped and the amount of human poop and blood from needles it’s horrible I have not been on the greenway in over 20 years. It’s really sad it was created for family’s, for people to have a safe place to walk off the main roads. I’m done.
359: I have never in 42 years ever have seen it this bad! They are not fire victims living down on the greenway! Trust me my house burnt from the Alameda fires and all of those people have been helped! These are bumps that dont give a crap about society and its horrible!!
360: I have no words . The pictures I’ve seen and the views driving northbound I-5 into Medford just break my heart.
361: I have seen awful things on our once beautiful greenway and bike path that was once enjoyable for families. The drug Paraphernalia and human waste around and in bear creek is frightening to say the least. I understand that the homeless are in need and it’s hard to figure out who is doing what and who actually just needs a place to sleep. This is an ongoing problem and I wish I knew the answer. Most won’t take the help offered because they have to be able to not bring drugs or alcohol and/or the facilities are most always full. Families are scared to take children anywhere near the greenway and hawthorne park and this needs to stop.
362: I have two small children and this behavior makes it hard for them to enjoy our community. It breaks my heart that we don’t feel safe in most areas. We owe it to our kiddos to clean up our town.
363: I have used the Greenway bike path for years, and since I retired it has become more and more important to me as my main source of exercise. Now I absolutely do not feel safe there and am unable to use a resource that I have depended on, supported, and helped pay for. This flagrant abuse of public land is totally wrong and must be stopped.
364: I have watched the greenway deteriorate over the past several years. I used to take my kids for bike rides, scooter rides, and walks along the path which is no longer possible. I recently went to Southern California and it looks very similar. We have the same approach and expect different outcomes and that just isn’t going to happen. Without drastic, systematic changes it’s only going to get worse. How many more fires? How many more deaths? Enough is enough and it’s time take our City back!
365: i have watched this city go from quaint to embarrassing in 10 years! there’s no excuse for this we pay our taxes and pick up after ourselves! we pay you and elect you to plan and keep our cities crime and litter free and in good repair ! Pandemic or not it started before the pandemic nothing is done! park bathrooms are locked or have no toilet paper no mirror no way to treat tax payers , but grass is mowed perfectly we are not criminals police can stop by and make sure bathrooms are ok but don’t keep citizens from these things we need and pay for! streets have garbage fences down no pride !!
366: I have worked in Medford Parks for over 22 years (now retired). I have seen the decline of the useability and appeal of the greenway and municipal parks, which I’m sure has only deteriorated more in the four plus years since I left my position. Indeed, the liveability of our state is in decline. It seems the social problems, instead of being addressed, are being accepted as normal. Personal accountibility no longer seems acceptable. Lack of respect for others, and one’s self seems to be the new normal. Should this behavior and mindset continue to be acceptable? The entire country is slowly moving toward complete anarchy due to the two politically extreme factions that drown out the voices of a moderate majority. By all means get these people help, but encourage them to help themselves and stop REWARDING PEOPLE JUST FOR EXISTING.
367: I have worked with our homeless in the past, when you knew everyone by name and their were 25 to 30 that were with us weekly. When we were helping people into rehab and programs and/or just knew the reasons they were on the streets.
This isn’t what we have here most of our homeless are not apart of what you see here on our streets and the greenway. What we have here are people who are drug and/or alcohol addicted and/or have serious mental issue, they have heard about our area and the lack of enforcement of policy and/or rules. (Not because of our Police Officer, as they can take them off the streets and they are back sometimes before their shifts are over or in just a couple of days.). We need to remove them from the greenway yes, but we need places were they can go to be helped we have some amazing programs here in our area but this problem is bigger than what they can handle alone.
I feel our local government and state government need to work together for a plan to HELP them off the street and into rehabs or jail in some cases.
368: I have written two letters to our city council and our mayor expressing my concern for the safety of children at the little league fields behind Dairy Queen. Three buses with people living in them were parked in the parking lot. A homeless woman got in my husband’s car and would not get out. The trash, needles, and filthy debris need to be removed and all camping banned. We must provide safe, sanitary places for our youth to be.
369: I heart hurts not just for our land but for the addicts who have lost themselves to drugs and who who have lost to drugs. Some are dead and others are just not themselves it’s as if they are possessed. They wouldn’t have done this had they been able to over come their addiction. It’s a pandemic in it’s own. I pray for a better future not just for our town but for our country.
370: I hope something can be done in an effort to enact a new way of life for the homeless community of Jackson county. Something must be done in the way of removing the people who are drug addicted and plagued mental illness and an inability to help themselves. We will be exactly like Portland before too long, I know the rational majority does not wish this upon the Rogue Valley.
371: I just can’t understand how it was let go to become such an issue. I understand this past year however these extreme measures and changed are not and will not be permanent. It has to start now, to remedy the Greenway issue. This was not any one’s view of the future when it was built. Thank you for doing the right thing.
372: I know a family member who has been affected by the dangers of camping on the greenway, it could have been another fatal incident.
He lived with another family member that was unfortunately displaced because of the Almeda Fire last year. He was forced to camp on the greenway and was in an accident in November. A huge tree snapped in a windy storm and it landed on him in the night. It left him with severe facial damage, a broken rib and punctured lung.
Aside from that particular example,
It’s overall been dangerous on the greenway for far too long. The fires, deaths, rapes and other unfortunate incidents happen far too often. It needs to be cleared out not only for the homeless people’s safety but for the safety of people passing by who want to utilize the greenway for it’s intended purpose.
I wholeheartedly believe it will help. The greenway should look clean, beautiful and safe for EVERY person living in Medford.
Thank You
373: I know a lot of the people on the greenway have no where to go or do not want to go. It’s sad. We all try fo our part in compassion. But trashing our creek banks is not the answer. The greenway was to be a way of connecting not somewhere that mist are not comfortable going. It’s sad that our beautiful stream is used as a gsrbss as he dump. soo sad!
374: I know people who live close to the greenway by the railroad park. That are afraid to walk their dogs there. This shouldn’t happen. The greenway is there for everyone. And a select few are ruining it for everyone!
375: I know there are no easy solutions. It seems we need green barriers…vines on fencing to discourage this human trash fill. Please get creative and aggressive to serve the community good. I grwatly admire the efforts of Trisha Wilcox and her clean up endeavors.
376: I know this is a difficult issue that requires innovative solutions. I support using tax money to help create solutions: giving people in need more resources in order to make the green way safe for our families and community.
377: I left for the military in 2011. Back then, this was nowhere near as bad as it is now. When we returned in 2017 I was appalled and disgusted by what our city has allowed to go on for far too long. Now that I have worked with the homeless population for over a year, in an effort to make a difference, I am well aware of the services available to these people. The ones that are still there are there so that they can continue this behavior. It’s disgusting and should not be allowed to continue. I am ashamed to live here. For the safety of our community, we must uphold no camping laws within the Medford City limits and County borders.
378: I live 2 blocks away from the Greenway and have stopped using it because I no longer feel safe. It was a wonderful resource so close to my home and it’s a shame it’s being destroyed.
379: I live 356 yards from the Greenway. It’s great during the day. As soon as night falls, the zombies come out!
You don’t feel safe!
380: I live a few blocks from the Greenway in CP. When if was new in the early 90’s it was an enjoyable place, with only a few bad folks usually by downtown.
Now its out of control. It needs to be completely scrapped as a good idea gone bad. its time for Scorched Earth. Pun intended as I was evacuated 3 times because of the fires.
381: I live about 3/4-1 mile away from the greenway in East Medford. On multiple occasions I have found needles (some still with contents in them) in my front yard. I have a young child who loves to play in the yard, I shouldn’t have to worry about something like that ever being near my child. I worry that he may find a needle at Hawthorne Park which is always filled with homeless people. Make our city SAFE for our children.
382: I live about 8 blocks from Hawthorne Park. My Ring camera captured a person around 4:30am checking my car door and then he noticed the camera and quickly left.
383: I live across the greenway and I do not feel safe. I have homeless people come intoy carport and make themselves at home using my water and shelter when it rains. I do not feel safe in my own neighbor.
384: I live along the greenway almost to Talent, the fire destroyed the landscape along with thousands of homes and countless animals caught in the fire. What was once beautiful trees that blocked the freeway and blocked our view of subdivisions is gone. I saw a video of a fire in the brush in Medford last month started by a camper. If you don’t get the homesless campers off the greenway Medford will be the next burnt up town because there is not enough water to put out a wild fire that will happen because of careless homeless campers. Believe me there is nothing as terrifiying as seeing a wild fire coming at you with nowhere to go. I also hope that when it happens in Medford there is at least an emergency warning that goes out, we didn’t even have that.
385: I live close by the greenway and enjoy using it for commuting in the months with nicer weather. The condition of it, however, has caused it to be a place I question my safety. It is important that the people making it their home understand they have value and that they are worth far more than they’re settling for. It must change. Complacency and hope are not the answer…
386: I live close to the green way. My kids cant even enjoy the trail or Bear Creek Park area because its scary because of all the garbage, drugs and scary people. I am not saying all homeless are scary but there are alot of ones that are. Its very sad driving by and seeing the distruction that is being done inviormentaly. I grew up here and am having a hard tome seeing and feeling so much destruction. Then we have the fire hazards on top of it. They have fires to cook and warmth, inwhich I know is essential but they are putting everyone and everything at risk. Please please find a solution and stick to it. We as a community should not have to deal with garbage, filth and scared to let your kids be near the greenway or parks by them.
387: I live close to the greenway but have given up utilizing it due to the homeless & filth they cause. It ‘s disheartening that this population of people are allowed to ruin this greenway for those of us that actually pay taxes
388: I live close to the greenway. It used to be nice. I would let my dog swim in the creek. Not anymore. It is a garbage dump and a huge black eye on our town! The greenway should be an extension of our backyard. Not a filthy, drug infested freak show.
389: I live directly across from the Greenway. I am a Woman and I am afraid leaving and being in my own home by myself. There are constantly Zombie like people on my doorstep and constant sirens and crimes happening.. I am afraid for me and my family.. it is unpredictable and unacceptable.
390: I live here in Medford and would love to be able to ride a bike along the Greenway and feel safe. As it stands right now I don’t even feel safe walking around certain parts of town!
391: I live in a mobile home park that boarders the Greenway and I deal with the homeless every day and listen to that at night….
392: I live in Aspens on the Creek. We live daily with the fear of the criminal activity right behind us, no more than 50 feet away. We had to evacuate our homes due to them starting warming fires or cooking fires last summer. There was a murder a month ago right behind us. These people don’t want help. They are criminals not homeless. Stop this madness. We pay our taxes and try to live our lives as law abiding citizens. Get rid of this eyesore and criminal haven. We can’t walk or ride our bikes on the greenway because of the criminals living there. It is at a point right now that it is not useful at all.
393: I live in central point and am afraid of the constant wild fire threat we have had in the last few years. This is serious. The people who DO NOT live in the greenway should not have to live with the fear of fire each year because of the irresponsible people choosing to live in the greenway! Please help us. Thank you.
394: I live in Central Point and am very concerned for all the activity on the greenway. Constant fires, murders, rapes and crimes. Please do something to stop illegal camping and move this forward so we can have a safe community. I lay awake at night in fear of the fires. I keep my photos and valuables in totes for emergencies. This is no way to live. 🙁
395: I live in Central Point and as a woman, I do not use the Greenway due to safety issues. It is so sad, the Greenway could be such a great resource for our citizens. Instead, it is a wasteland of trash, human waste and drugs. We have already seen the effects of illegal burning, homeless fires etc with the Alameda fire that created so much destruction within our communities. WE HAVE ALREADY WAITED TOO LONG, SOMETHING MUST BE DONE!
396: I live in Central Point and drive the freeway daily. Which shows this mess first hand.
397: I live in Central Point and I am so embarrassed by how ugly our beautiful county has become. I do not feel safe In the surrounding areas with my children. It is a safety/health hazard.
398: I live in Central Point and I’m afraid if this continues we will have another summer as we did last year! Please make it illegal to camp in the Bear Creek Greenway! Let’s clean up our beautiful town so we can be proud of where we live!
399: I live in Central Point and last summer we were evacuated 2 times because of fires on the greenway. I do not feel safe at all. The greenway has become a very scary place because of the transient population destroying it.
Lisa Marino
400: I live in Central Point and refuse to use the Greenway for mine and my children’s safety. I understand there is a homeless problem, the problem I have with them camping is the horrible mess that is left behind.
401: I live in Central point and the Bear Creek Green way used to be a source of recreational activities for my son and I. As it’s stands today I do not feel safe taking my kids anywhere near the Green Way. The exposure to drugs, destruction of public property, human waste and growing violence makes a simple bike ride seem like a gauntlet of risks.
The once beautiful valley trail has become an unchecked highway for crime and pollution. Things must change and law needs to be restored. Please, make the necessary changes to bring safety and sanitation to the Green Way and the Valley.
402: I live in Central Point but work in Medford. Our citizens are not being protected and our tax dollars are going to waste. The citizens who pay for the Greenway are not able to use it. Our beautiful Rogue Valley looks like a dump.
403: I live in Central Point East and have had to evacuate due to fires from the greenway. We no longer feel safe using the bike path. It has to stop because as you can see it is just growing and getting worse. It is not sanitary by and means.
404: I live in Central Point, and work near the Bear Creek Greenway. We want ordinances that put additional responsibility and penalties that damage the Greenway.
405: I live in Central Point, but drive I-5 in the morning and evening, and also during lunch. The area between North Medford and South Medford exits is becoming extremely dangerous as these campers are running across the freeway from East to West and vice verses. Many times in the late afternoon and evening I have encountered , what I presume to be one of these campers, walking along the freeway over the bridge. This is extremely dangerous as there is generally traffic in both lanes and these campers are generally flaying their arms and walking anything but straight.
From my place of employment on Black Oak Drive there is a nice new addition to the bike path. Several of us enjoyed walking along it during the day, however, the campers have taken over a large area along the creek and have become hostile yelling profanity as we walk by. Now this too has become dangerous. This camping situation must be stopped, cleaned up and enforced.
406: I live in Central Point, very close to the Bear Creek, I used to ride my Bike along the Green Way, but any more I don’t really feel safe. The type of people camping there are not all, but mostly Drug or Alcohol addicted and some need help and others have made it a lifestyle. To survive or purchase Drugs/Alcohol they are stealing from local neighborhoods or purchasing and selling drugs to, from each other. The Drug and Alcohol Rehab facilities in the Rogue Valley are nowhere close to being sufficient for the thousands of addicted that reside here and that’s the Real issue. When moving those individuals from the Green way, where will they go??? Do they just move elsewhere and cause a new problem? Do we send them packing and let the next Town deal with the problem, or does Rogue Valley address the situation by putting resources into expanding the Rehab programs and putting the Dealers in Prison Long Term???? As a Father with a child that is a Recovering Addict I personally experienced the lack of adequate Quality rehab care in this area. My child is rehabbing at a facility out of the area and finally doing well getting the treatment that is needed.
407: I live in Central Point. Used to walk or bike from Central Point to Medford– No more. Do not feel safe.
When you are on the freeway going form CP to Medford– by the first exit is a huge homeless camp- with a mountain of bicycles. My guess they were all stolen.
Frankly we need more facilities/ resources for those who are trapped in curse of drug addiction. If people could get in- and get help– with the right support– they can get off the streets.
My son is homeless. He has been trying to get into detox now for approx 3 months. No room. We also need to address the "issues" that are causing people to become homeless. And yes, they have to want to change–but allowing them to live "free"- using theft as a means to support their habit- is not really going to encourage change.
I watched those flames head towards Central Point last year– and it was so very scary. Don’t want to go thru that again this year.
408: I live in CP & was evacuated twice. Also I had many friends that lost their homes in Phoenix/Talent do to the fires. We need to stop this threat to our community & to our tax paying residents.
409: I live in Eagle Point but work in medford. I used to enjoy running the greenway path but no longer feel comfortable doing so.
410: I live in Gold Hill and work as an RN at Providence. I am appalled at how horrible this situation has gotten in such a short period of time. The IV needles are a serious hazard! How sad that what should be a nice place for families to enjoy has become a place that most people avoid at all costs.
411: I live in Jackson county and am concerned about the greenway and other public areas such as the parks. I know myself and many others do not feel safe using these public areas in their current state. Even if nobody is there, the trash that is left behind is not only unwelcoming and ugly, but much of it is dangerous. I don’t feel comfortable taking my kids to the park or riding our bikes on the greenway. I’m worried about people there (some of which have been aggressive towards us in the past) and the dangers they bring with drugs and the garbage that comes with it. By allowing the camping it encourages more people to come, and makes our pubic areas unsafe.
412: I live in Jackson County and it has been years since my daughter and I have been able to enjoy the Greenway. There has been way to many unsavory people occupying it.
It saddens me greatly to see what has become of something the community and visitors loved and felt safe using. I really hope Medford isn’t going to turn into Portland. There probably is no easy solution to this growing problem. But to continue to allow them to destroy and trash what was once a beautiful path is needs to stop. They have been allowed to do as they wish and it is ruining the beauty of our county. I hope you will listen to the people on this matter.
Thank you for your time.
Martha Harper
413: I live in Jackson County Oregon, im raising my children here and it’s terrible the parks around here, full of trash and drug needles, unsafe users under the influence of drugs tweaking everywhere we can’t even go on a nice bike ride or go to a park without worrying who is watching us, who might jump out and attack us. Its awful and unsafe.
414: I live in Jackson county Oregon. I am so sad to see this happen to our Greenway. I really hope it can be saved. The state it is in now is very unhealthy for not only people but the wildlife. Very dangerous as well. Please save our Greenway
Thank you
Cathy Switzer
415: I live in Jackson County Oregon.Please make the Greenway safe again. I’m a woman and I’m afraid to walk the Greenway alone because I feel it’s unsafe dues to all the transients living there. There is drug use and drug interactions going on there that make me feel anxiety. There is trash, feces and urine everywhere. This has to be a health issue and also a fire hazard to our residents.
416: I live in Jackson County, and am concerned about the current state of affairs relative to community safety, fires, criminal activities, hard drug use, general refuse and human waste on the Bear Creek Greenway. I support the City of Medford Town Council and Jackson County Board of Commissioners passing new ordinances or strengthening existing laws to support enforcement of no camping laws within the Medford City limits and County borders. Please move forward in helping people currently camping on the Greenway find available services and enforce no camping policies so the Greenway can recover and be used by all local citizens and visitors again.
417: I live in Jackson County, and am concerned about the current state of affairs relative to community safety, fires, criminal activities, hard drug use, general refuse and human waste on the Bear Creek Greenway. I support the City of Medford Town Council and Jackson County Board of Commissioners passing new ordinances or strengthening existing laws to support enforcement of no camping laws within the Medford City limits and County borders. Please move forward in helping people currently camping on the Greenway find available services and enforce no camping policies so the Greenway can recover and be used by all local citizens and visitors again.
418: I live in Jackson County, I try to use the greenway to commute to work. I have found it safer to use the public streets vs the greenway for this commute. I have been chased by people on bicycles and ran into numerous devices strung across the path under bridges. It is not a safe place to be nor would I ever take my children there. This was one of the first memories I have when we moved to Medford in 1992. It is now the biggest reason as to why we are looking to move from the area. I have the biggest heart for the Rogue as do many, however it’s not enough to keep us from leaving as it has pushed many families out and prevents many more from moving to the area. The View from the viaduct says everything! If the greenway is not cleaned up and cleared out there will be devastation from fire risk and carelessness.
419: I live in Medford and am concerned for the health of the children who play sports need where all of the drug abuse goes on at the baseball fields. I’m also concerned for the health of our nature and creeks. This area used to be beautiful and full of greenery and now it’s an eyesore when driving into south Medford seeing al large trash build up and tents all over. Let alone the warming fires created are causing larger fires which are burning down more greenery and who knows maybe even homes and businesses like we experienced last summer. I went out community clean and safe again. Maybe set up a function where the homeless have opportunities to get cleaned up, a new outfit from donations and have the ability to do job interviews to help get them off the greenway. A lot of homeless are pushed away at opportunities to get jobs because of how they look but there are a lot who could care less and just use and abuse everything around them from drugs and just being lazy. We need to get this situation cleaned up and under control in Medford/ Jackson county.
420: I live in Medford and own a salon downtown. The other morning one of my coworkers showed up to work to find a homeless man sleeping at the front door. when the man saw her he got up to leave but not before he threw up allover. My coworker was left to clean up the vomit which had blood in it. We are also constantly having to clean up trash, sleeping bags and needles. We are worried about working past dark because of the transients that wander down town.This is an issue that needs to be addressed.
421: I live in Medford, OR. My family used to enjoy riding our bikes both ways down the Greenway. We haven’t used it in the last couple years because we feel unsafe due to the transient population residing on the Greenway and trash all over the place. Please help fix this so families can enjoy using the Greenway.
422: I live in Phoenix, lo longer feel safe on Greenway. either walking with my family and definitely not by myself. We see many fires every year and drugs are rampant along there.
423: I live in Phoenix, Oregon. What is happening with the Greenway is shameful and there must be something done about it! It’s like a gigantic 24/7 drug-fest shit show fire hazard bio waste area that the leaders of Jackson County ought to be embarrassed about. Get it cleaned up and cleaned out and keep anyone from camping, peeing, pooping, using drugs and alcohol, or having campfires. Use any means necessary to keep out the homeless and the drug addicts. With enough strict enforcement they will get the clue and move out of the Greenway. It is up to our leaders to find a way to do this. What’s happening on the Greenway is a reflection on them. Is this what you want as your legacy? Do you want to be known as the leader who allowed our beautiful wilderness and Bear Creek to be fouled beyond repair? Get these people the help they need, no matter the cost! They are people, too, and just shooing them out does not fix the problem. They will just disperse and create the same problems in other areas. If there’s another fire on the Greenway because of these homeless people and more houses burn down it will be a huge shame on our city and county leaders. Find them homes and/or rehabs and install a lot of bright lights all along the Greenway, making it VERY WELL LIT,, not just lights here and there. with a LOT more security patrols. Like one security guard per mile. Homeless will hopefully get tired of being ran off and moved. Clean out as much of thick brush as possible so they don’t have any place to hide their stash of stolen items and drugs. I’m not trying to be mean or sound harsh but this is one issue that will take some serious enforcement and money in order to solve it permanently, not just putting on a bandaid and hoping it will work. Dedicate money, ask for volunteers for cleanup on a regular basis until it’s done, and include funding in the budget to hire more security. Send in parks and recreation employees to maintain the property, as if it were a city park. Keep it trimmed and rip out any dead brush and keep it very well lit to deter people from being there doing shady activities at night, with patrol up and down the Path every night for at least a year or two or until the homeless get a clue that they are not allowed to live there. Please find them all a permanent place to live. Build them an apartment complex or complexes. Though that should be in the state budget. Why aren’t more being built? Can we get on it already? Why aren’t there more public housing complexes?
424: I live in Phoenix, thank the lord I did not lose my home. The Greenway is an issue and something needs done about it. I support no camping on the greenway 100%.
425: I live just a few blocks from The Greenway and used to enjoy walking my dog to Hawthorne Park to get her exercise in the dog section but things have changed over the years and it is not a pleasant walk any more. There is garbage everywhere, feces, graffiti and worst of all needles. I have lived in this particular area going on 10 years now and things are completely out of control and unacceptable. I want our elected officials to come up with a plan to end this. We want our Greenway back to enjoy and show people that come to visit the pride we deserve to say this is our beautiful community.
426: I live less than 2000′ away from the greenway along Bear Creek. The fire danger alone causes great concern for me. South of my address there is a large field supposedly ‘maintained’ by the county which only increases the fire danger as this field is adjacent to the greenway.
I grew up in the rogue valley taking bike rides on the greenway paths – it was pleasant and safe. Fast forward to current day and I would not let my kids use the path without an (armed) adult. I am not a fearful person when it comes to these matters, but it is disconcerting when it’s obvious that the greenway has become a magnet for homeless camping along the I-5 corridor.
Please take action!
427: I live less than a block from the 9th street bridge bridge and also parts of the Greenway are right across from the place I’ve called home for over 10 years. I am forced to live in this area as I am single income (my one income has to pay for a my housing & living expenses here) and this is the only housing I can afford. It saddens me that I am forced to also live near illegal camping, mega foot traffic (as a single female I am regularly approached outside my home by vagrants that ask me directions to Riverside and say they aren’t from the area and just got here via the bus, etc.), addicts and criminals (yes, we have regular car break-ins at night) because I am "poor" in Medford, Or.
In actuality, I am a college graduate, a coordinator of a non-profit that serves children & families and have given about 20 years of my professional life in service to my community with various social-services positions… I am "poor" and living in a "bad" part of town because I am paid the normal going rate for my position and housing expenses here in Medford have been artificially inflated by all the out-of-town folks relocating here making it near impossible for own community members to have a quality of life. I don’t have another income to supplement mine… So, I am "poor" in Medford, Or.
If you want to help a demographic of Medford, help the single income working poor… We make up a large portion of the "helping" profession workforce! We are intergral to the system and we are struggling to survive here.
Please stop illegal camping. It’s dangerous for those living in the nearby neighborhoods.
428: I live near a Greenway entrance which was a perk of buying my home. However it is now considered a gheto area. I will only walk the path with a gun. What are my taxes paying for ??
429: I live near the greenway – no way will I walk on it, it’s no longer safe.
430: I live near the greenway and have three toddlers. I now will not take them anywhere near the greenway bc it’s a safety issue. How sad. We have talked about moving out of the area as well bc of this very issue. Thank you for your time.
431: I live near the greenway and since there is so many homeless, I do not feel safe using the greenway to take my children for bike rides. Now is becoming a problem in our neighborhood since they park their cars in our neighborhood and drop off piles of garbage at the empty field near the freeway.
432: I live near the Greenway in Phoenix. Allowing the homeless to live in filth and garbage does not help them and does not help those of us property owner’s and taxpayer’s. The safety of our community is at risk from crime, fire and disease.
433: I live near the greenway. I’ve owned my home for 17 years. My kids can no longer play in my front yard. I can’t even let them do chores like mow the yard, pick up leaves, or take the trash out. My cars are being broken into often. Druggies knock on my door at all different times of the day and night. They dig in my trash day and night. They poop in between my cars. I don’t even call the police anymore because it doesn’t do any good. I’m a single mom who’s scared to raise her kids here anymore. I run a state licensed daycare out of my home. I have to tell everyone don’t leave your car running. Don’t let the kids run to the car without you. I’m scared to live here anymore.
434: I live off the I-5 heading south, where the wall in Central Point starts. The greenway is directly over the wall across the freeway. My back yard. I am along the railroad park side. I’ve seen the fires, we evacuated 3 times and it’s scary every year all year. They may be cooking or keeping warm with a fire. Some are doing drugs or using. It is scary. My belongings are packed just in case something happens and we have to evacuate.
435: I live on siskiyou blvd right on the greenway with my 6 year old son. I am less than half a mile from bear creak park but CANNOT walk there. We live with daily fear of our home burning down. This beautiful area has turned into a dumpster of trash, drug paraphernalia and human waste. It is an embarrassment to say I live in Medford now. What happened to a family community? A safe place to live? The homeless seem to have more right than a tax paying home owner, they have taken over our city and majority of people fed up.
I heard a fear of a lawsuit is keeping the cities hands tied, what about the other side of it? Medford residents want some answers.
436: I live right across from the Greenway near Bear Creek Park. I can currently see tents from where I park my car. I am very concerned that if a fire were to start in that area, my home would be one of the first to go.
437: I live right next to Hawthorn Park and me and my family have watched the Bear Creek Greenway quickly become a garbage dumping ground by people. These people are also causing trouble and financial hardships for local businesses by stealing their property to burn, sell, or piece part for their selfish uses. This is not beneficial to our community. It is detrimental. We are going for a collective clean up effort of the citizens and a concerted effort to keep the Greenway a community space for all to use. We don’t need it to be an ongoing, everworsening eyesore and a danger to those that wish to use it as it was intended.
438: I live right up against part of the greenway and I see tents, campfires, and a lot of trash. My apartments were almost lost to the fires.
439: I live very bear the Bear Creek Greenway. Stop this before it becomes another Portland.
440: I live very close to the Greenway and can’t let my granddaughter ride her bike on it.
441: I lived on Morningside st, near the table Rock overpass, for almost ten yrs. We moved because of the Greenway situation. If the city doesn’t get things under control we will eventually relocate. I have lived here for over 30 yrs and it is no longer safe. While walking on Merriman Rd a transient followed my 13 year old daughter when she was walking home from the minute market and repeatedly exposed himself to her, as she ran away from him w her 5 year old brother. We reported it to the police. In the last 6 years we reported at least 3 fires each year that had been burning near the table rock over pass. We had to evacuate twice last summer and the first time was gridlocked and we couldn’t go anywhere. Had the winds blown up and the fire not been contained it’s likely that neighborhood would have been a repeat of Paradise, CA. When we first moved there in 2011 we walked the pathe w our then 10 year old daughter and 2 year old son. After just a couple hundred feet we turned around cause it was clear the Greenway was not safe. We never again used it. It is a tremendous waste of tax dollars and it only endangers the town.
442: I look forward to feeling safe while using the greenway. Always want to ride my bike but as a female will not do it alone. Am always for working together to make this happen.
443: I lost my home due to the lack of defensible space being managed on the green way. If the green way was managed better, and made into a place with less places to hide….it would be a safer place to live. I dont want to rebuild due to PTSD and another green way fire. Stop the camping, illegal drugs, homeless children, parents, and addicts from living there.
444: I lost my home in Talent Oregon last September because of the Almeda fire. It is dangerous for the homeless to be camping on the greenway during fire season, as they start campfires. I would like to see them completely off of our public land. The ugliness of tents and trash are ruining our cities in Jackson County. Thank you. Debra
445: I love the Greenway. I live in Talent and walk daily, enjoying the many bird species throughout the year. Many others enjoy this PUBLIC resource for exercise and relaxation. Please preserve it for all!
446: I manage a business on E Main Street and the spill over from the increased camps has been at a dangerous level.
447: I moved from Medford to Hayden,, Idaho and was shocked when I got there, the lack of homeless everywhere. It is not that there are no homeless there, it is that they are not permitted to do what they do here. I am embarrassed to say I live in Medford, Oregon.
448: I moved from West Medford because of the filth. We need change. Our Greenway has should be a monument and true testament to Southern Oregon beauty, but the City of Medford has allowed it to be destroyed. It is both disgusting and sad. Fix this.
449: I moved here almost 3yrs ago. When I hear Greenway, I think pretty and green. I would like to know when and where I can find this Pretty and Green that the Greenway is suppose to represent. All I find is filth and disgust. Sad situation that needs dealt with NOW!!
450: I moved here in 1990…the Greenway was considered unsafe then. 31 years without a solution and it’s only gotten worse! Please stop allowing camping on the Greenway and other parks/places where it’s for day use. I understand that there is a legitimate homeless problem in the Rogue Valley, and we need to work to help these people, but not by letting them camp anywhere. They need a safe place. As for the folks who just want to drink and drug, we need to either incarcerate them or offer them rehabilitation, if they truly want it. I know there are many who do not. Thank you.
451: I moved here in 2004. This whole area was beautiful and fairly clean. I wasn’t scared to go on the Greenway with my family. We would walk and ride bikes every day. That has all changed. We haven"t been on the Greenway at all, for many years. We had some terrifying encounters with some "campers" and do not feel safe on the Greenway (at all) anymore.
452: I moved here last June, I have been in shock over how there’s no real parks or walking paths without this problem. I would love to be able to take my kids on a walk without this stuff. I feel for the people that live on the greenway, and the parks, but ultimately it’s not fair to other citizens.
453: I moved to Medford in 2011 because it was beautiful and so clean.
Today I can’t believe the change due to the homeless population.
The greenway is so visible to everyone and the beauty is gone not to mention the fire hazard . No one wants a repeat of last year.
454: I moved to S. Oregon 30 years ago and the Greenway was a beautiful place to walk and bike. I used to participate in the Dogs for the Deaf Dog walk every year along the Greenway and it was very lovely. Now, it is a horror. I do not understand why it is illegal for me to camp, build fires, defecate, and throw garbage there (not that I would want to), but others are allowed to do this day after day, night after night, endangering the law abiding citizens who live nearby.
Compassion is admirable, but should also be applied to those of us who have to put up with the disgusting filth and dangerous conditions created by people living outside the law.
455: I never use the greenway due to safety concerns. Shane since our taxes pay for it.
456: I no longer go near the Greenway due to safety concerns. Please stop camping along the Greenway so myself and others feel safe walking and biking along the path. Our hard earned tax dollars paid for this and the citizens tax dollars pay for the clean up. It’s unsanitary to allow camping in areas not designed for such. The pollution going into the creek is also very concerning.
457: I no longer live in Medford, but when I did, I was very often verbally abused by some of the homeless who camped on the Greenway. Needs to be cleaned up.
458: I no longer take my child to the parks in the city due to the dangerous, high or drunk individuals who walk around, I have been harrased by mentally unstable men while in the presence of my child. Drug paraphernalia in the bathroom and have witnessed people nodding out after using the drugs. I am a hard working citizen who pays for the taxes to be able to enjoy the city amenities, and yet NEVER feel safe. This has got to change. These people need help, and clearly they are not willing to accept any.
459: I no longer use the Greenway for cycling partly due to safety concerns and because of the blight. Enforcing no-camping laws and directing resources for policing and cleanup will probably help. It may also result in decreased criminal activity in neighborhoods located near the Greenway. But the homelessness issue won’t be helped and they’ll move to other areas of the city and county out of necessity. This is worldwide problem and my hope is that smart and enterprising members of our community continue to work for solutions.
460: I now live in the RV park in Phoenix because my whole family and I lost everything to the fire that swept through Sep 8 like so many others. Something needs to be done. I understand that there are people who are down on there luck and have to live but there are soooo many who choose the life and the drugs and don’t want help… these people need to be held accountable to the laws as everyone else.
461: I only ride Greenway with my husband. Too scared alone ?
462: I operate a business along the greenway and have serious safety concerns in addition to general concerns. The amount of living along the greenway is absolutely out of control. It’s time to reign it in!
463: I own the building at 529 East Main Street in Medford. You may know it and have been to Forage Coffee. I had to borrow a large amount of money and use every dime of my savings to purchase and renovate the dilapidated old gas station. We are so proud of our part in making the corner of Hawthorne and Main more beautiful!
Why is it even a question if something should be done about the horrible situation along the greenway?! When the fires hit last year we were praying we wouldn’t lose our building. We are right next to Hawthorne Park with the large trees and we are sick of seeing the fires continually happening along the greenway! The filth and trash that can be seen along the freeway is so disgusting and embarrassing!
Have the courage to stand up to those that are trying to keep it going! They need to move on! It’s the same group that took over Hawthorne Park last year. They aren’t displaced from the fires. They want to control you and have their way and do whatever the heck they feel like doing…which is illegal camping, drugs, littering, crapping outside and leaving needles everywhere. Please put an end to it immediately.
Robert Faulconer
464: I pay taxes on two properties in Central Point / Jackson County but my family can not take a leisurely ,safe bike ride using the bike path. I drive I5 and I am embarrassed, sadden and shocked at the squalor I see with the tents and trash. Our city and county is better than this and our officials need to respond and do something about these conditions.
465: I personally know a homeless 24 yr.old male who is camping on Greenway. He has mental issues. I my opinion I believe this is a mental crises and many cannot work until they get treatment. I also understand that many do not want help and you cannot force treatment on someone who doesn’t want your help.
466: I purchased a house by the Greenway years ago and enjoyed it for years, bike riding, walking and going to the park for shows and movies. I have not been in 2 years, it was just getting too bad with the punks and druggies. Please we need to do something and save the Greenway. This is sad, we are considering moving out of the area and/or state it is an embarrassment.
467: I really feel for these folk’s. I know that life is tough. But, this is a fire hazzard constantly, and just nasty. The community as a whole is impacted. Thats not fair to everyone else.
This issue REALLY needs a solution, Now!
Thank You!!
468: I recently had family in town from various parts of the greater Los Angeles area that had been coming to Medford their whole lives and they all commented on how undesirable Medford looked. Specific comments included:
this place is dirtier than LA, even the bad parts
What happened to Medford? It used to be such a clean and nice town
As someone who was born and raised in this town it’s disheartening to hear these types of comments of about my home, but they are all spot on true as this town has become the Mecca for transients due to the lack of regulation and governmental support to keep our town clean and safe.
469: I recently lost my home in the Almeda fire. The greenway has long been a problem, which saddens me as I grew up riding the bike path along the Bear Creek. The criminality and desperation has begun to leak into every aspect of life in our area. The Almeda fire proved this. My life has been irrevocably altered due to the negligence of our community in addressing these long standing issues. These hazards will continue and will only increase if we fail to address them, once and for all.
470: I refuse to sit back and not say anything about Medford’s appearance. This is getting out of control and our city leaders need to develop a plan to clean it up and keep it clean.
471: I refuse to take my children anywhere close to the Greenway. This need to be cleaned up.
472: I refuse to take my family on the Greenway to ride bike’s. I don’t feel safe anymore. It’s too sketchy and honestly I am afraid.
473: I refuse to take my kids down the greenway because of the garbage all over and the constant camping. I don’t feel safe going on any part and I would love to see it cleaned up. Maybe a better solution for the homeless population can be brought forth , however I don’t think the greenway is part of that solution. Please continue to clean up and end camping along it so we may resume going on bike ride down it.
474: I remember as a young boy, my mom would take me and my sister on bike rides from central point to Ashland. I would not feel comfortable sending my wife and kids on that same bike ride today.
475: I remember Bear Creek from the 60’s, it was beautiful. I can only hope that the parties that have the control, will take this opportunity to make the greenway a place that people go, not shy away from.
Look at the bike trail in Eugene, it’s goes all over and it’s a wonderful way to get around, relax, enjoy.
Open it up…..clear it out….. make it an example of how Medforites care. not so the case when you drive the fwy and look down south of east main. it’s a shame.
476: I remember being able to ride bikes on the greenway as a kid growing up in Medford. So sad that it has turned into what it is today. So dirty and unsafe, I would never allow my children to use the path. I fully support restoring our greenway so that in the future it can be used for what it was intended. For our families, children, and all members of our community to use for clean, beautiful and safe outdoor recreation.
477: I remember riding on the bike path with my dad when I was a kid in the early nineties and it was some of my favorite memories because it is absolutely beautiful along the Greenway! It breaks my heart that I am not able to share those same memories with my child because that whole path has become a disgusting and very unsafe place to be! I know that officials understand how dangerous that area really is and it breaks my heart that our officials hands have been tied to a certain extent and not able to do anything but the way Oregon is being ran right now, needs to do a 180 before we turn into Sacramento or Los Angeles and unfortunately it’s getting more and more like that every day! I am a 5th generation oregonian and it scares me that we have been thinking about moving because it has just become very unsafe in general with a lot of the laws going on but if Medford could find a way to keep things safe and get us back to how Oregon should be, that would be the biggest blessing to all of us who genuinely love Southern Oregon and want to stay.
478: I remember the greenway first being built when I was a child growing up here. My family and I spent many summer nights riding our bikes, walking our dogs, and watching the sun set on the greenway. I loved it. Slowly over time I remember it became less and less of a place my parents were inclined to visit. After one too many times finding needles on the pathway and being approached or followed by transients, it was deemed unsafe for us as a family. Now as an adult, it saddens me and angers me that something that started out as such a positive place for me, has turned into a place we’re my health and safety is threatened. I full support addressing the problem of homelessness and substance abuse. However, doing nothing by letting the camping continue on the greenway, is the worst way to address those issues. Clean up the Greenway. Make it a place we’re families can go again. Make it a place that promotes health and well being, nature and wildlife, and positive growth in our community.
479: I ride my bike at least 3 times a week on the trail and quite often I come across campers laying on the paved pathway which is not safe for all concerned.
480: I rode bikes on the greenway as a young adult from Medford to Ashland. I( regret to say I would not want my 21 year old son to step near it and he is 6’5 and 300 lbs. I miss the nice path that we had and not the garbage invested needle place it currently is. CLEAN THIS UP! Not once a month but reoccurring issue,
481: I run a contracting business in the Rogue Valley, the fires and trash are so far out of hand. It’s a disgrace to our community as everyone travels the I-5 corridor. Please do something about it
482: I run on the Greenway bike path and it’s an emergency situation down there! Very unsafe conditions.
483: I shop all over Medford. At least once a week. Mainly Costco and the Mall. My daughter and grandkids live there so I also visit them a lot.
484: I should not have to feel like I have to carry a knife to defend myself while walking on the bike path.
485: I sincerely hope that you will take my letter seriously, and others that are similar. This is an extreme problem that is only getting worse. The fires and pollution are an extreme danger to our community. My taxes are paying for an area of my community that I can’t even think about using anymore. This is not okay!
486: I spent much of my younger years using the trails along the Greenway. It is a shame that it has now become overrun with homeless camping. I do not consider it safe. I’d love to use it again someday. Please do something to halt the illegal camping and make our paths safe again.
487: I still think if Jackson County opened trailers on Private Property without a hardship and with permission from the land owner we could help a lot of these people out. I have a friend displaced by fire who has asked us personally if he put a trailer on our 10 acres and we had to tell him no it is illegal without a hardship. Very sad we are unable to help him legally.
488: I stopped using the Greenway because of fear and all the trash left at campsites
489: I strongly agree with the growing concern of the homeless population, garbage, human waste, and needless polluting our city.
I also strongly support our city councilors and commissioners in their efforts to stop all camping on the Bear Creek Greenway.
490: I strongly encourage the passage of the No Camping ordinance along the greenway.
It’s time we reclaim one of Rogue Valleys biggest assets from the blight and blatant disregard by the street people who have no respect for the citizens and tax payers of this valley.
I understand that SOME of the people that camp along the greenway have limited options but continuing to allow the camping isn’t helping anyone improve their situation. By prohibiting the camping you stop the ENABLING and force people to better their situation. I’m tired of seeing the results of this ILLEGAL camping…..mass debris sites….and having to spend tax payers money on the clean up when that tax money could be better used elsewhere.
Lastly, please don’t be dissuaded by the vocal minority who state that you’re violating the rights of the street people, a MAJORITY of the citizens are tired of seeing the destruction and blight caused by this lawlessness few but don’t have the time or energy to actively fight against it…..WE are Disgusted by it but are busy working and paying taxes and are counting on our elected officials to fix the problem!!
We CAN NOT continue down this same path, it hasn’t worked so far and never will. Make people take responsibility for their own lives and stop playing the victim card! Play by the societal rules or leave!!
491: I strongly support the green way enforcement. Thanks for your consideration!
492: I support cleaning the greenway and banning camping and tent camps period! I do not believe for a minute that this situation is the result of the Almeda fire victims. I believe this is clearly largely created by the large percent of people who choose this life style and I personally find it offensive !
493: I support cleaning up the Greenway and stopping the camping. We don’t want to turn into another Seattle.
Also I support programs to help people get off the drugs as they are ruining everyone’s lives.
494: I support efforts to stop allowing camping on the greenway.
495: I support no camping in the greenway.
496: I support no camping on the greenway , Let’s get our greenway back !!!
497: I support peoples need to have a place to live. But to live anywhere in this world you need to respect the world around you and others needs. The amount of trash and crime is not acceptable. I don’t want to be going down there with my kids and or ride the bike path for fear of the crime and bio hazardous materials. Can’t imagine the amount of pollution going into our beautiful water systems from this. It is disgusting an eye sore and a waste of what could be a nice bit of nature in the center of town. It needs to be cleaned up but we also need a real solution for these people’s housing needs. Obviously a hard thing to do but the greenway could be a real treasure not a dump.
498: I support the Bear Creek Greenway Recovery & Enforcing no camping laws. I have lived here since the Greenway or bike path as it was known back then started at the Fire District house on Table Rock Rd and ended by the old K-Mart. As a kid, it was safe to ride the bike path from one end to the other. No longer though. Turn it back into a GREEN way. Something we can all be proud of again.
499: I support The Bear Creek Greenway Recovery and Enforcing No Camping Laws. We the citizens pay property taxes to Jackson County and we can not even enjoy the greenway due to the unlawful activities that goes on and the unsafe areas. It’s just ridiculous!
500: I support the City of Medford Town Council and Jackson County Board of Commissioners passing new ordinances or strengthening existing laws to support enforcement of no camping laws within the Medford City limits and County boarders.
501: I support the cleaning up of the greenway. I’ve lived in Jackson county my entire life and to see it look like a dump is horrible.
502: I support the decision to remove the camping on the bear Creek Greenway although trying to fine people with no money is ridiculous. I propose that we just keep removing their tents and items over and over because that puts a hardship on them to have to rebuild again. I can’t think of any other option. It’s getting out of control. Maybe we need to house them when we all come up with a levy fee that keeps them in comfortable large buildings?
503: I support the efforts being made to clean up Bear Creek and surrounding areas. We cannot allow our community to follow in the steps of Portland. Have you been through Portland lately? I have! It’s astounding what they’ve become! It’s a cesspool!
504: I support the efforts for NO CAMPING or open fires on the greenway.
505: I support the efforts to clean up the green way and enforce no camping laws.
506: I support the efforts to enforce no camping along our Bear Creek Greenway.
507: I support the greenway cleanup drive! I am a longtime resident, homeowner, tax payer, parent and grandparent, and want to be able to safely access the greenway with family and friends, but in its current condition no longer feel safe doing so.
508: I Support The Greenway Recovery and No Camping.
509: I support the no camping on the greenway law! Please bring our city back to its beauty nd not allow the druggies to fill it up and make it unsafe!
Thank you so much!
510: I support this 100% I’m tired of looking at the trash & the homeless people everywhere garbage and needles and it’s absolutely disgusting and something needs to change
511: I support this effort and will do anything I can to help solve this enormous problem!
512: I support this effort. The health and safety of our community, habitat, wildlife and waterways should be protected from the trash and needles of the homeless population. Please ban camping on the greenway.
513: I support this ordinance.
514: I support this. Thank you the Walters family.
515: I support this. The greenway to me is a scary place and we need to change that!
516: I support you in your efforts to stop illegal camping along our Greenway and restore its beauty and safety. Thank you
517: I support your efforts 100% to stop the camping on our Greenway! It is disgusting what this has done to our beautiful valley. The amount of garbage, feces, syringes is absolutely horrifying… Not to mention, none of us are safe to be able to ride our bikes or walk on our Greenway path. Please do something as it is getting out of control!
518: I think it’s time to end all camping in the green way. It’s sad to see all the tents and filth left behind by these people.
519: I think it’s gotten so scary I won’t go on it
520: I think that this problem, taking into consideration the legal rulings that have come about, will only be resolved by creating (movable ?) public camping areas so that we can legally tell people, "you can’t camp here, but you can go to the designated campground". That way, if someone continues to camp in prohibited spaces, a judge can send them out of the county as a repeat offender. I know that even in Seattle a judge was able to prohibit a repeat offender from entering a particular public park for a year after he repeatedly broke the law, in that park. Of course Legal would have to iron out the details, and there will be predictable public outrage but cooler and more practical people must prevail. There is a lot of upside to a designated campground similar to the ones that were built in the depression and I think the idea could be sold to the public. Because we are looking at the alternative and we all want it to change.
521: I think this is a poor reflection for people stopping in to visit Medford. I would never let my grandkids go to the mall alone. I am too worried about them being attacked in the parking lots. I get approached at my car now at markets and fast food take outs. This is frightening and dangerous I often have homeless jump off the curbs when they have red lights or jay walk in front of my car. TJMAX I was approached while shopping and the man ran out the emergency exit. Ross Dress for Less 5 people were arrested after a fight in the store.3 cop cars were there. This is why folks don’t want to go out and shop and it’s getting worse. Must make changes NOW!!!!
522: I thought Bear Creek was supposed to be protected so as not to contaminate the water for the spawning fish. I live close to the entrance to the greenway off Willamette Ave. It is disgusting seeing all the trash on the greenway and also spilling over into the water. There was even someone chopping down a tree a few weeks back and later I saw the remains of that tree and several others holding up a tarp by the camp. I support your efforts to" STOP ALLOWING CAMPING" on the Greenway".
523: I too, am a concerned citizen of our Greenway. The fires that happen there, the waste and just not being safe. The Greenway used to be a place all people could enjoy. The homeless deserve a place to stay. But this is Noth the right place.
524: I totally support cleaning up Jackson County and Medford. It’s a shame that it’s gotten this far. The garbage and human feces Will become a bigger problem when the flies and mesquites come out. Spreading more sicknesses in our valley. Please clean up our town. My grandfather worked for the city of Medford years ago and he would be so shamed of how it is today.
525: I travel I-5 on a daily basis, it’s such an embarrassment to our community with all the illegal campers along the Greenway. I can only imagine what out of state travelers must think when driving thru our once beautiful community. It is not only embarrassing but a fire hazard as we all have already seen what can happen along the Greenway. Please help get our Greenway cleaned up and safe for our community who choose to use that for bicycling and walking.
526: I tride the bike path regularly and it has gotten where I no longer feel safe. The garbage and filthy
conditions are an embarrassment to our city.
Hawthorn Park area is a drug haven and a far cry from the beautiful city park I enjoyed as a youth growing up on East Main st. If you irefuse to move these camps out, at lease, provide dumpsters and porta potties to hopefully keep the area cleaner and control the disgusting human waste!
527: I understand everyone wants to help the homeless people. From what I have witness they don’t want help at all. They just want to do there thing, drugs, beg around town, steal and throw their trash all over and their human waste. You know if they kept there campsite clean, organize and free from all trash and human waste, may be just may be people would help them out, but I know I can’t when I see trash all over the place and in the water, their needles thrown all over etc…and it’s just terrible. They choose this I didn’t and a lot of people didn’t choose this way either. I say its not fair when my husband and I have worked our entire life raised kids and our kids have raised there kids to respect the land and nature. I look at greenway every time I drive down freeway. How dirty it looks discussing the trash that other people have to clean up after them so they can do it again and again. I don’t know what the answer is, but when we go camping we have to pay and leave our campsite clean. They show no respect.
528: I understand that those living on the Greenway present complicated issues (mental illness, alcohol/drug addictions) but the conditions that now exist make the possibility of another major fire an immediate danger to the whole city. And – it is not a safe place to enjoy.I used to walk my small dog on the trail but absolutely will not until it’s cleaned up.
529: I understand the current and past issues involving both the crime and trash on the Greenway and surrounding areas, since I’ve lived in Medford my whole life. In order to make any progression in regards to improving matters, more housing opportunities should continue to develop throughout the valley as well in order to make a change in where people camp if they have no other means for safe deservable shelter.
530: I understand the homeless need to lay their head somewhere, but it is an increasing problem when they consistently leave their trash behind, everywhere. The city of Medford needs to do something about our homeless population.
531: I understand the need for housing, but there is no need for the absolutely disgusting conditions on the Greenway right now. If you are allowing them to be there, Simone needs to enforce that it is kept clean. I hate driving by and seeing what my taxes pay for, especially something I can’t and won’t use. It’s not safe, and it looks horrible. The is the first impression people get as then travel by or pull off the I5 in our area. It’s embarrassing.
532: I understand we have a homeless issue, and we are actively making moves to help it, but the sight of our greenway, especially from I5, is EMBARRASSING. It looks like a dump and is inexcusable. I lived in San Antonio, Austin and Portland and the homeless never were allowed to make such a mess. Look at how many fires have been caused from it? We all saw how fast our valley was turned on it’s ass. Please enforce SOMETHING.
533: I use the bike path several times a week with my family and it’s scarey to them to see all these people on the path . I obviously avoid the most dangerous parts of it . I would like to be able to use the whole thing. This problem has become out of control. It’s sad and unfortunate the circumstances surrounding this problem with it but it will only get worse if we do not to something about it.
534: I use to love riding my bike on the greenway. I would never do it now. I do not feel safe. The filth and disgrace is terrible. I would love my granddaughter to ride with me when I go back but not like it is
535: I use to ride my bike on the Greenway daily as it was built to be used. It’s now too ugly and unsafe.
Letting vagrants live how and where they want doesn’t help them, or anyone else.
536: I used to enjoy running the Greenway, and now avoid it. I know there’s many resources for those in in need in the Medford area. The messes that are left behind are an eye sore, embarrassing, and obviously a health and safety issue for all. Bring back the Greenway!!!
537: I used to enjoy walking and jogging on the Greenway it was a wonderful place to get fresh air exercise and enjoy nature. Now it is not safe it, is not clean and it is not beautiful. What was meant for families is now a dangerous filthy area that can no longer be used safely by people living in the community. Community members who contribute to taxes that maintain our area have a right to be able to safely use areas our tax dollars support. Please take the Greenway back for the community that it was meant for.
538: I used to have the Greenway as a safe place off the steet for group rides with friends. It used to be beautiful, now it feels unsafe and we constantly feel like we are going to get jumped or attacked.
539: I used to live in Pheonix. Due to the Alameda fire I lost my home and my mother in laws home. After I heard more details about the fire and saw all the devastation, I realized we have a real problem on the Greenway. Tents upon tents. Trash everywhere you can imagine. Not only did the wind fuel the fire on September 8 but so did the Greenway. And now since the fire destroyed a good chunk of the Greenway, I noticed more homeless tents/trash coming into Medford. Something needs to be done to protect and safe the hardworking citizens of Jackson County.
540: I used to love riding my bike on the Greenway and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Now do to the homeless population you cannoy bike or walk safely. Something must be done. I do not have the immediate asnwers but willing to collaborate to help with the issue at hand.
541: I used to love riding my bike on the path through the greenway. Now I’m too scared to do this activity. It’s not safe to use this recreational area. Especially for a female like me. Please make it safe for all citizens to use, not just the homeless.
542: I used to love riding my bike with my daughters along the greenway years ago. Now I never use it. It’s been over run with the homeless camping and the trash and filth are disgusting. It’s such a shame that something we have for our community has become a wasteland.
543: I used to ride bikes with my grandkids but stopped because it became dangerous
544: I used to ride my bike on the bike path as a kid and now you don’t dare go down there. Sad
545: I used to ride my horse on the Greenway trails. I was sad when it was paved and taken away from riding enthusiasts. Now it’s been taken away from everyone except the people who have trashed it & made it into such a health & fire hazard.
546: I used to take my kids for a walk on the greenway but can’t do that anymore due to it being so unsafe. I have tried running on the greenway and again found it unsafe.
The camping, trash and drug use I have seen on the greenway just keeps getting worse. Please enforce no camping, trash and drug use ordnance’s, Our personal and businesses tax dollars helped to pay for the greenway extension. It is extremely sad to see what was such a beautiful and family friendly place to go going to waste.
Thank you
547: I used to take my son to the bike path and we would ride to bear creek park in the 80’s. I sure wouldn’t do that now.
548: I used to use the greenway for cycling and running regularly, but have not felt safe to do so in the last couple years. I would love for it to be used for local recreation and exercise again!
549: I used to walk my dogs along the Bear Creek walkway. I cannot go there anymore because it is so unsafe. Bear Creek does not belong to the homeless; it belongs to all of us.
Dr. Cyd Ropp
Jacksonville
550: I used to walk the greenway all the time with my cousin. We cannot safely do so anymore. My aunt lost her home due to the fires this fall. Our town is an ugly sight of trash, tents, etc. Many of our friends have moved out of state recently to take their children away from the drugs, trash, fire danger, etc. When will the city step up and be responsible for saving out once beautiful greenway?
551: I used To walk the greenway but that is in no way something I would risk now.
552: I used to walk the greenway frequently. Now I don’t step foot. It’s dangerous and disgusting. So sad to see our town come to this. I know there is no easy solution but something needs to be done and our community leaders need to take action immediately.
553: I very much support this. Thousands of people in our county are unable to use the greenway because of this issue. It is so unsafe. We cannot take our kids and grandkids on walks or bike rides. I won’t even go on it and I would love to be able to walk/jog/ride on the greenway.
554: I want a safe place to walk. The greenway runs behind our oark and we almost lost our house in fire. Please find a better alternitave for the homeless problem. Make our greenway safe again. Our beutiful city is becoming tent city.
555: I want a safe trail to walk on and never knowing if I will find a homeless person sleeping begging or just needles on the ground does not make me feel safe. I want medford to look good when I have family come thru town please clean the area up and do not let camping in public be an option for anyone only designated campgrounds should be used
556: I want camping ptohinited along the Bear Creek Greenway and I wan the prohibition enforced.
557: I want my family to be able to use the greenway and for my kids to be proud of their city. Now when we drive down the freeway all we see is trash and homeless camps. Don’t turn Southern Oregon into another Portland or Seattle
558: I want this community to be safe and the walkways to be clear so I can raise my children in the valley without concern.
559: I want to be able to take my kids on the bike path again. Please make it safe for our community
560: I want to feel safe on the green way again. Specifically the area near Alba and bear creek park. I don’t even feel comfortable taking my kid to the kid park or my dog to the dog park. Let alone ride our bikes in the green way.
561: I want to feel safe while recreating on the greenway. I also don’t want to pollute bear creek with the trash of irresponsible people. If the folks that use the greenway aren’t thinking of my safety (fires, needles, human waste, etc) than they need to go somewhere else; where? I don’t know, but let’s not let the wildlife habitat, fisheries and green space suffer.
562: I was born and have been raised in Central Point/Medford. I am extremely concerned about the state of the Greenway. When I was younger we would ride our bikes and jog the pathways with no issues. Now I do not feel safe with all the people down there. You see illegal activity all the time especially drug use and sales. It’s also disheartening to see the trash and messes left behind such a beautiful area. I feel for those people I do. But I just have a big issue with camping on the greenway and what it’s done to our lovely area. I know if we work together we can find a better solution that doesn’t involve people living in tents on the Greenway.
563: I was born and raised here and can remember ridiing down the Greenway as a teenager today I will not go down there with out having a side arm on me please make it safe for families again
564: I was born and raised here and was able to play down through the Greenway when I was a child. There’s absolutely no way I would venture down there now. I pay my taxes in if not able to enjoy the Greenway, this does not make sense. These people aren’t paying taxes or even cleaning up after themselves. Or city leader Needs to step up and do their jobs, this is unhealthy unsafe and definitely causing a drug problem. Saddle up and do your jobs.
565: I was born and raised in Jackson County and it has been my home for over 50 years. It is a disgrace and an embarrassment what the local government has allowed. The unsanitary, unsafe conditions not to mention the constant fire hazard has got to be remedied. There has got to be a better way and putting a hard line on what is allowed is the first step.
566: I was born and raised in Jackson County. This is a place I’ve called home and always felt secure living in the Medford community. This had changed with the inflex of homeless camps on the Greenway. Not only does these camps bring more crime, drug use, and other illegal activity, it’s a a eye sore for our community and I’m ashamed to call Medford my home. I no longer feel safe in my own community. I have to be at work at 4 in the morning, I’m constantly seeing homeless people walking around my work, sleeping on the side walk and stealing items from cars. These people leave their garbage, needles, and bodly fluids all over. The Bearcreek Greenway is no longer a safe place to go on a family walk. I urge the City of Medford Town Council and the Jackson County Board of Commissoners to enforce a ban of no camping within Jackson County. If we don’t start fixing this issue and start cleaning up our Greenway, this problem will get worse and crime will continue to rise.
567: I was born and raised in Medford OR and have never felt safe enough to utilize the greenway. Things need to change.
568: I was born and raised in Medford! I am proud to call this place my home… until I drive I5! There is a false sense of compassion when thinking that the best option for these people is to let them ruin one of the things that makes this wonderful valley unique and special. The Greenway is no longer safe or sanitary and they do not have the right to take that from the people in this town that choose to get up every day and go to work, raise our children and pay our taxes. It also takes away from the unfortunate people in this town that actually need help/social services. So many of my friends and colleagues are so disgusted that this has been allowed to happen that they no longer feel the need to be charitable as they feel their dollars and donations are going to the wrong group of people.
569: I was born and raised in Southern Oregon. I have never seen such failure by our elected leaders. Homicide, drugs, theft, and filth are what you can find taking over our once safe and beautiful town. Anytime I camp anywhere, I am required to pay fees. In fact, I pay monthly fees to our parks department. Why do these people get away with destroying our town?! No punishment or fees for the homeless.
It is important to note; many of these ‘homeless’ people have been seen on the corners of many roads, holding signs, begging for money, while holding/using a cell phone, while drinking a Starbucks. Give me a break! Ship them back to Portland, that’s where they came from, right?!
570: I was born and raised in the rogue valley. I now have a family of my own and would love to show them around our beautiful town and that includes the greenway and bike paths by bear creek park. Unfortunately, you are allowing people to mess up our home. Parks and bike paths are no longer safe for families and children. Most of the homeless population is overtaking and trashing our area. I no longer take my children to certain public parks because of homeless and drug users are hanging around bathrooms and where children play or when they can ride bikes. We are NOT California we are OREGON! Do not ruin our beautiful state.
571: I was born and raised in the Valley. I hope you pass and Ordinance for now Camping or loitering on the Greenway. Thank you.
572: I was born and raised in this Valley and while homelessness is not new, it and its side effects have gotten out of hand! We have to take a stand and stop letting this continue. Our tax money and resources are being exhausted by having to clean up these sights over and over. It has to stop!
573: I was born here and am a 67yr resident of this valley. Just a couple days ago I went to Phoenix, on my way back on I5 just made me sick, the trash the tarps the tents that you see along the freeway is discusting. I left the freeway and went to the mall and drove along side Bear creek. It doesnot feel safe to walk in the parking lot of the mall. On my little drive I saw not less than 45 camp spots, some abandoned. The majority of those camps started 2 or 3 years ago, you know when marijuana was legalized in Oregon. When the jails got to full so catch and release became the way to deal with folks. Fyi I was passenger in the car.
574: I was born here in Jackson county and have enjoyed the green way as a child and adult from bike rides to walks.The greenway had always been a beautiful path and a special feature In our city. Now that it is over run with homeless camps, drugs, trash, feces. I would never feel safe to enjoy any activities on the green way and that was something I always thought, I would share with my children. Also this is a real hazard for fires on the greenway, I know a firefighter that was called to the greenway I-5 N Medford/Central point area the night of Almeda fire and he said there was a brush fire that accelerated quickly because of burning thru a homeless camp that had furniture and other large debris that intensified quickly but the hard work of the fire fighters were able to put out quickly but could have had a bad outcome. It is time to resolve this issue on the greenway.
575: I was born here. I have seen how the valley has changed over the years. This Greenway issue has come to a point that it can not be ignored any longer. When tax payers foot the bill for clean up continuely, are afraid to use the greenway and now wonder every year if fires set along the greenway will burn us out of our home. Its time for you, our elected officials to stand up and figure this out!
576: I was born in Medford and have lived here for 62 years and am saddened with what I see, Medford use to be a beautiful place to live and now looks like Portland, and San Francisco. This is disgusting and shameful and needs to be fixed ??
577: I was born in Medford and used to ride my bike as kid to hawthorn park during the summer days too swim at the pool. I would never let my kids take the path now its absolutely sad what has been allowed to happen on the greenway. It used to be beautiful now is all garbage and crime. We need enforcement now!
578: I was born, raised & raised my child in Medford. My family homesteaded in Medford. 6 generation!
My brother, friends & I would ride from Bear Creek park as far as we could on the bike path(back then just medford area). WITHOUT fear of harm. It is a sickening sight to see what has happened to it and the areas around it!
If it didn’t look like a dump exploded, MAYBE we wouldn’t mind them getting back on their feet for a moment. But when they disrespect the community and the environment that ISN’T just there for them, something needs to be done.
579: I was driving by there just today and saw the state of distress. It is distress for those camped along the river, but it’s also a state that should never have been allowed to happen, and cannot continue to be tolerated. We all can see the obvious, that the campers are using the river as a human waste and garbage dump. That alone is reason for prohibiting camping. It’s also not just unsafe, but unsightly, and it’s not what the original Greenway project was intended for, and that intention needs to be upheld. As long as it is tolerated it will continue and that is detrimental and not in the best interest of the whole of the Medford community. Some of the people camping need help, others aren’t interested in help. But this is a distress call for the entire community and must be addressed head on, without politics, with compassion and empathy, to find a way to help those that want it and expel those that don’t. This is about people’s lives, the campers, and the community.
580: I was evacuated TWICE last September, due to fires! I don’t want to see another neighborhood destroyed, just because the city won’t make the transients leave!
581: I was never afraid to ride or walk the greenway until the last few years. This has to change. I want our future generations to be able to use this once wonderful path as it was intended.
582: I was once homeless and camping in a tent along the greenway and was able to connect with resources and put in effort myself to get out of that situation. Not everybody who is out there caping is a drug addict or mentally ill. It’s more a situation of being told constantly where you can’t be or where you can’t go, there is very rarely a resource or voice to tell them or offer a place where they can go. I think in recent days it’s been proven that when offered a safe place that is approved for people to go, they go ex: kelly shelter, urban campground, hope village. If we had more resources for long term stabilization there would be able to be a happy medium reached between the housed and the homeless. Also the issue of veterans housing needs to be greatly reevaluated.
583: I was so excited when the Greenway was first built developed and opened. I am a cyclist and used to use it to commute from talent to my job in Medford. No more! Suffice it to say Highway 99 is actually safe for now. Horrible with the Greenway has become.
584: I will add I also consistently deal with those leaving the Greenway to steal from and/or cars at the Morningside apartments. Security that is stationed there doesn’t catch them all as they are understaffed and over worked.
An average of 3 breaking a day every week occur with transients staking out the vehicles every night.
585: I will admit I don’t know how to fix the problem, but I miss seeing my beautiful city. I am empathetic to our homeless communities situation, however, there has to be something we can do.
586: I will attend the meeting April 1 !!! I ride my bike on the Greenway and I have never felt so ashamed , un safe and totally disgusted in the state of the Greenway- I’ve lived here for 18 years and this must be cleaned up ASAP – we are asking for huge problems if this isn’t cleaned up and the camps moved out .I have personally had men on hard drugs harass and chase me – saying she isn’t very big she would only fight for a bit
This is terrifying!!!! Our town is too beautiful to have this trash and filth on the greenway – which is meant for families and people to enjoy !! Not run for your life as the drug infested camps take over
587: I won’t take my kids on the green way or near it because of the filthy conditions and the allowance of drug use out on the green way. Please bring back harsher laws for these crimes so the good people of this area can enjoy these area’s.
588: I work in Medford, I have had to evacuate work multiple times in recent years. My mother lives along the greenway and has also evacuated from the threat of fire. We should not have this threat in our cities. Your job is to keep our citizens safe and our business productive. Clearly the greenway is not a safe place, it is a threat to our communities.
589: I work in the field of addiction. I am a CADC (CERTIFIED Alcohol Drug Counselor). I have empathy but zero sympathy for the mess and destruction of our Greenway homeless mess. I’m an understanding person. I am in recovery myself, and my thought is that we are doing more harm then good by allowing the homeless drug addicts to use in public snd make messes. We need more Mental Health services
590: I work near the Greenway. What a mess.
591: I work on the Greenway everyday, and it is unsafe for anyone besides the homeless. The risk of stepping on a needle is very realistic.
592: I work over by hawthorn park and it always feels dangerous. I miss back when my family could ride their bikes along it. It was beautiful. Now it’s unsafe for families to be on the Greenway. Please help make it safe again and restore it’s beauty
593: I work with the homeless and with survivors of sexual assault you would not believe how many sexual assaults are committed because of what’s going on with the green way. Let alone the drugs and garbage. I’m scared to death every summer that they are going to burn us all down. Please do something!!
594: I worked on getting the Greenway organized . It was supposed to be a nice bike /walk way from Ashland to Grants Pass. I worked hard on something that I will not use . It has become disgusting and dangerous. We can no longer be enablers to this group. A friend of mine who has a house along the greenway who was effected from the fires. People that stay around the greenway was breaking in and stealing anything that wasn’t burnt. If organizations want to bring food, they should have a larger dumpster and say that no food will be distributed unless it is clean. Set up a dumpster and have the homeless , learn to clean up. This has now become a way of life for so many. We need to take back the Greenway for the community
595: I would appreciate being able to walk along the Greenway without worry. I would also appreciate my community being free of trash, waste, and dangerous unsightly items in and around Bear Creek. For goodness sake! This used to be a given in society.
596: I would encourage our Leaders in Jackson County and the City if Medford to look at the system that Gresham, Oregon implemented. It has worked and is still working. Driving along I-5 this afternoon my heart was saddened to see the increasing number of tents and trash. It is sad for thise there, sad for our community and state. We have many opportunities for help for these folks. We can do this as a community but it will take a zero tolerance policy. Many do not want any help and continue to degrade this beautiful area that was created for all to enjoy safely. That us noonger the case.
I am currently living in Medford but will be moving back to Phoenix once our home is rebuilt later this year. I can see the Greenway from our home in Phoenix and I pray we can return this entire Greenway to the safe beautiful area it was developed for.
597: I would like to be able to use the Green way however the way it is it’s unsafe for people to use. People are high down there, needles everywhere. I would like to use what my taxes are helping pay for.
Thank you.
598: I would like to feel safe enough to use the Greenway. Its a beautiful path but it’s so dangerous in its current state.
599: I would like to see the green way cleaned up
600: I would like to stop camping on the green way. I live near the green way and have had to be evacuated more then once because of fire started by transients on the green way. I have 2 young children. Evacuation is very scary.
I also love nature and enjoy hiking. I would love to be able to use the green way with my family and show my children how great of a place we live in. At this time that is not by possible. It is not safe and is trashed. Y people. Please help us get the green way back to what it was made for.
601: I would like to use the Greenway without worrying about needles and criminal activities.
602: I would like to volunteer to help clean up our parks. I am a native Oregonian and seeing our state like this breaks my heart!
603: I would love to be able to safely walk, jog, or ride down the Greenway alone or with my kids. I am truly hoping that the communities plea will be heard. Thank you again for your time.
604: I would love to be able to visit and enjoy the Greenway.
I cannot do that. I worry about my safety. I would be afraid to ride my bike with all the homeless and mentally ill folks down there.
I don’t want to do that with the current situation that it is in. I don’t want to visit a place that was once beautiful and peaceful and now is a garbage dump.
Please cleanup this part of the city so we can all enjoy the creek and be proud of our community!
605: I would love to be able to walk or ride the greenway and feel safe and not see all the trash from people living there.
606: I would love to be kept in the loop about potential housing builds for house less people in the RV. As a community, we should be coming together to take care of them and providing better living conditions then camping on the greenway can offer. Better housing also helps discourage drug and alcohol abuse, studies have shown. We know that punitive measures don’t help, but improving the living environment does.
607: I would love to feel comfortable walking the greenway
the last time I walked there I ran into a man in the middle of the paved trail changing his clothes – good grief he could at least gone to the bushes
608: I would love to see the city of Medford clean up the greenway. The filth and homeless camps are driving residents out of this city and state. I think there is a great opportunity being waisted along the greenway. I personally would love to see the city encourage new businesses, restaurants, bars to open along the greenway allowing them to use it as a walk between for families and patrons. Add lighting to discourage transients and druggies from destroying it any further.
609: I would love to see the valley get cleaned up it is very disheartening to drive to work and see all the tents and trash just lingering all along the green way.
610: I would love to see what can happen to change our horrible Greenway. My family has great memories of riding our bikes as a family up and down the greenway. I am offended that our county would let this beautiful place be taken over by homeless. I know they need to go somewhere. Even if we could get a handle on all the trash that we are forced to look at would be a huge step towards improvement our community and health. we all know that trash build up is when diseases start. both by the syri.ges and the rodents. please let’s take this place back.
611: I would love to start using the greenway for recreation again (walking & biking), but currently do not feel safe to do so, and I worry for my friends who were repeatedly evacuated last September due to fires along the greenway, because they constantly live in fear of "warming fires" along the greenway getting out of control and burning their houses down. Not to mention, as a community we are doing these homeless people a disservice by leaving them out there to fend for themselves to keep warm, to find food & clothing, to maintain basic health & hygiene needs, to protect themselves and their belongings. We need to do better.
612: I would love to take my children on bike rides along the greenway or to local city parks but I won’t because of the unsafe environment from the homeless camps and drug use.
613: I would love to use Greenway more, but I don’t feel safe.
614: I would love to use the greenway, but it is not a safe place to go. I worty about fires and the safety of our valley.
615: I would love to walk or bike the Greenway but I am concerned for my safety.
616: I would love to walk the greenway again with my dy. But have not done so because of the human trash there. I do not feel safe enough
617: I would not feel safe taking my kids on the Greenway. I am also concerned for the safety of the workers that have to repair the damage they do, such as the damage done recently to the telephone lines caused by homeless people cutting into it. We used to also ride our horses on the trails there out of Central Point but the last time we did we encountered a guy that had been recently stabbed. Haven’t been back.
618: I wouldn’t have much of a problem with them camping, as long as they would clean up after them selves. It is so disgusting and trashy.
619: I’m a college student who left here being proud of my home town and always wanting to return, the state you’ve left my home in makes me ashamed to still love the place I’ve called home for 23 years. Please do you job and protect the rights of all of your citizens, and not just protect those breaking the law that you don’t want to enforce.
620: I’m a local business owner and a father. I hate to see our town be taken over by this appalling behavior. We shouldn’t have to worry about our children finding needles in the parks, or be confronted by many who are clearly on drugs. I can’t imagine why this would be ok. I’m confident the leadership of our community will see that we must do something about this.
621: I’m a native of 55 years in this county and was born and raised in east Medford . When I was growing up the greenway was in its early infancy. I can remember doing science studies and learning about the salmon runs in bear creek. I’m curious to know what if any has any governing authorities like DEQ , ODFW or the EPA have chimed in or been consulted on the damage done to the riparian ways along the creek and how this will effect the fisheries long term. We can’t allow our streams to be effected in this matter and with the damage already done by the fires the erosion will only get worse. We need long term goals and camping at any time along these streams cannot continue . As long as the homeless are being fed and catered to very close to the greenway ( Hawthorne park) they won’t move far. I know it’s not easy coming up with solutions for this state wide problem but I know there is a lot of creative people out there with ideas. Motel occupancy in different locations away from the greenway or move your shelter that’s by Butler Ford to a different lot. As a long time citizen I want my grandkids to enjoy this beautiful valley that I call home . Thank you for your time.
Elizabeth Meadows
622: I’m afraid to use the greenway anymore with my children. This is a disgrace
623: I’m all for no camping unless it’s in a designated campground with trash removal service and toilets. It’s absolutely inexcusable to allow people to destroy the Greenway the way it’s currently happening. Medford has gone downhill so much in the past 10 years. We need to do better.
624: I’m all for people living whatever life they like but the trash is just insane! Honestly, if there wasn’t so much junk left everywhere, needles and syringes and humane excrement, I wouldn’t mind the tents. However, they seem to go hand-in-hand so I would like to see it banned.
625: I’m an RN in the community and have lived in the Valley my entire life. The camps on the greenway are destroying Medford and need to be taken down.
626: I’m concerned about fires.
I want the homeless to a have alternate camping place
627: I’m disabled and in a wheelchair and use the Greenway a LOT. I don’t ever feel safe on the Greenway and hate all the trash and tents. Please keep up the great work in fighting the camping rules!
628: I’m hoping something is done before this fire season ??
629: I’m just so sad what the Greenway that used to be called the bike path is become it is so dangerous and scary and full of dangers that nobody wants to use it. And due to illegal squatting the place seems to catch on fire all over the place over the last several years enough is enough please shut it down.
630: I’m native In Rogue Valley for 60 years. I’m disgusted at the trash and tents visible to all passing through. If I was a visitor, I’d put pedal to the metal. Not a safe place to visit.
631: I’m sick and tired of people allowing this to happen. We spend millions of dollars on Hawthorne Park to only let homeless people that choose to be homeless take it over and the people that pay for it don’t want to even is it. Something needs to change and fast. It would be so nice if we could do food truck and more bicycling around there to move the homeless out. It’s not ok for this. We can’t use plastic bags at the store but they can litter and shop lift all they want. We can’t go to dinner in a restaurants and have to stay apart but they can do what ever they want and no one tells them the rules. It must stop. How about not letting them burn down our city with there fires they love to set. Wake up!!!!!!
632: I’m sick of raising my children in a town where every street corner is filled with filth
633: I’m sick of the trash!! It’s disgusting!!! Something needs to be done people.
634: I’m so thankful for this project of clean up the Greenway I am so sick of Jackson County looking like a crap hole this makes me so happy all the homeless people the garbage is just ridiculous I can’t say enough thanks to these people that are willing to go above and beyond to start cleaning this up
635: I’m willing to be a volunteer to expedite this process.
636: I’m writing this letter in support of Bear Creek Greenway Recovery and Enforcing the No Camping Laws.
The homeless/transient camping has taken over our county and cities, it’s time to start local and clean up to make the Greenway and Bear Creek safe and clean again.
Born and raised here, as a kid I used to ride horses with friends along Bear Creek and the Expo, it was safe area with no human waste or garbage, not so now, it should be treated as hazardous waste with discarded needles/syringes, human feces, food trash garbage and more. Along with that there’s the illegal burning that proved to be detrimental to many homes nearby.
Each time I drive the freeway I see the trash, tarp tents, and garbage everywhere, it’s unsightly and a disgrace that the city and county have let it get this out of control.
Again I ask that the Greenway and Bear Creek be cleaned up and that camping is illegal not only during fire season but any season, Thank you.
637: I’ve grown up in Central Point my whole life. I work in Medford. My dad used to take us on bike rides on the greenway and I have fond memories from that time. There’s no way I would ever take my children on the greenway now. As taxpaying citizens of Jackson county, we should be able to be proud to use the greenway and feel safe doing so. Camping/living on the greenway should never be allowed, let alone all of the garbage that is thrown out on the land and in the water. I know many people who have moved away because of how terrible the greenway has gotten and with the fires that started along it this last year. I don’t want to be someone who moves away from my hometown, but I’d also like to be proud of where I live.
638: I’ve had it!!!! This needs to stop!!!! They are going to light this place ion fire!!! They are discussing!!!
639: I’ve lived here almost 30 years and have never seen anything like this… it’s heartbreaking and we need change right now!
640: I’ve lived in Central Point Almost all of my almost 60 yrs an I have been disgusted over the trash that is along Bear Creek and the freeway -I really hope that we can do something about the homeless and the drug use here it is very sad. It has not been safe for anyone to walk along the bike path for many years now what a waste of a beautiful area And beautiful creek
641: I’ve lived in Jackson County all my life. I’m 44 years old now. As a kid you could ride your bike on the Greenway and it was beautiful. My sister and I did it regularly. I would never take a child there now. The filth and garbage is disgusting and it has been a very long time since it has been a safe place to enjoy. It’s incredibly sad to me that this beautiful valley has become what it is today.
642: I’ve lived in Medford for almost 20 years…. over this time the situation on the green way has grown increasingly out of control. I pay property taxes on multiple properties in Medford, and can’t use many areas due to a safety concern. I now don’t feel safe to walk my dog by myself or take my kids to the park. Please stop allowing camping on the greenway!!!
643: I’ve lived in Medford for around forty years I have always loved the rogue valley,I had some family in town visiting They stayed in a hotel that was close to the Greenway and witness homeless people bathing and doing other things in Bear creek I realize some of these homeless people are because of the Alameda fire But this is seriously gotten out of hand it’s a disgrace to drive and see all the trash in the tents it’s seems that rogue Valley has became a hub for all the homeless and something needs to be done.
644: I’ve slowly watched the decline of our green way an city cleanliness over the years as my job has me all over the valley, I understand people are displaced for whatever the reason may be, I don’t feel it gives them the right to disrespect our community an the place I call home.
I fear for my son, and the world he will grow up in, I don’t dare take him to the parks as there are needles everywhere an the people who use them just trashing everything.
Instead of Spending our tax money cleaning this all up, build another jail, and housing for the displaced people within our community
645: I’d love for a safer Greenway!
646: If not for us atleast for the children and animals. This is unacceptable.
647: If people can’t respect property and take care of it like it should be close it down we’ve had enough fires enough deaths no more
648: If we allow camping to go on as it currently is, it will only be a matter of time that we have another catastrophic fire event through the greenway and Medford may not be so lucky.
649: If we as a community are okay to sit back and allow this kind of behavior and blatant disrespect of our home and surrounding areas, we are no better than the people destroying these areas.
I know a lot of these people have fallen on hard times. I have sympathy for those who are simply trying to make ends meet. I do not have sympathy for those individuals committing crimes and leaving USED NEEDLES in an area that is designated for recreation for our citizens. Something has to change. Even if the city bought a plot of land further away from the public eye and where children play, solely dedicated to camping, Bear Creek must be fixed. It’s been getting worse for years and at this point, someone needs to put their foot down. We look like we have a used bike shop on our North Medford offramp.
650: If you are against this you always allow them to camp in your yard.
651: Illegal camping in areas not zoned for it must be stopped and enforcement prioritized. It’s depressing, a menace to public health and discriminates for all other citizens who’s right to walk and enjoy the Greenway has been completely ignored. Lawbreakers are ignored. The message sent clearly by this is all laws are meaningless and can be ignored by anyone. Look at any other major city that ignored this problem, refused to enforce its laws….it goes rampant, ugly, creating a human health catastrophe. We must raise the expectation for humans to prioritize the most basic form of human survival…feed and house yourself. It’s not the job of the collective group to do it for you. Yes, true fire victims may need our temporary help. Happily. But the outright lazy or drug users continously trying to leech off of others should not be greeted with tolerance.
652: Illegal camping is ruining the Greenway and making it unsafe for people to use it as intended. I don’t know why the County isn’t doing more to remove these people from there, but they need to start. If people want to camp, there are many campgrounds in the state to do so.
653: I’m 54, I have lived here all of my life except about 2 years while my husband was in the service. This is not the town I grew up in years ago, we had respect and pride for our City and our neighbors, I still do! How did we get to this place where we are being held hostage to people destroying our town with garbage, crime, drugs, contaminating our grounds, water and making us feel unsafe in our own community. We need stronger leadership to take a stand and take our City back, do whatever it takes, enforce laws, change laws, lets get it done.
654: I’m 65 years old and would love to ride my bicycle on the Greenway with my grandkids. I’m afraid to ride on it at any time even though I thought that’s why it was made. Not for camping!
This area needs to be cleaned up so that it can be used for what it was intended!
655: I’m a born and raised resident of Medford (41 years) and seeing what’s transpired along the greenway within that time is disgusting. I remember being a child and riding bikes on it with my friends alone. Going from Hawthorne to Bear Creek Park. It’s so unsafe now I wouldn’t even consider doing it as a family while conceal carrying. Please do something to make this valley safer by cleaning up the greenway for good from all the transients, crime, and drugs so the people who pay taxes can enjoy this part of our community again. It’s time.
Sincerely (A fed up resident,)
Alyssa Jensen
656: I’m a single mom in Central Point and grew up in Medford. I moved back here with my daughter in 2012 and was saddened to see the decline of the greenway and that it was no longer a safe place to ride bikes or walk. Now I’m horrified by the conditions. I work a few blocks from the greenway on Jackson and it’s no longer uncommon to find needles and human feces behind our workplace. The closer you get to the greenway the worse it is. Please help make our city beautiful and safe again.
657: I’m a young mother of 2, and I don’t feel safe taking my kids to the parks here. I know for a fact that there are rapists camping out on the greenway, who have been charged, convicted, and given short prison sentences, and now released. There are so many things wrong with the current system, the first step to this is making more laws to prevent camping. I want to feel safe raising my kids here, and I desperately don’t want to put them through the trauma of evacuating another fire this summer. My 4 year old cried her eyes out and said she would "miss our home and our flowers" when we evacuated Almeda. We were fortunate enough to have a home to come back to, but it was an awful experience. There is no reason why that should be repeated, stop letting the bums have control of the county and everyone’s safety. Funny how we are all controlled/masked for covid, while they’re living in huge tent cities, no masks, and using the creek as a toilet, and sharing needles that they leave everywhere. Law abiding citizens are the enemy because of this virus and addicts/thieves/bums get to do whatever they want (rape, break into cars, steal from businesses, pollute the creek) with no real consequences.
658: I’m all in support of taking back our Greenway and turning it back in to a beautiful scenic walkway. Having said that, we must have someplace for the homeless to be and sleep. Regardless of their choices or lifestyles they are human and need a place to rest and sleep
659: I’m in agreeance with what everyone is saying in regards to taking back over the bear creek greenways, so that we the general public can enjoy it as it once was without all the trash & drug paraphernalia that’s is thier now, thanks
660: I’m really amazed that this is what used to be a great walk and bike ride path has been allowed to look like this! Fire danger, filthy unsafe. Pleas clean it up!
661: Im sad to see how bad the greenway has gotten. It’s unsafe, disgusting and the fires are far too common. This needs to end.
662: I’m sad to see people homeless, but they need to have respect for the land that belongs to all of us. We need to help these people get off the streets and learn to clean up after themselves. This needs to be a community involvement which I am all for helping any way I can.
663: Im scared to use the bike path
664: Im so sick of my taxes being wasted
665: I’m so sick of seethe tents, fires, the mess.. its disgusting I was born and raised here. I should not have to explain to my grandkids this crap.. my daughter and her family live right by the new part of the Greenway they here woman scream see fires oh not to mention how many times bikes get stolen.. this has to stop!!! Irs time the city
steps in and stops this before we become Portland is it fair for our officer’s who do their job utterly city council and courts do nothing..
666: I’m tired of not being able to walk and go on bike rides with my son because of all of the disgusting trash and parafanalia all over the Greenway.
667: I’m tired of the homeless, tweakers and junkies making my community unsafe. It’s time these people were dealt with once and for all!
668: I’m very concerned about the people living along Bear Creek. I’m a student at RCC, early mornings I would park and have to cross the bridge across Bear Creek. Many mornings there would be so many people sleeping on and around the bridge I would have to step over them and often their feces. I felt very unsafe! Often, I also had to endure crude remarks and walk through clouds of smoke. I feel strongly as a tax payer that I should be able to walk to class and enjoy the Bear Creek without having to fear for my safety.
669: I’m very concerned about the safety along the greenway for everyone. Where I used to walk with my fur babies no longer feels like a safe place to walk them.
670: I’m willing and ready to stand up and help out anyway I can. It’s time to bring the beauty and pride back to our wonderful city!
671: Imagine having a clean safe greenway along bear creek.. please let’s do something about this
672: In 2012 I lived in St. Charles Point apartments. We bought bikes at a local bike shop to ride the bike path. We rode almost daily about 10 miles. We would ride to Ashland and ride into Medford downtown area. Even back then it was a little scary to go to the area near Hawthorne Park. We moved away in 2012. We moved back in 2016 and after one time riding the Bear Creek Path we have not ridden or walked the Path since then due to the homeless population. The garbage was atrocious. I was afraid to ride the pathway because of the homeless and mentally challenged who would holler at you and sometimes even chase you asking for money and help. I would love to be able to use the bike pathway. It holds fond memories of warm days and beautiful scenery. We picked a lot of blackberries along the path to make jelly for family and friends. That is no longer possible. It is not safe on the pathway!
673: In 54 years old I’ve been here my whole life,,my children,grandchildren have all been born and raised here,,,,I love Oregon, have left and always moved back,,,, it was always such a beautiful,when I drive around now,,,it makes me sick to my stomach,,all the hate,crime,griffetee,most of all the unsafe,unhealthiness, unhealthy essence, the trash,homeless on our greenway,Greenway, get some people can help being homeless, but be clean,there are garbage cans and dumpsters everywere,everywhere, THEM,,, have respect for our great state,,,it’s so sad and depressing to see all the uglyness, in this valley
674: In it’s current condition I do not feel safe using the Greenway with my children, please help our families feel safe in the community.
675: In south Medford, the Bear Creek Greenway is separated from business by Interstate 5. Within the past month, I’ve witnessed six occasions where "campers" have sprinted across the freeway, rather than walk the long but safer recognized pedestrian route, in order to access the services in the business area. It’s only a matter of time before a vehicle vs pedestrian tragedy occurs.
676: In years past jackson county horsemen helped to develope the green way for all to enjoy but the camping and fires that go on because people living there is awful. Use of greenway is scary for general public. And catistrophic fires need to be a thing of the past on the bear creek greenway.
677: It a problem for the whole valley, those who are down on their luck need proper assistance.
678: It awesome to see these clean up efforts met. As for the homeless set them up a community where they can garden, raise animals and provide for themselves. They had work camps in Troutdale Or 70 years agot now a McMennamins restaurant. . Why can we provide our homeless with something of that nature. It gives them a purpose and a place to live.
679: It baffles me that this is even in question. This wasn’t acceptable 10-20 years ago, why now? This is such a slap in the face to our community!
680: It breaks my heart families don’t feel safe to even enjoy this long trail with there loved ones as a day adventure.I would live to ride trail with my kids and unfortunately this will not happen due to our safety.Please help clean up this beautiful rogue valley.
681: It breaks my heart that my family can only bike ride when we leave town to camp. The Greenway is so disgusting and dangerous that I refuse that my kids play at the nearby parks because it’s too close to the greenway and all the filth and people who created this mess. I wish our family could use the greenway again to ride, and I wish I felt safer utilizing the nearby parks.
The people who are responsible need to be held accountable.
682: It has become unsafe for everyone. The homelessness is an issue but this has gone way beyond that…
683: It has been years since I’ve felt safe walking or riding my bike on the green way and I have so many memories of taking my grandchildren out for a play day. Please clean up our beautiful family green way.
684: It is a shame & waste of our tax dollars to pay for the Green Belt if "campers" are allowed to continue to use it as their toilet & trash dump. Not only is the whole area now a trash heap, it is unsanitary, the river is being polluted AND it’s unsafe to ride bikes & walk along.
It’s ime for Jackson County & the City of Medford to take back the Green Belt from the transient population & return it as a safe place for all of tax paying residents of the County.
It’s also time for our Community to come up with a SAFE, SANITARY SOLUTION to this overwhelming problem of homelessness in Southern Oregon & Jackson County. We MUST do better.
685: It is a shame that us taxpayers are paying for this and yet don’t feel safe to take our families down there!
686: It is a shame to see what has happened to our beautiful greenway, the powers to be should be ashamed for letting this happen.
687: It is a shame to see what parts of our beautiful city have become. I went on a bike ride with my husband on the bike path and to say I was shocked and disappointed is an understatement. i would be too afraid to ever go alone and that is sad. My fear is that we have let it go this far and now there will be no turning back. It is unfortunate that we have allowed less than 1% of our population dictate what the other 99% have to do. We need to stop catering to criminals and drug addicts.
688: It is absolutely disgusting what is allowed in our county and state. Most of these people on the Greenway supposedly homeless, are not even from our community! There is a huge difference between our homeless, and transient!
Rogue Retreat helps with our homeless citizens….not transients! We need to stop all the generous handouts that attract these people to our area! Most of these people will claim housing is not affordable. Especially if you’re a bum on drugs that chooses not to get a job and prefers to beg for a living.
Enough of the taxpayers having to put up with liberal Democrats destroying the state! If you want to keep the Bear Creek Greenway as a homeless dump for transients, then please refund all the money to the taxpayers that paid for it!
689: It is absolutely disgusting what the Greenway campers are doing and the mess they leave behind. This is certainly not only a criminal issue but even worse public health issue.
690: It is absurd that people are allowed to trash our town like this. It is not our responsibility as a city to find anything for the homeless population. It is in fact our responsibility in our town to keep it safe and clean. As a RN in the emergency department I see this population daily and changes need to be made.
691: It is appalling to me that this continues in our county. Taxpayers paid for the greenway, but do any of them feel safe using it? No! Stop the steal of taxpayer money to continuously clean this mess!!!
692: It is appalling to see all the mess from the freeway and can only imagine what it looks like up close.
693: It is beyond unacceptable that we’re going into yet another year with the Greenway being an ever-growing issue. Between the creek being poisoned, all of the surrounding homes/businesses at unnecessary risk of damaged/fires, wildlife being impacted this should be top priority. The citizens of Medford shouldn’t have to live in constant fear of fires taking their livelihood (or lives), vandalism, theft…. nor deal with the creek being a cesspool of human waste, drugs and garbage.
694: It is completely reasonable to have restrictions on a critical recreational area of town to preserve safety from physical, fire and environmental dangers. The unsanitary conditions currently present cannot be maintained. MPD already confronts these issues with a humanitarian approach. Please continue efforts to safeguard this area of our community.
695: It is definitely time for action on this situation.
696: It is disgusting to see our city from the freeway as you pass through the rogue valley.
697: It is embarrassing the state of the greenway. I am saddened every time I drive up/down I-5 and see the state of the area. This can not be allowed to continue in Medford. Our valley is being turned into a dump. It’s truly a shame this has been permitted to continue.
698: It is heart wrenching to see the Green Way covered in trash, and occupied by tents of people who don’t care about the natural beauty around them and continue to leave piles of their waste for others to clean up because they don’t care enough to do it themselves.
699: It is heartbreaking to see how bad the homeless situation has become and how dirty our city/county is. I totally get that people are going through a hard time and may find themselves homeless – I hate that and want to help those who want to get help – but for those who are living on the streets and have no respect for our city and leave their trash everywhere, this has to got be stopped. It really feels unsafe at times to walk in a park – and I never will go on the greenway just because you don’t feel safe doing so. How can we help?
700: It is heartbreaking to see what has happened to what was a nice path. I once was able to walk or hike down it in peace and not think much of it other than how beautiful nature is. But now, with the fire damage that has occurred in talent and Phoenix all I see is homelessness and trash. It’s unfortunate what happened to many of these people but they are also living in wallows of their own garbage and do not share any respect for the land. It’s no longer a nice place to go and my girlfriend is terrified to go on the paths now. Please I’m begging you to stop allowing this and to let us be able to be proud of the greenway again. after all that is happened in the rogue valley in the last year I wish to just be able to be proud of my community.
701: It is honestly just depressing driving on the freeway and seeing the state the greenway is in. I have to see it every day on my way to and from work in Central Point and it is disgusting. I am borderline embarrassed to tell people I live in Medford, and hate having family visit because they see it too and the comments are just heart breaking. My kids also live part time with another parent on Almond St and whenever they are there my anxiety is so high. Access to the Greenway is RIGHT there. The people and what they do there are not safe. I moved to Medford in 2010 and it has just gone way down hill in the last decade. I want to feel good about raising my family here and having kids at the park or near the greenway. Right now that is just not the case.
702: It is looking so trashy now on the greenway. I’m a homeowner who pays taxes and I won’t even go on the greenway anymore. It looks ridiculous!
703: It is no longer safe for the public or the homeless on the trail. It is time to step up our game, fix problems and stop camping on the greenway and in public parks. Rehab, Mental Health Assessment, Rogue Retreat Camp, or Jail. If none, let them camp on the Governor’s I-5 property where there is a stand down. The citizens of Medford and Jackson County never authorized a stand down on the greenway or in our parks. Medford is the county seat. We need repreive from the madness.
704: It is past time to address this issue. You have to power to protect the masses… and you also have the power to direct and remove those who abuse the peoples greenway. Please do your job!
705: It is past time to get this taken care of. It is a slap in the police officer’s faces for them to continue their efforts and the powers that be not following through to keep this from happening. STOP ALLOWING CAMPING on the GREENWAY. STOP ALLOWING panhandling on our streets.
706: It is really unfortunate that my family cannot enjoy the Bear Creek Greenway like we should. I can not even send my teenager down the Greenway to get to the skatepark without fear that something is going to happen. The mess is unbelievable and uncalled for. If we continue to let this go on we are going to end up like Portland, tents and trash everywhere not to mention the needles. I read a article that KTVL posted about making it illegal to camp on the Greenway during fire season. It went on to say that they will be able to sleep on mats in city parks. How is that helping? Kick them off the Greenway into the parks? The city of Medford need to stand up and take back what is rightfully theirs. The Greenways was not built to house the homeless. It was built for families to enjoy biking, walking, running and skating.
707: It is sad to drive down I-5 and see the massive camps on the side on the road. We need to hold them accountable for the mess they make. Why do us law abiding, tax paying citizens have to pay for their mess? If they can’t be productive parts of this community, they need to go. I don’t mind helping out others, but not when they just destroy everything.
708: It is sad to see our county look SO Uninviting by the Scene of all the homeless. It’s unsafe to walk on the Greenway and it is very unsightly. These people don’t care and as long as they are enabled… They will never leave. My taxes go up to clean these areas and repair fences that are ripped down. If I was a tourist I would not want to visit the Medford area and that is really hurting our economy for sure.
709: It is sad to see what Medford is becoming. It has begun to look like Portland and it’s embarrassing to say I’m from here. You can see it everywhere, not to mention. The garbage and needles and human feces its disgusting honestly. It’s time something is done
710: It is so degrading to our beautiful city to be a tourist and see such ugliness. Please we need to stop this
711: It is so disappointing to see the trash, tents, drugs and addicts along the Greenway. I see it every day getting off the freeway and it is long over due for change. I stand with this group to stop the illegal camping along the Greenway and the recovery and clean up of our home.
712: It is so sad to drive down the 5 and see all of the trash along the freeway/greenway area from all of the illegal camping. We choose to live in the beautiful Rogue Valley and pay our property taxes. This is unacceptable that our community looks like a homeless encampment and trash bin. We as citizens would like to use the greenway for walking and biking and not feel scared while doing so.
713: It is so sad. Between the violence and the massive piles of trash how is the city still putting up with this?
714: It is so unfortunate that things are so bad. It has become a public eye sore. Not to mention all the drugs being done and needles being found. I can not take my boys on bike rides on the greenway anymore because it is not safe. It has become one less thing we can do as a family.
715: It is such an embarrassment for our town allowing this to happen.
716: It is time that the citizens of Medford and Jackson County take deliberate action to ensure the preservation of our local resources. We can no longer turned a blind eye to the problem on the Bear Creek Greenway. The pollution and crime that is prevalent on this beautiful asset to our community has caused catastrophic damage to property and human lives.
We, as a community, cannot continue to provide a safe haven to people with addiction and give them license to let that addiction consume their life and the security and well-being of those around them.
We must be compassionate in our resolve but resolved to make the green way, our city, and community a safe and prosperous place.
717: It is time to clean the mess up and make it safe again for our families to enjoy,
718: It is time to really do something.
The time has come for a supervised homeless camp area. Mandatory drug rehab.. and start to take charge.
719: It is time to take back control of our city , it has no longer been safe for women and children to use our greenways , one camp has over 30 bicycles at it , very clearly theft
720: It is time to take back our greenway. We need to clean up the greenway and prevent another disastrous fire. The greenway could be an area attraction, which could be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. We should fix it up to be something similar to Boise’s Greenbelt.
721: It is unsafe and unsanitary. There has to be a better solution for these people. This area is not the place for them. There has to be an alternative.
722: It is unsafe, unsanitary and makes our community look like a dump for anyone on the freeway.
723: It is very sad to see what Medford has become. It used to be a clean place with rarely any trash to be seen. Now it looks like a wasteland.
724: It makes me sad I can not take a walk or go anywhere near the green way anymore, it is not safe and now looks like a dump. The filth, made by the people living there, is in-humane and incomprehensible how people can be allowed to make such a mess and then live in it.
As an elected official, why would you allow the city you serve, crumble and be ruled by people who didn’t elect you or pay taxes?
725: It makes me sad that I can’t enjoy the greenway anymore. I don’t feel safe taking my grandchildren there. Please keep people from camping there. They have no respect for the beautiful land and the people that care to use it.
726: It makes our town look so disgusting
727: It must be a health and safety violation to allow trash and filth along water ways.
728: It needs to be pointed out that all the human waste going into the Bear Creek ends up in the Rogue River eventually. That is our source of drinking water!
If any of the illegal campers refuses to get help then they need to be transported out of this valley. I am so angry that you use my tax dollars to clean up after them. Make them clean it up and then put them on a bus!
To continue to enable them and feel responsible for their choice of lifestyle is very dysfunctional and has to stop!
Everytime a fire starts on the greenway or other illegal camp area we need to sue the county as those in charge are not doing their job!
729: It saddens me to see the decline in the beauty of our city. It’s embarrassing, dangerous and a blight. We are not even able to walk or ride bikes safely on the greenway or take our children to parks near the greenway.
730: It sends an angers me to see what has become of the beautiful Greenway. The people that are camping on the Greenway have no regard for the community in which this park it’s part of.Instead of it being a place with a community can walk or bike. It has become a dump, And a drug super highway through our town. Those who supported and help assist build this beautiful park never thought the day would come when they could not use it themselves because of the criminal activity on it. The value of the homes along side the Greenway have greatly been reduced because of the homeless camping.
Who wants to live somewhere where you have to constantly be concerned about people stealing things from your home or burning it down. I strongly support the removal of homeless camps and camping in general along the Greenway. There are numerous organizations to assist people who are homeless and truly want to be off the street. I know from having talked to several people who are homeless at my work, many of them are not from this area. They have come here For the free stuff the community gives, . And the easy access to drugs. Is this really what we want to be known for.Please be our advocate. Please be serious about addressing this issue. The taxpayers of this area another state are tired of paying to repair things that are only turned around and destroyed again. Thank you
731: It’ was incredibly traumatic to have to evacuate because of the fires….we were so close to losing everything. I still have nightmares about the evacuations. The wind that day so strange. Please STOP the homeless from living on the greenway. It could happen all over again. I teach in Phoenix Talent and so many of my students lost their home. We could see the flames in Central Point when we had to evacuate.
732: It would be nice for people of all ages & gender to be able to walk / use the Greenway without having to worry about be confronted by people ( both ones whom are either drunk / high or just being a nuance there) & whom are blocking the path or making messes & not cleaning up after themselves & not having to worry about little kids finding used needles along that area.. I’m sure that the city has or can work within it or the state to make use of either state / city owned where the homeless or those whom prefer to live within that style can set up camping site & help them out better than along what once was a nice area for all to be used.. & make it easier for say the different services to be able to help those whom want it without having to go out their looking for them within a large area, instead be in a better area that would be safe for all & easier access to & so that the greenway can be the loveable area it once was & all the area surrounding it can be that way once again too..
733: It would be really nice to use the community greenway our taxes pay for safely.
734: It’s a shame. We spend too much money cleaning up all the filth left from these illegal campers. Pulling into Medford and seeing the eye sore of a camp right there by the freeway exit is embarrassing. There’s a mountain of stolen bikes! Tents scattered up and down the entire freeway all the way through Medford. We are better than this.
735: It’s beyond crazy that the people who pay for the parks by our taxes cannot use them for fear of stepping on a used needle etc. no camping ever should be allowed. No overnight people after a stated curfew hour. Hire 24/7 policing to maintain this. Please
736: It’s completely out of hand. There is so much trash and everything it looks terrible. I would love to walk the trail, with my daughter but I’m actually scared to. Something definitely needs done.
737: It’s deplorable what they have done to the environment . The Greenway is no longer green! They need to be removed.
738: It’s embarrassing to call Medford home these days. The views through Medford from the freeway along Bear Creek should be inviting for tourists and not scare them away.
739: It’s gone way to far
740: It’s just sad to see the mess by the freeway exit when you come in to Medford from the north The green way could be a great idea for the community to be able to enjoy it could be like a park all the way around Bear creek
741: It’s just sad when something that is supposed to bring our community together is destroyed by people who blatantly DISRESPECT AND VANDALIZE our beautiful city. This walkway has become DANGEROUS for taxpaying citizens who have made it possible. I think it is a disgrace that the Medford City Council has allowed this problem to fluctuate to such a severe degree for this long. We REFUSE to become LA and the rest of California. We as citizens of Medford and Jackson County Oregon will NOT tolerate such an act, and are thus in support of this law to BAN illegal camping on the Greenway and recover this trail to one that can be enjoyed for many generations to come. Thank you.
742: It’s killing our cities
743: It’s not fair that families can’t feel safe using the bike path along the greenway ?. We shouldn’t have to be constantly cleaning up after the homeless.
744: It’s really disturbing to see what our valley has become. I’ve grown up here, and to see the filth that people leave around is nasty.. no matter how hard you try to help these homeless people, they turn right back around and go back to the filth. There’s needles everywhere in town, we can’t ride our bikes on the greenway because of everything going on. It’s saddening.
745: It’s really sad that when your parents house gets broken into, and you’re possessions are stolen, the officers response is most likely this is from the people camping on the greenway. They only take what they need.
Keep in mind my parents live in a nice area, in Dellwood Ave. they just moved in and this was their first experience living in Medford.
It broke my heart and I was disgusted.
Medford and Jackson County used to be beautiful and safe.
746: It’s really sad when I drive on I5fr Barnett to ‘McAndrews and my kids ask me Mom is al that trash killing the animals it would not be bad if these people in need would clean up after themselves but they don’t care about what me and my family have worked so hard to call home for over 18 years
747: It’s sad and unfortunate that I and my family are unable to enjoy the Greenway. I work and pay taxes but I can’t safely ride my bike on this path because of people that have illegally taken it over and destroyed it. Just the other day, I wanted to take a bike ride with my husband on the Greenway and we were trying to figure out a safe place to start the ride. There wasn’t any. Why is this being allowed to happen? I wouldn’t be allowed to just pull my trailer into city property (a beautiful park) and just camp there for free then when I’m done, dump my trash and black tank. Why can they put up a tent anywhere they choose and dump their garbage? Clean up the Greenway now! The government is enabling these people to continue this lifestyle.
748: It’s sad to say that it’s not just the Greenway that needs fixing. More then half of down town Medford needs to be cleaned up. Starting from the Rogue Valley mall and traveling towards Winco is littered with trash and is being taken over by the homeless. This is absolutely disgusting and unsanitary! This is how diseases start and become out of hand. I cannot believe that this has been allowed to get this bad. Medford and Jackson county are better than this!
749: It’s so bad and scary my child is scared to go to the park because of all the homeless people hanging around. You can’t walk along the greenway because of everything happening there.
750: It’s so embarrassing to see our city so trashy and full of homeless junkies right off of our interstate. I feel like we as a county are encouraging people to live on the streets and trash our city. They are popping up tents everywhere and living like pigs. You know they are on drugs and passing them around. They have no respect for our city or others property. We as a county have allowed them to take over the greenway and trash our city. I hope y’all will do something quickly about this tragedy.
751: It’s so extremely sad and discouraging to see the amount of homeless camping along our once beautiful greenway, not to mention how alarming it’s becoming to see the daily additions of campers, tents and garbage piling up.
752: It’s so very sad and embarrassing to see all the tents and garbage along the Greenway and when driving up I-5 in Medford.
For safety reasons I don’t want to use the Greenway as it was intended, and tell my grandchildren not to go there anymore.
This is a critical issue for Medford and Jackson County that needs to be addressed now for so many reasons.
To list a few:
Safety/Fires
Health
Quality of life here
Humanity
Drugs and crime reduction
Property values
Tourism
Thank you for your consideration and efforts on this growing issue before it’s to late.
753: It’s terrible not to be able to take kids along the greenway because of safety concerns, there are too drunks and addicts. Why are we paying taxes for something we can’t use and those using it leave it full of trash and feces.
754: It’s time to do something about the Greenway. It is an unsafe place to be anymore, that not many can enjoy.
755: It’s time to make the hard decisions and not allow this criminal activity.
756: It’s time we cleaned up Medford and make the greenway beautiful again.
757: It’s time we take back what used to be our beautiful town of Medford Oregon. Our greenway has become a city nuisance and biohazard. As a taxpayer my money should not have to be wasted to clean up the ongoing mess that is being left behind on a daily basis. It’s time we stand up and take our greenway back so that the residents of this city can use it as it was intended for without the fear of being hurt or contaminated. Our city leaders are letting our community down by not enforcing stricter laws.
758: It’s unsafe, disgusting, and reflects poorly on all city officials. More social welfare programs will undoubtedly make the homeless situation worse, in that more homeless will stay in Medford because the incentive increases with those programs. I do not support new social welfare programs for anyone, but this homeless problem is getting out of control, and something has to be done about it. Their camps make our city look like trash, and their constant disregard for cleanliness and public safety is abhorrent.
759: It’s very sad over the years what it has become and what the homeless are doing to it and what is allowing to happen in our local areas that should be known for family outings and what our children will be growing up around to keep a clean good safe world environment it should be handled a lot better.
760: It’s absolutely disgusting, unsafe, and an environmental disaster. Our town and county leadership need to do their jobs and provide for the health and well-being of our community and waterways! Clean this mess up now!
761: Its actually embarrassing! No need to be pigs nomatter where you live!
762: It’s an issue now that there is so much trash everywhere. It is a huge safety issue for me. Last week I was driving on I-5 north on a windy day and there was trash and cardboard flying everywhere. All of the sudden a huge piece of cardboard came to my front window. Thank god I was paying attention and the cardboard flew away quickly but had there been another car by me front or side I would of gotten in a huge wreck. We need our roads cleared and clean.
763: IT’S DISCUSTING SEEING OUR BEAUTIFUL GREENWAY SO DIRTY AND FILTY. PEOPLE IN CHARGE SHOULD BE ASHAMED. NO MORE CAMPING ON THE GREENWAY, YOU ARE ASKING FOR MORE FIRES AND FILT. ARREST THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CREATING THIS FILT. PUT THEM IN JAIL, TAKE THEM OUT EACH MORNING AND MAKE THEM CLEAN IT UP. KEEP IT UP UNTIL IT IS CLEANED UP AND THEN GET THEM OUT OF OUR TOWN. TAKE THEM TO PORTLAND, THEY LIKE ALL THAT FILT UP THERE.
764: Its discusting to enter our city from both directions and see the trash.the amount of filth they are polutting the dam creek pls stop this there is alot of wildlife that doesnt deserve the trash
765: It’s disgusting, makes our beautiful town look like Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle. It’s the first thing people see when they get off the first Medford exit, is that an image we want for Southern Oregon? As you drive between the 2 Medford exits it is riddled with trash and tent cities makes me sick to even drive through it. We need to get these people off the Greenway and out of our city.
766: It’s gotten way out of hand and will only get worse if something isn’t done NOW!
767: It’s horrifying to see what is happening on the greenway, it’s scary and disgusting. The garbage is making our community look awful. Our family is considering moving away. The homeless have taken over and are destroying our community.
768: Its just not safe
769: Its obviously time for a change, please help save our Greenway and all the people that live in the cities it runs through
770: It’s past time to stop all camping/overnight staying along the greenway.
771: It’s ridiculous the city pays exorbitant amounts of money to clean these areas up and then moves on and allows the transient population to move right back in and desecrate the land and expect someone else to clean up after their disgusting habit of discarding their garbage and waste. It’s a never ending cycle. The money spent on cleanup could be used on greenway enforcement and with enough legal presence, the transient population would either move on or learn they could still frequent these areas as long as they were abiding by the laws governing this land that we, as taxpayers are required to adhere to and pay for. You can’t just make laws and then not enforce them. Get real.
772: It’s sad and ridiculous to see in our beautiful city!! These people have no drive in life and need to go bother someone else! Drugs are not an excuse!! Come from addict life and family and support my family and thrive everyday!! No excuses!!
773: It’s sad that people have no other options. But why should my taxes be used to maintain all the trash these people leave behind. And all the damage and crime these pop up tents everywhere lately. I’ve lived here my whole life 43 years and such beauty has turned to garbage, crime and so much trash.
774: It’s sad the state the greenway is in however my biggest concern is also the fires that are started from the campers. Many elderly live in mobile home parks along this path and can’t evacuate in necessary time.
775: It’s shocking and disgusting to see how much the Bear Creek Greenway has deteriorated into such a filthy and dangerous place. Not only can my family no longer use it, but we can’t even stand to look at it when driving by. How could those of you in charge let this become such a horrific problem? The Greenway was to be a natural, recreational space for citizens and families to enjoy, not a homeless encampment or a drug den. This needs to stop, especially after last year’s fires.
776: It’s terrible and embarrassing for our community.
777: It’s time to clean up this area and keep it safe for residents. The homeless need help but I don’t feel this is a good solution.
778: It’s time to have the Greenway back to the purpose it was originally built for… hiking, biking and enjoying the beauty with our families. That’s what we are paying taxes for… not to have used needles, feces, stolen property scattered all over the area and dumped into Bear Creek. It’s time for common sense to prevail…. You know as well as we do that criminal activities continue constantly and have gone on there for years, including assaults, rapes and homicides. Stop the insanity of allowing drug addicts, alcoholics, criminals and others to dominate our once beautiful area.
779: It’s time to take back the Greenway!! It’s supposed to be a safe place for families to exercise, and enjoy. That hasn’t happened for a few years, and it gets worse. It’s time to take it back!!
780: It’s unhealthy, it’s not safe, it’s not nice to look at. Why can’t you do something about our Greenway? My kids can’t use it, my wife can’t use it. I don’t feel safe using it… why do we offer such nice camping spots to people who don’t take care of it?
781: It’s unsafe. The green way is nothing but a harbour for drugs and crimals. They will burn our town down. Stop this once and for all.
782: I’ve been blessed to have been born and raised in the beautiful Medford area. I’m a 4th generation builder of the Rogue Valley which has given me an opportunity to meet and work with some of the best people. It is truly a special and unique place. In the recent years I’ve witnessed our area get overwhelmed with many adversities, one of which is the growing homeless population. My heart goes out to all people with metal health or housing issues. I do believe areas need to be established for tent site camping. Areas that not only can be monitored for crime but organized to better aid individuals. The green way is not one of these areas. What is being allowed is in excusable and will only get worse. The trashed, crime ridden, drug use waste land that has been created reflects poorly on our community, it’s people, and leadership. Please stop the camping on the Greenway and make it once again a beautiful, safe place for families and citizens to use and enjoy.
783: I’ve been in Medford Oregon for over 30 years, I was born and raised. It is truly upsetting what the Greenway has become. At one point people could happily walk, run ride bikes, skateboard and just spend time with family along the Greenway but not anymore. It is a gaping wound through the middle of Medford that the government refuses to clean and take care of.
784: I’ve grown up in the valley & to see the destruction caused by the homeless camps over the last few years is devastating. There is no reason people should be littering our town like this.
785: I’ve lived here since 1973. I used to run and ride my bike so many times on the bikeway. I will never set foot on it again, until I will fill safe. What are the steps being taken to make other people feel safe. Would a young couple with children ride that path? I don’t think so. This is a problem that needs to be fixed. Which parties of people need to discuss this? Put a program together that can help all people. All of our people in the valley need help with this situation. Talk to other cities and find out what they have done. What are the problems besides drugs, homelesness, mental health, etc? One thing is to make people accountable. Clean up the place. Drive the freeway and see what other people are seeing when they drive by. Would they want to visit here or even move here?
786: I’ve lived in Jackson County for 20 years now. Only once did we use the greenway for a bike ride, and even then we carried a fire arm. What should be a beautiful asset to our area is a fear for your life debacle. Please make this your opportunity to do something for your tax payers citizens. Debbie Miller. P.S. If I were looking to make a move to Medford, just seeing the homeless camps along the exits would tell me that Medford has lost control of its city. I would keep on driving
787: I’ve lived in Medford all of my life, it breaks my heart and makes me mad to see all this garbage and disgusting things lying all over Bear Creek!!!!!!!! It needs to stop one way or another. NO CAMPING on the Greenway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
788: I’ve lived in Medford my entire life and am completely embarrassed by the state of the Bear Creek Greenway. The garbage and makeshift tents are an eyesore and the first things people see when driving I-5. It says a lot about the city of Medford and how it is being run by our local officials. Something needs to be done to hold those living on the Greenway accountable. First thing is to eliminate camping on the Greenway for everyone. It is a health hazard and safety concern during fire season. Second is to create a law focused living area for homeless. Instead of putting them in jail, take them to the living center. We’re tired of carrying the weight of people who blow off the offers of help. Require drug and mental health treatment that Medford and Jackson County has to offer. Give them small jobs within the center. Do whatever it takes to make them contribute to society. The City of Medford needs to take a stand and show its citizens that it cares about them. Letting the ruthless and defiant homeless population walk all over Medford is truly a sad state of affairs that is noticeable to all who drive by our once beautiful city. Not all homeless fit this mold, but the ones who won’t follow rules for getting help are dragging this city down. Please do something so my children won’t have to feel sad and ashamed that they live in Medford.
789: I’ve lived in Medford since 1992 and it’s always been a great place. In the past 10 years the greenway has become an unsafe place. In the past 5 years even more so. The transient population has exploded and now these "camps" have gotten far too out of control. Coming into our city just makes everyone sad. Its horrible the amount of garbage and destruction thats constantly observed. I get why they have the right to rest and thats not illegal. Littering, using our greenway and creek as a bathroom, panhandling, unapproved firepits, theft (im assuming the mountain of bicycles), unwanted traffic in nearby neighborhoods. These all make this area seem unsafe. Medford, please make us proud to call southern Oregon home again.
790: I’ve lives in the Rogue Valley nearly 35 years. I’ve seen fires, floods, fields turned to strip malls, and orchards turned to low income housing…. This valley has been losing its charm for some time and the recent relaxation of our police force is making it even worse. These slaps on the wrists for hard drug offenders and the general disregard for the level of homelessness in our own front yard needs to be addressed. Our leadership needs to lead instead of printing and burning money.
791: I’ve never felt safe enough to even experience the green way for myself yet it runs right past my home in Central point.
792: I’ve worked previously on the Greenway Clean-Up… Tragic what we’ve allowed to happen to it…
793: Jackson county has suffered devastating fires the last few years due to homeless on the Greenway. Last year, we lost parts of Ashland, Talent, and Phoenix. The year before, the heroism of our fire fighters saved Central Point from a similar fate.
YOU are in office to solve these problems. YOU are responsible for protecting the greater community. In such a litigious society, I am positive YOU will face a financial reckoning if you allow this to happen again. Just look at how pacific Power is being forced to repay the residents living in California affected by those fires. Those lawyers are no less hungry today than when they nailed Pacific Power.
794: Jackson County is becoming a haven for enabled lawless activities. I believe that it is becoming a magnet for hard drugs and those looking for a place to sell or use them. Allowing illegal camping in Jackson County only protects and promotes these activities and endangers community safety.
795: Jackson county should be embarrassed at how this problem has been allowed to grow.
796: Just bs we should never see this
797: Just really miss not seeing it covered with tents. Trash everywhere, needles, human waste. I go to work pay my bills, can’t even take my kids for a walk without running into bad people doing bad stuff…they are ruining our beautiful valley…if they don’t want help, get out, move along. We great citizens are so tired of this shit. Please please help our community. PLEASE!
798: Laws have to be enforced! Those that won’t get immediate help need to go. They need to leave the valley completely. We are not responsible for their housing and care! There should not be one illegal camper in this county. You need to do your job!
799: Laws on the books need to be enforced with teeth! No more turning the other cheek of these law breakers!!
800: Let families use the Greenway again. Get rid of "camping" by the homeless who ruin it for everybody else!
801: Let’s cleanup the greenway!
802: Let’s make Medford and surrounding areas clean again. The Greenway and the city’s are a mess. It’s so sad to see our area looking the way it does. It’s an embarrassment when people drive through our town’s and I5 and see all the filth!
803: Let’s work to not become Salem or Portland.
804: Letting homeless people camp along a wildlife area is not helping them, it creating a big pollution problem. They need a designated camp ground with clean water, toilets, a needle drop box, substance abuse treatment, and mental health treatment. There are needles and human excrement everywhere, along with trash all along the Greenway. I work for a substance abuse treatment center and I know it’s not fair just to say it’s illegal for them to be down there. This is a broken system! They need a place that is meant for camping. Not necessarily force them into treatment, but have it more available, and a more suitable living area instead of a wildlife area and a river.
805: Livability is being affected by a small group. Please vote for change. Thank you!
806: Live in Central point
807: Live in central point less then a mile from Medford and by the greenway
808: Living in this valley has become embarrassing. I don’t even want my family visiting because they’ll see the dump we call a greenway while driving on the freeway.
809: Look at the harm caused to thousands of people directly and indirectly caused by the fire. How could governmental officials overlook, for years, the actual, threatened and foreseeable danger to persons and property caused by persons camping along the Bear Creek Greenway. The Greenway should be a valuable resource for the community. Instead, it has been turned into a dangerous place and eyesore.
810: Look this is absolutely ruining our city. We need to get them out of there ASAP. Zero tolerance, we need daily dump trucks and garbage collectors and enforcement throwing all their camping gear away until they get the hell out of our valley. Nonnegotiable, the park is for recreation not for losers to do drugs and steal things.
If you want to show compassion Mark or tag their tent and say if their tent is still there in three days it will be thrown away along with all bedding.
Yes, there may be federal ordinances but guess well we need to sue back and take a stand. Our whole city almost burned down last year and it will happen again this year if you do not take action.
811: Love supporting people, but do not support behavior that negatively impacts others.
812: Loved riding my bike on the green way 10 years ago. Now I don’t even think about the green way. I try to think happy thoughts and baby this one isn’t. The green way is a big dumping ground now.
813: Make Medford beautiful again!
814: Make Medford, Oregon BEAUTIFUL again.
815: Make the greenway a safe place for families to ride bikes or run! This is so unsafe and scary!! They’re taking over our town!!
816: Make the Greenway safe for Women and Families. Enforce the No Camping Laws.
817: Medford and Jackson County at one time not long ago were beautiful and a safe place to live which is why I moved here over 20 years ago. In the last few years it has become a cesspool with garbage strewn along bear creek and the Greenway. From ordinary trash to issues with sharps it has become unsafe and disgusting. Something needs to be done to clean it back up.
818: Medford city council and Jackson country commissioners should not need to be told about the Greenwsy. It’s a eye sore, in need of attention. When the council and commissioners along this, what else would you expect.
819: Medford is a place I don’t want to live in anymore after 61 years here and will be moving out of soon and that goes for the State of Oregon which has also gone down the drain. We have offered these folks plenty of help, but they choose not to take it, it’s their way of life. So, take back our town and county and bus them to Kate Brown in Salem,
820: Medford is becoming a miniature portland
821: Medford is turning Disgusting trash and tents all over needles are every where the land is getting destroyed the list can keep going . It’s unsafe and needs to be stopped and crime coming from these tent city’s is horrible
822: More safe housing must be prioritized. No one is safe, least of all the people trying to survive there.
823: most should not get "available" resources… they should get a JOB.
824: Moving to Medford 2 years ago I was very excited and optimistic about the city. I was aware of our city’s drug and homeless problem but I could also see the huge potential the Rogue Valley has for growth and success. New business is being developed every day and new people like me have moved here and appreciate the natural beauty, and how the community works together to make this place a great place to live. It is so upsetting and unsettling to see how rapid all of this is declining. The greenway being completely destroyed has made me look at Medford so much differently. As you drive North on Interstate 5, our residents and travelers are immediately able to see there is a problem. What once was clean and green has been ruined by tents and needles littering our beautiful city in the mountains. I can’t stand to see this grow and I can’t stand to see this happen any longer. We need to focus on shelter available for the homeless and we need mental health facilities to help get these people back on track. Because they have no place to go and can’t get the help that they need, they’re forced to cover Medford in makeshift homes.
825: Multiple fires lit last year from campers. Why allow this insanity. Enforce the no camping before frustrated citizens take matters into their own hands and bypass government.
826: My brother lives on the Greenway it runs right behind him his wife has been chased and scared to death numerous times trying to jog she will not go on again, Please protect our rights..
827: My business has been broken into and a window recently busted on Town Centre Drive. I guess I bought too close to the Greenway! Total eye sore all around town. When will people start moving away from here?
828: My business was burned in the almeda fire, and seeing camps and possible threats to our livelihood on the greenway is making our county an unsafe place to be. I miss our greenway being lush and beautiful, driving by and seeing all the trash and harmful things threaten this, disgusts me to no end!
829: My children play little league and my husband coaches. While coaching this week we found needles left by the homeless just sitting out that the children could have been poked by!
My toddler runs around full of energy. But rather than being able to enjoy my son’s game, I can’t take my eyes off of my toddler in fear of him finding a needle (or human feces, among other things) and picking it up.
This is a park, and not something we should have to worry about.
I was born and raised in Medford, just like my dad, and his family. Medford has NEVER been this bad. We’ve always said this is where we’d raise our family and we’d stay here forever.
For the first time, we’re looking at moving because of how bad it is here.
We’re just inviting the homeless, and drugs are legal, so they flee here.
My husband is a firefighter of 20 years.
He is more worried about this fire season because of all the homeless on the greenway and nothing is being done about it!
Please, do something before it’s too late.
It’s far too dangerous for many reasons (fires, drugs, crime, human trafficking, etc).
Step up now before it’s too late!
830: My concerns have grown immensely with all the contamination being leaked into bear creek infecting and spreading down stream. I’m glad to see some attempts are being made to put an end to this tyranny. The amount of garbage, needles and fecal matter is enough to overflow a landfill.
831: My elderly grandmother was put in harms way by the greenway fire last year. The years prior her neighbor at Aspens at the Creek had transients sneaking around their home and a few build a camp under a neighbors trailer. We need to stop the individuals camping along the greenway and prevent them from looting and harassing neighboring communities. We need to preserve the lands, the cultural of the great Pacific Northwest, and protect the environment. The camps have become an eyesore all along I5 and unfortunately Medford’s nickname has become Methford. Let’s take pride in our county and start by cleaning up the Bear Creek Greenway.
832: My family and extended family moved up here 9 years ago and always commented on how clean Jackson County was. Keyword: was. Every time I get off the freeway at exit 33, all I think is how ugly it is becoming. We need to stop allowing camping everywhere on the greenway. I used to feel safe picking blackberries on the bushes by the Expo and I don’t anymore because of all the transients camping there.
833: My family and I have been proud Medford residents since Feb 2008. Since then we have not only grown to love our community, but we have become active in it by volunteering, donations and we support our local youth programs. During a recent visit with some out of state relatives, who frequently come to our valley, they had expressed their concern for the first time since we’ve lived here of the growing tents and garbage seen from I-5 (aka our Greenway). Take it for what it is, but if out of area visitors have noticed a change then only imagine what us residents have sadly had to witness happen.
834: My family and I would live to enjoy the greenway again. It has become scary even getting near the area, and last time we did we found needles on the floor. Please help.
835: My family has been directly impacted by fires started by transients on the greenway in the area of tablerock road and midway. To the extreme of being evacuated TWICE last summer and seeing high flames behind our home. My two boys had to experience the trauma of quickly throwing treasured belongings into the bar and leaving their only home known to them with the fear of it not being there when we return. This could ALL have been stopped if the city would enforce NO CAMPING on the greenway! We have also been victims of felony theft from transients who live on the greenway and frequently case our neighborhood. I know the felon was a transient due to the fact that we ourselves chased him down to confirm identity to bring to police where he was indicted on charges by a grand jury. No citizen should have to take these matters into their own hands … however, we feel that we now have to take safety into our own hands.
We no longer feel safe as a family accessing the greenway for leisure or exercise as it was intended to be for the citizens of Jackson county. The human waste, crime, hard core drug use, and pure lack of safety have taken that away from us.
We have been residents of Medford for more than 20 years. It is disgusting and heartbreaking to drive down I5 to see the massive amounts of trash, waste and camping compounds that are lined along the greenway. There are no legal means currently in place to remove these compounds. We have already allowed one sister city to be utterly destroyed by one fire… please look into creating enforcement and legal action to be taken to STOP the fear of another similar event to occur. Just surging the last two weeks we have already had two illegal fires on the greenway near railroad park… once again instilling fear into my family that we will once again experience the fear of evacuation. I urge you to not blind your eyes upon this matter. The citizens of Medford deserve to take the beauty of their city back! My family deserves to not live in fear each summer that our house will be eliminated by something that you CAN STOP!
836: My family has lived in East Medford for over 20 years and have always loved the greenway and local parks. We hope to see these areas restored so future kids and families can safely use them. I understand that these may be individuals/families who were displaced due to last year’s fires, so I can only hope a long term solution may be provided to help get them off the streets and back in a home.
837: My family has lived in Medford for forty years. We used to be able to enjoy the greenway, now it is unsafe and unsanitary.
We implore you to please enforce no camping laws within Medford city limits.
838: My family has not only worked on the Greenway for years with cleanup and riperian work, we have used it for bike rides and training for runs and marathons. We have been so blessed to have this safe space to enjoy the valley, to use natural healthy means of transportation (biking) and to creat beautiful memories with family and friends as we stroll or ride down the Greenway. This has all be taken away. The creek is filthy again, their is trash tossed everywhere, there are needles and unhealthy items on the roads, in the green spaces and around the bridges and there are a multitude of people harassing riders and walkers. Needless to say we don’t go on the Greenway anymore and neither do any of our family and friends. It is no longer a safe option, physically, emotionally and environmentally. It breaks my heart for I have seen all the love and work that has been put into it over the last thirty years and to see it all wiped out in one year. Travesty. Medford needs it’s green space back not only for the health of environment but for the health of the community.
839: My family lives in Phoenix. We are right in between the green way and the irrigation ditch road. This freedom of hidden travel has been a recipe for mischief and crime! Our police department has been doing a great job, but they need help!
840: My family loves to bike together and we don’t feel safe biking on our Greenway. We have to leave town to go elsewhere to find fun, safe bike paths where we can bike together. It is a shame that we have a bike path in our city where we pay taxes, and feel unable to use it. On our Greenway we have been shouted at and frightened by unattended dogs; we have seen a nude man walking along the path, and witnessed drug deals. All of these are unacceptable.
Please clean up the Greenway so tax paying citizens can use it responsibly.
841: My family would appreciate actually being able to utilize the greenway but for safety and sanitary reason she we cannot. It’s a disgusting eyesore for our community. Please eliminate camping and setting up residence on the greenway.
842: My family would love to walk and ride our bikes safely along the Greenway. Please let us enjoy this space that was created for responsible residents like us. I support the No Camping laws along our Greenway. We are tax paying citizens who would love to use this community space.
843: My father rides the greenway a few times a week for exercise and has had encounters with men he has described as homicidal. He now leaves everything but his license at home for fear of being mugged. Pushing citizens to feel the need to bring self defense weapons on simple bike rides is ridiculous. He should not be forced to ride on roadways or highways and be put at a greater risk of being hit by a car simply because the city has given away control of our beautiful greenway. If the city believes camping, drug use, theft, homicide and absolute filth are okay for our city than go ahead and build a no rules camping area for these people to live, out of harms way of actual citizens of this town.
844: My forever home burned to the ground in the fire that swept through Phoenix on September 8th., which just happened to be my 71st. birthday. I lost everything….60 years of near and dear possessions that can never be replaced. My home was located less than 100′ from the Bike Path along the Greenway. At that spot along the Greenway it was just a tangled brushy, blackberry choked, littered disaster waiting to happen…..and it did in a wind swept flash. So devastating and so very sad!
845: My friend was raped on the greenway when we were 16 in 2004. Crime after crime stacked there as no one has ever set out to stop it from becoming overrun with criminals, homeless, druggies, and garbage. It’s unusable for good citizens and if you do use it, you have to keep your head on a swivel and walk like everyone is suspect. It’s overdue to clean up the Greenway and make it illegal to camp there. Make people be accountable and get actual help instead of living like animals.
846: My girlfriend runs on the greenway and I hate it. It’s not safe. I used to own a salon on E Main and I had to park at Hawthorn Park. The things that I’ve seen from the bridge over Bear Creek and in the parking lot at the park are more than disturbing. People strung out, women being sexually abused. If it wasn’t for Chip Wright and his dojo, my ex wife and I would have been attacked on the bridge. In broad daylight.
There has to be a better way.
Allowing the homeless and transients to camp along the greenway is simply making our town disgusting. It’s putting countless people in harms way.
There are options available and we need to use them.
847: My grandsons are coming this summer,
I would love to take them on a bike ride from Medford to Ashland, but obviously
I can t not to dangerous!!!
It would be a safe place for them to ride out of traffic. This is not right.
We can pay for illegals, but not help our own citizens that are homeless or need mental help. ?
848: My heart goes out to every homeless person, I realize its not an easy fix, But this is not ok, Not for them or the public, If it is allowed to continued it will only get worse ,As you well know,
849: My heart goes out to the homeless but I can’t help thinking we are only enabling them by supporting lifestyles filled with drug/alcohol use and a life of irresponsibility. As a fellow human I was taught the importance of living a life of being a responsible citizen wherever I lived and not to expect someone else to take care of me. Because of that, I chose to avoid drugs and alcohol and the the lifestyle that came with them which was always readily available to me. I chose to work and support myself and become ‘a productive member of society’ as my mother would say. She taught me the importance of integrity and first and foremost the fear of God…knowing I would be held accountable by my Creator for my choices, good or evil. I was never to steal, ‘not even a pen’ from my employers, even if they had great wealth and I had none. Some of the people may need help to get off drugs/alcohol and counseling to ‘get their feet under them’ but they are not helped if we just ‘enable’ them.
850: My home away from home
851: My home backs up to the greenway and has been evacuated twice now due to transient fires in the last three years. Yet I still smell trash fires at night. It makes it very hard to rest easy with that happening. I’ve heard gunshots that ended up being murder. My neighborhood has been invaded by transients, when it was once peaceful. Please, for my family’s sanity and safety, please enforce the greenway rules and make it transient free once again.
852: My home was one of the several homes that burnt last September. Who will take responsibility when they start another fire while illegally camping on the greenways?
853: My hope is to have a safe and clean place for locals and tourist to enjoy our beautiful valley and town. It’s time for a change to the Medford reputation!
854: My house burnt down on September 8th, 2020 because of this, i believe, and if anything like that happens again, i, along with many others will sue the city.
I am passionate about doing everything in my power to save the greenway.
855: My husband and I bought a cute little house in downtown Medford. The area is so disgusting. The homeless situation is out of control and the city obviously doesn’t care. Nothing is more embarrassing than telling people I live in Medford. It’s now called Methford. Driving past the greenway is such a disgrace to our little town. We are currently in the process of moving to Bend where the homeless is almost non existent. I can’t tell you how many times our cars were broken into, things stolen off of my front porch, our garbage cans looted, creeps coming to our door and our puppy was attacked by a loose dog. I invested in cameras because I’m afraid. We refuse to raise children here. Clean this disgusting town up. The greenway is just a start.
856: My husband and I have owned our home in Jackson County for over thirty years having moved from Grants Pass in 1989. We have watched the expansion of the greenway, and over the years have unfortunately, witnessed the trail is increasingly dominated by vagrants living in the brush or loitering on the bike path putting ordinary citizens and their families at risk. I personally know someone who was attacked on the greenway several years ago and as a result I have long since stopped using it myself. We moved to Jackson County because the quality of life we could expect here was favorable to raising a family. It is extremely disappointing to watch the standards of the community deteriorate rapidly due to the major increase in unsavory persons and the drug users who loiter in parking lots, store fronts, and of course, the greenway, trashing up our once beautiful community. I have been accosted in the parking lots of Barnes and Noble, Fred Meyer, and Lowes. The more persons allowed to camp randomly and trash our public areas the more we will see citizens approached in shopping areas or parks by aggressive panhandlers. I understand there is a movement to prevent law enforcement from doing their job of removing, citing, or lodging individuals openly camping, using drugs, trashing, or wandering aimlessly in our public areas or park lands. My husband and I fully support all efforts by law enforcement to protect and serve our community to ensure the welfare of our citizens. Unfortunately we do not have solutions to offer as to how to end the vagrancy problem in Jackson County. Legalizing drugs in our community and our state has only exacerbated a situation for more drug use which leads to declining mental health more addiction and more homelessness. While we cannot offer suggestions to rectify these problem, my husband and I strongly implore the County Commissioners and City Council to write and enact firm policies to protect the citizens of this community with a no tolerance stance in Jackson County for camping, loitering, or using drugs. And to authorize our law enforcement agencies to do whatever is necessary to protect our quality of life in Jackson County. We would also ask that you seriously consider prohibiting the practice of pandering at freeway offramps (or anywhere else) It is clear that our situation in Jackson County will only get worse unless our community leaders stand strong for the taxpaying citizens. My husband and I will strongly support any action the Commissioners and Council take that will minimize the vagrancy populations. As we look toward summer, and the drier season ahead, it is particularly important to act now to eliminate another catastrophe like the fires of 2020. As leaders of the community I encourage you to act swiftly and with a clear no tolerance policy.
857: My husband and I stopped walking on the Greenway due to the homeless encampments. We used to love taking a daily walk along the path but no longer feel safe to do so. In September, the fire on the Greenway came within one mile of our home. My husband was just one week out of the hospital from having hip replacement surgery. We spent the first night in our car at the Jackson County Expo Center. We were allowed to return home but then had to evacuate the next night and the road to the Expo Center was blocked so I drove us several hours to a friend’s home who took us in. Both nights we had no idea if we had lost everything due to the fires. Respectfully yours, Susan Wood-Kotkoski
858: My husband is afraid for women and children especially when they’re on the greenway! We have a daughter that likes to run and sometimes uses the bike path. We believe it is unsafe for her to do that now. It is very unsafe to use the whole greenway now. Thank you. ?
859: My husband, myself and our 2 daughters live in a wonderful and beautiful home which the backyard faces the Bear Creek Greenway only a few yards away from Bear Creek Park. If we are on our back patio we now see tents and usually hear some sort of ruckus from just across the Creek. Often there is loud arguing. We are afraid to let our teenage daughter go to the park by herself due to the people who have chosen to set up residence so alarmingly close to us. We have had some of our property stolen and our vehicles broken into. However, the safety of our girls is what is most concerning. Anybody who is educated about hard drugs knows how unpredictable and erratic such substances can make once "normal" people. It is only a matter of time before something far more serious and far more devastating takes place. These people can watch our comings and goings and potentially cause harm to our children while we are at work. This is NO WAY means that I feel that all homeless people are a threat, but unfortunately the ones who use such strong drugs, most certainly are! And unfortunately, the vast majority of the homeless community here in Jackson County are avid drug/alcohol abusers. Allowing this to continue is an inevitable recipe for disaster. Maybe more shelters and outreach programs would help. Regardless, we worked very hard to buy our home and should not have to deal with the problems that are being brought about by drug/alcohol addicted homeless community. Something has to change and fast please!
860: My issue stems from responsibility. In other words, the homeless who camp along the green way leave behind vast amounts of trash in the brush, they solicit people walking by for money, and create alarm by having a fire.
Simply grimy people, who other wise destroy Public resource.
861: My kids deserve a better place to live. We all deserve better
862: My Mother would greatly appreciate this since they come into her yard and steal stuff
863: My mother’s nursing home burned down in the Almeda fire, three days later she passed away. I believe she felt she had nothing left to keep her fighting. Every year, our summers are taken away because of fires, let’s show other communities that the homeless can be taken care of without risks of fires.
864: My neighborhood was evacuated twice last summer due to fires in the greenway. I never heard exactly what caused those fires, but have seen warming and cooking fires in the greenway during high fire danger. I feel for the safety of our community camping in the greenway should not be allowed.
865: My out of town guests drove by the Greenway yesterday and were appalled. I was embarrassed. They asked how on earth have we allowed this to happen. Even more importantly, why are we allowing it to continue? We must stop turning a blind eye!!!!
866: My tax dollars are being wasted. Is there a solution for this? I miss cycling along the greenway. Its unsafe like this.
867: My taxes support the Greenway yet I am afraid to use it because of the questionable campers along it. There has to be a better way and a good start is enforcing no camping laws.
868: My wife and I stopped bicycling on the greenway due to the number drug deals we witnessed and the sheer number of people loitering in areas that provide adequate means to obscure the presence of someone lying in wait, as we were distracted by those we could plainly see.
Please exercise your authority to make the greenway safe and enjoyable for all residents. Piles of trash and human waste do not make any campground enjoyable for those who chose to use it.
869: My wife, infant son and I live in Phoenix. We lost our home and my job to the Almeda Fire which was started by homeless people along the greenway. Please enforce the no camping ordinance along the bear creek greenway so my son and mamy other families can actually enjoy the natural beauty that our valley has to offer.
Too much trash is tossed into the creek which flows into the Rogue which then flows into the Pacific as I’m sure your well aware of. The salmon and steelhead numbers are way way down and they keep plummeting. This rubbish and filth is destroying their populations.
Do not enable the addicts by allowing them to hide in the blackberry bushes and do there drugs while trashing our communities. There has to be a better way to help them, there is already resources allocated towards this. Use them properly.
870: Need to stop giving the homeless so much free stuff. There is no incentive to keep it and they just leave it lay wherever they used it and go get new the next day. The parks, alleys and bike path are full of garbage. This breeds rodents around town. It’s insane to see all the garbage and needles around the parks and neighborhoods where kids play. The city needs to also think of the law abiding citizens and their way of life, not just the drug addicted individuals. They are putting our children at risk. The theft is incredible since there are no consequences. Need to make these individuals clean up their mess as a punishment and not just set free. Bigger jails aren’t the answer. They need mandatory drug inpatient if arrested and community service to clean. Each arrest the time of treatment and services gets longer. It needs to happen immediately not set free and hope they show up later. I believe there are individuals that want help getting clean but the valley doesn’t have much to offer them. Make that a priority not jails and little houses. No tent cities in neighborhoods but maybe on the outskirts of town. Need to make it uncomfortable for them and stop the pampering.
871: No camping in the greenway, period! Homeless and transients must engage in programs and assistance available to them otherwise they should leave the area. Contribute to the community as others do. Society functions better when we all engage for the betterment of all. If people can’t function in this model, they should receive treatment, be cared for or institutionalized. The current hands off approach perpetuates the problem. Handouts cause stagnation and reliance.
872: No camping no littering..no loitering.. make them leave…I wish Jackson county would build a 12 foot fenced area like the pot farms in the middle of a vacant field way out of town… put a dumpster an a porta potty….let them live there…I dont want to see them or their garabge..so sick of how our beautiful greenway is now a bio hazard
873: No camping should be allowed.. Our city has been trashed and no one is safe to use the trail.
874: No Camping.
875: No homeless camps should be allowed on or near the greenway. We need to clean up the town and keep it that way!
876: No longer safe to use
877: No more camping on the greenway
878: No more fires and trash
879: No more handouts at Hawthorne Park. Move them.all out NOW! If you don’t take control and enforce it will become a nightmare.
880: No one should be allowed to amp along the greenway, period! What a sight along the freeway. The greenway is for those to enjoy and we cant enjoy it while there are people living and trashing the area. Its not safe!.
881: No police brutality against the homeless and those displaced by the Almeda fire, please.
882: Not only is the amount of trash visible from the freeway an incredible amount , amounts hidden from view must be many times more. I can only imagine how much fecal material and urine that are being put into the Bear Creek . We are dealing with an ecological disaster from the human waste not to mention the pressure placed by the Alameda fire . I don’t know the answer but allowing these people to destroy the Greenway is not an answer.
883: Not only are residents in the city of Medford in danger any other towns along the greenway are in danger of fires also! The trash, refuse, human waste and garbage is ruining our beautiful city and county!
884: Not only are they leaving insane amounts of trash that I’ve seen ODOT having to clean up, they’re threatening the stream habitat, the Greenway is completely unsafe, they pose am extreme fire hazard and its absolutely disgusting driving 2x daily between North and South Medford exits and seeing the huge trash piles and camps. It is only a brief view of what one can see from I5. This needs to stop, they’re a hazard to our community in more ways than one.
885: Not only do we pay taxes that help go to keeping our city clean but we want to see those funds are used to their full intent, keeping our southern Oregon beautiful. And right now that just doesn’t seem to be the case. The crime rate from theft seems to be getting higher (I know we’ve all seen the piles of bicycles in the homeless camps), you hear of more overdoses, killings on the greenway, and nobody wants to go on the Greenway for what it was originally intended. It used to be a beautiful walk or ride on a bicycle for a family and now it’s just not safe. I can’t see why anybody would want to stop in Medford while traveling through when every freeway exit is filled with garbage and camps. It actually makes us want to move completely. We need to find a better solution to help home the homeless, provide adequate shelter through companies or businesses such as Rogue Retreat or other non-profits. Because living outside definitely does not support their dignity. This change cannot come soon enough for everybody involved!
886: Not only is this a visible blight and embarrassment to our community, it is an environmental nightmare.
887: Not only was our watershed devastated by fire and pore management now a waterway highly protected in our valley is being allowed to be destroyed and polluted. No one should b allowed to do this. We all have rights and no one has the right to destroy our community space. Somthing must be done!!
888: On June 19,2014 Gold Hill Beach Park was set on fire by transient campers who resisted instructions to cease illegal camping in the beach area.
Due to the quick action by Fire District #3 Gold Hill was saved from the possibility of what happened to Phoenix and Talent.
Additionally, Gold Hill’s drinking water is taken from the Rogue River downstream from Bear Creek so concern for the quality of our water being contaminated has been an issue for years. Feces and opiates don’t belong in the public’s drinking water.
We have many new residents who chose to move to Gold Hill due to the conditions in Medford.
At least get the campers off the freeway so we don’t have to be shamed to admit that we live in southern Oregon. Thank you.
889: Once upon a time we had a wonderful place to ride our bikes or go for a walk. We raised and donated money and labor to bring it to fruition.
Now our beautiful Greenway has become an eyesore and dumping ground littered with tents and drug paraphernalia. Now we pay our public servants to clean up after those people who make our Greenway virtually unusable. Why aren’t they cleaning up their own trash?
Last but not least, it has made our city look like a community that has given up on making people accountable. Where is our pride… there are better ways than allowing people to live in the squalor they create.
890: Once, during the farmer’s market at Hawthorne Park, my son brought his skateboard and walked over to the skate park, only to come back to me crying because there was a group of people camping on it and they had an angry dog who chased him off. With the park’s proximity to the greenway, and the frequent violent transient issues, I don’t allow my son to go there by himself, and he’s 12. He should be able to go there and enjoy what our tax dollars pay for. I’m also so sick of the disgusting trash that is all over the greenway. It makes our town look like a dump.
891: Our beautiful greenway needs all our help…. it is out of control.
892: Our beautiful town is being ruined by the homeless and drug using population. Please save our town before it’s too late.
893: Our city deserves better. Our families deserve better. Our taxpayers deserve better. Your constituents deserve better. Let’s make Medford a place where families will love to call home.
894: Our city have a multitude of available services and living opportunities. Walking down the bike path or coming off the I-5 exit, it is clear of the unsafe living conditions that are a hazard to all those around. Allowing people to live wherever they want removed all form of law and order.
Sincerely,
895: Our city is being destroyed.
896: Our city is in ruins! And all this camping just encourages criminals to come to our area. There are resources in place for people in need…… these people just CHOOSE this life style, and expect everyone else to tolerate it.
897: Our city looks like complete trash due to the allowance of ignorant people being able to reside anywhere and everywhere. Not that I want anymore people in this Valley. But I certainly don’t feel proud living here right now. The homeless have absolutely no respect for the place everyone else is fighting to take care of. It’s embarrassing and truth be told, I’m ashamed of what we have allowed in our City.
898: Our city needs help. Our Greenway is disgusting, scary, and sad.
899: Our community has suffered enough. Our greenway area has been decimated by unlawful homeless camping and has put our public safety and health at risk. The current activity is a visual disgrace and an assault on our freedoms which mandate a safe and healthy environment for its citizens. I employ our local government officials to pass the necessary legislation to permanently stop camping in the greenway and all public areas on a year-round basis not just during the summer months. Numerous friends and family members are outraged at the current situation and are considering moving out of the area.
900: Our daughter lives not far from the greenway and has homeless stealing items from outside her place, pestering people who live in her complex, threatening anyone who tries to prevent them from making a mess by their garbage dumpster. Not to mention the impression made on people who come to Medford and see the huge messes that are made! The longer you allow them to stay where they are, the more people will come. I understand there is a huge problem but allowing them to stay has made them bold and they are threatening businesses and residential areas alike. Do something to make the greenway safe again! Please protect us from the fires that happen every summer along the greenway
901: Our family can no longer use the greenway or feel safe in our parks. Our public areas should be available for the hard working, tax paying people who call this home. Not for people who choose to do drugs and live on the streets. Thank you for standing up for the entire well being of our community and cleaning up our town!
902: Our freeway on and off ramps look horrible with all the tents and trash. If I were traveling I5 I would not stop. It has a bad first impression of our town.
903: Our greenways need to be cleaned up, it’s a Hostile environment!
904: Our home is located about a quarter mile from where the Bear Creek meets the Rogue River. My family is extremely concerned about water pollution and what the filth is doing to our land and property value. The Greenway pollution affects the entire valley. Not just locally to the path itself. Please. Save the Greenway, save Jackson County, and save the land/water. Don’t enable those who need a hand up by allowing them to stay in unsafe, unhealthy, and illegal camping spots. Enable them by offering mental health programs and recovery centers. The money spent on clean up can be better spent to HELP these people rather than just get them by. Thank you for your time.
905: Our houseless, homeless need a place to stay, but the Greenway is not the place. If the Almeda fire wasn’t the handwriting on the wall I don’t know what is.
We need to supply them a place to stay with land, bathrooms, shower and garbage cans. Treat them like human beings.
THEY in return need to be stewards of the land which they reside on. They continue to dump garbage, needles etc. I’ve seen 3 fires driving from Phoenix to Central Point along I-5 in the last 2 months. NOT OKAY
Give them a campgound to reside on with all the ammenties one deserves as a human.
Many of us are a paycheck away from being homeless. We need to do better than allowing unsafe camping on the Greenway were many lost their homes during the Almeda fire.
906: Our misplaced compassion for transients created truly homeless people who have spent their lives working hard and paying taxes so they could have a save and comfortable place to live. And now, many of them have nothing. Jackson County and the towns along the Greenway have to coordinate efforts and fix this problem – NOW.
907: Our public leaders either need to take back our Bear Creek Greenway and clean it up or completely do away with the whole thing. It’s embarrassing and a disgrace. It is not helping anyone that is in a bad place. Only holding them back by enabling them to continue to use drugs and hide from public accountability. This valley will can not succeed as long as all of our homes are threatened by the cesspool that has currently moved in and taken it over. Please do your job and fix it!
-Jackson County Taxpayer
908: Our town is a joke! An eyesore! What company or family would want to move here. We are an i-5 joke of a town community. I am embarrassed to live here.
909: Our town is a shit hole! Nothing is being done! 100% of people in these tents are addicts! It’s not a homeless problem it’s a drug problem.Make Medford the leader in resolving this problem with tough compassionate laws. Watch this video of Seattle and see what Rhode Island is doing.
https://www.facebook.com/1588356651/posts/10221804713018869/?
910: Our town looking like crap!!!!!! And if my house looked that bad I would be forced to clean it! Also I would be charged for littering if I left garbage everywhere! Stop letting our town go to wast!!!!!
911: Our unhoused community needs better support. I don’t have the answers, but I want to see our city and county actively looking for them.
912: Our valley has become a dangerous place, because of the druggie, thieves, criminals that live with the true homeless people on the Greenway, nobody is safe anymore around that area, including the stores that border it. We almost lost this beautiful valley due to fires from the Greenway way!
and yet a group wants the problems to remain there!
Doesn’t make much sense, we should of bulldozed that who area last year and ran the creek through a concrete river or a canal, people can’t continue to live there, period!
There are fires on the Greenway daily, this needs to stop!
913: Please add my support for the camping ban on the Greenway. I grew up here, my brother was born here, my father was born here. For as long as I can remember, the Greenway was always so beautiful, but never safe enough to use. The other weekend, my boyfriend wanted to run the creek, and every so often we think, ‘well, maybe it won’t be so bad this time.’ I rode my bike as he ran. As we approached a free food drop site at Hawthorne park, the pathway was flooded with people we tried to navigate safely and politely, but the glares and grumbles were evident. "How dare they ride their bikes on the greenway where we live." As we left the stressful traffic jam of people, two men with their dog were walking three abreast taking up the entire trail. My boyfriend called out, a per trail protocol, ‘on your right,’ as that was the largest space to pass. The homeless individuals jumped as though scared to see people using the greenway for fun. They then proceeded to chase me down on my bike yelling threats. Thankfully we were able to out run them and then finished our run on Biddle instead of the pathway. That same run, I also saw two teenagers riding their bikes and thought, well at least they are using it for what its meant for and I hope they stay safe; then they turned into their "camp" and made their way long the creek to their tent and fire. These children had made a choice to seek a lifestyle, they were not hard up and if they needed a leg up, there are several options, including local shelters like Hearts with a Mission where kids can get help as they navigate the in between and lives that may have been scarred by painful childhoods. I heard about the police rounding up all the indivd
iduals and giving them appointments with counselors and physicians and the word was, none showed up to their appointments. My point is this, no longer do we discard our veterans, there are programs and help, and we value and lift them up. No longer do we have mental incapacity issues coupled with barriers to insurance or healthcare; people have options for care. As contributing citizens we should be able to use our Greenway. I know that life can be hard, Ive had to be on food stamps and unemployment before to make ends not even meet to ensure my children had a home, but I worked hard, used the help offered, and chose a contributing lifestyle as a responsible American citizen. We deserve safe cities, safe parks, and so do our children’s children. My legacy will not be trash; it will be beauty, security and safety. Please include my support for banning camping. A park is not a place a lifestyle choice of non-contribution, taking, and destruction should be allowed.
914: Please allow this to pass so we can once again make Bear Creek Greenway beautiful-
915: please as a concern for all residence with homes and without , this is a menace!!
916: Please ban camping on the greenway. It is dangerous for all involved.
917: Please ban the camping on the greenway. I am terrified of what this years fire season might bring with all of the illegal activities going on down there. It’s not my only concern but it is the biggest concern I have. My other concerns would be the safety of renters and homeowners that live around the greenway and the theft and other crimes they have to deal with. I couldn’t imagine trying to raise a family near there and being able to sleep peacefully at night. Thankfully I live about two miles from the greenway. The amount of needles I have seen being cleaned up there during the sweeps is mind boggling to me. It’s such a safety issue and so unacceptable that it’s happening here. Honestly regarding the fires down on the greenway, if we have another big one like the alameda fire last year, the city is going to have to be held accountable and answer for the property and possibly life lost if we don’t do something about this. As a mother, as a homeowner and an extremely concerned citizen of Medford I am begging you to pass the ban on camping on the greenway.
918: Please ban this and fully enforce it. A portion of the greenway is literally behind my neighborhood where my grandchildren play and it just isn’t safe for kids to play outside anymore with the sketchy foot traffic right outside our homes.
919: Please bring back the Greenway and remove all the tent sites. Make camping illegal at all times 24/7 365 days a year.
920: PLEASE bring back the original intention of the Greenway. Right now it is ugly, unsanitary, and unsafe. I am saddened and sickened every time I drive on the freeway and see the piles and piles of garbage, cut down fences and gates, people walking across the freeway like it’s a crosswalk, and tons of tents. Please, I would love to see it restored back to its original state and intention of use.
921: Please bring the greenway and parks back to what the original use was intended for. I can not take my children in these areas to get fresh air and some sun. It is not safe for them by any means. It is unacceptable to allow this to continue on taxpayers dollar. Many have been given alternatives but don’t want to follow the rules that come along with these alternatives. Not only is it disgusting to look at, it is polluting the land and water ways. I had a friend visit while she was driving through Oregon from California , and she couldn’t believe how disgusting the area was. I was embarrassed to say this is the beautiful place I have told you about. Please help to make this city beautiful again.
922: Please clean and make the greenway safe for families.
923: Please clean our greenway
924: Please clean out the greenway and make it safe again.
925: Please clean this up !!! ASAP
926: PLEASE clean this up and move the violator off of the property!!! PLEASE!!!!
927: Please clean this up!! We want to use our greenway!
928: Please clean up greenway. I am worried about another wildfire along the green way this Summer. I live @ Medford Estates by the green way . Most of my Mobile home neighbors places were burned up from the Fires along the Green way last year. Please address this problem before it happens again. Thank you. Brian A Wiilliams
929: Please clean up our once beloved greenway so that we can once again enjoy it with our children.
930: Please clean up our beautiful valley.
931: Please clean up our childrens fun areas.. Parents and Elders too… Thank You…
932: Please clean up our city before it turns into Portland!!
933: Please clean up our city! And do something to house the homeless! We don’t want to become Seattle, San Francisco or LA!
934: Please clean up our Greenway and help fund police reinforcement for citizen safety! There are more people as press police and a terrible pro lem with drugs and crime. Please help balance the scales back in our favor.
935: Please clean up our greenway. When I was a little cold e could run the Greenway anytime we wanted. Make it safe for families and the tax payers to use and to keep summer fires from coming. This needs to happen now. We will not put up with it much longer and plan too move away if this city does not clean up the homeless and drug problems. There needs to be punishment for all law breakers and the tax paying citizens deserve better than we are getting right now. It’s embarrassing seeing all the trash along the freeway and I think we are already tourist revenue. I know my family has quit going to cities like Portland and the Bay area for the same things that are getting bad here, bums, trash, drugs and crime. Please, please do something about it before we are forced to leave behind our beautiful city and state.
936: Please clean up the bear creek green way so taxpayers can again use it for it’s intended use walking jogging and bike riding etc. people should not be able to camp there.
937: Please clean up the CITY Greenway so ALL Medford citizens can enjoy without being afraid.
938: Please clean up the Greenway and save our once-beautiful city.
939: Please clean up the Greenway so ALL Jackson county citizens and visitors can enjoy without being afraid.
940: Please clean up the greenway so that my family can safely use it again.
941: Please clean up the Greenway! This should be a safe and beautiful part of our valley. Instead, I am concerned for my physical safety even just being near it in Hawthorne or Bear Creek Parks. Homeless folks should be given help to get on their feet, not left alone on the Greenway. If a transient/tent location is needed, space should be designated for that, ideally near other services. "Camping" is not ok in the middle of Medford. Homeless people are members of our community who must be treated with respect, and they must also not be allowed to behave in ways that disrespect the rest of the community.
942: Please clean up the greenway.
943: Please clean up the greenway.
944: Please clean up the Greenway. Its disgusting
945: Please clean up this beloved town and greenway and restore it to the beauty that is was before it was overtaken by transients and homeless people.
946: Please clean up this mess! So degrading to our quality of life! The greenway has been taken from the people who would like to enjoy it, and given to the scum? DO YOUR JOBS.
947: Please communicate what you are doing to fix this problem. Not only has our greenway been destroyed and become unusable, but it has become an extreme fire danger- this effects all of us. The time is now- we must fix this!! We cannot take the chance of burning down our city/county.
948: Please consider eliminating camping on the Greenway. It is not a healthy environment for anyone! We, the people who live in this county and state should be able to use our public spaces without fear of confrontation of vagrants, homeless people and drug paraphernalia.
There is a group, this group, which I am a part of whom will help with clean up efforts but it has to be enforced. We need to clean it up and enforce the no camping restrictions to save our greenway from further degradation and destruction.
Please consider the no camping ordinance.
Thank you,
Rick and Sherry Fielder
Rogue River, OR.
949: Please consider this!
950: Please continue with the effort to cleanup the Greenway to protect the great city of Medford. This is a terrible situation that just continues to get worse.
Jean Maurer
951: Please continue your fight to reclaim our City. We must hold people accountable for their actions and enforce the rules to protect us all. Thank you.
952: Please do not allow camping or overnight stays to protect our greenways
953: Please do not let our city become like Portland or Seattle. I used to be proud of our city but lately it is so littered with trash everywhere I look. This has to stop.
954: Please do something about the misuse of our greenway. It is unsafe to ride or walk. I talk to many people everyday that are appalled at the mess we (and everyone who passes by on the freeway) see everyday. It’s time to put a stop to this mess and illegal activities.
955: Please do something about the unhealthy and unsightly conditions that exist on our Greenway. Not only is it no longer a viable place for our citizens to walk and bike, the threat of another devastating fire is of grave concern. Allowing continued vagrancy and litter to continue as it currently exists is a threat to our community.
956: Please do something and clean up our city as soon as possible. It is embarrassing and horrible. We no longer feel safe in our own town and are unable to use parks or the entire greenway. The citizens of Medford who pay property taxes as well as law abiding citizens deserve better. Why do the homeless and drug users get a free pass to our greenway to do whatever they want and the rest of us can’t use it at all!? It’s crazy and ridiculous. Please come up with a solution quickly or I fear tax paying people will be moving out of Medford, including my own family. Please save Medford!!
957: Please do something to change what is going on at the greenway..
If we don’t stop this now
It will be harder to control in the future. Our beautiful valley is turning into a swap. Criminals are hiding in the homeless camps
I used to take my kids on bike rides through there . That is not possible anymore as I fear doe our lives.
Please Medford stop allowing the homeless camps on the greenway and other places in the once safe and beautiful Rogue Valley.
958: Please do whatever is possible to clean up our cities. The Greenway is an eyesore and unsafe for everyone including the homeless.
959: Please don’t allow anyone to camp on the greenway. Our property boarders it. I’ve seen crews do multiple sweeps in the last 20 years we’ve been Here. It’s allways hard to get all the dangerous glass, metal, needles off the greenway even after major clean up. I’m still working on it. The fires where way to close for comfort thus fall. Just now getting our fence completely back up. I appreciate how hard the Sheriff has tried to keep homeless from camping on the greenway by our house in the last year or so. Please keep up the good work and don’t let them come back. Please do regular sweeps on all of the greenway so they don’t just move from one place on it to the next. Thank you my family and neighbors feel much safer without them camping there. Thank you!
960: Please don’t allow these people to have disrespect for our beautiful landscape and community. Please assist in providing an alternative choice to camping, littering, and illegal burning. Please do something to prevent another disaster like the fires from last summer. Please care for your community in ridding of this issue.
961: PLEASE don’t let them burn down Medford.
962: Please eliminate camping, the threat of fire and restore that beautiful area to good use.
963: Please end camping on the Greenway. I was born & raised in the Rogue Valley. When I was a kid, my mom was able to take my sister & I on the bike path from Central Point to Medford without a single worry. Now I’d never take my kids on the path due to the mess it has become. It’s not safe. In addition to that, people are living in complete fear & have PTSD from last year’s fires. We can’t let this happen again. These campers need to go where legal camping is allowed or shipped out of our Valley. Please, please put an end to this so we can all feel safe & protected.
964: Please end the camping along the Greenway and give families back their outdoor recreation area.
965: Please enforce stronger rules to stop the camping along the greenway and any other areas that are not a campsite. I’ve been to Phoenix AZ this last week, and their homeless situation and camping is tiny compared to ours. Somethings needs to drastically change. We are known to allow this and they know it and it’s getting worse. Please do something before it’s too late and people and businesses start moving out of the valley!
966: Please enforce the no camping law! I want to use the greenway again, but I’m too afraid.
967: Please enforce the no camping ordinance in all of Jackson County. So everyone can enjoy the paths & Greenway again.
968: Please figure out a solution to the camping on the greenway. It’s not a greenway. No way would I walk along that creek and feel at all safe. Maybe the county could buy a field and let the homeless use it or something. But please clean up our greenway!!!
969: Please find a solution. On my way to work I saw a man urinating on the side of the freeway next to his tent. I was so grateful my kids weren’t there to witness that. I hope a plan is being put into place to help these people get back into being a constructive part of our county.
970: Please find alternative housing for them This is not sanitary for them, harms the ecosystem along the creek, not to mention the potential hazard for fire or crimes. I have ideas for those suffering from PTSD or paranoia that do not do well in close community settings if you wish to email me. I would like to attend the meeting. Do I need an invite? I do live in Jackson County
971: Please for the sake of our community and especially our kids vote to support to enforce the no camping on the greenway ordinance. Medford is turning into Portland, and it is disgusting and unfair to the residents of Jackson County for whom the greenway was designed as a functioning walkway, cycling path to enjoy nature in the city.
972: Please get our Greenway back.
973: Please get rid of ridiculous trash campgrounds that are now cluttering our Greenway. I have lived, worked, and paid taxes in Jackson county my entire life and I am absolutely amazed at how certain politicians are fully content to let the beautiful place so many have worked to build be destroyed. Please stop this stupidity and require these people to go to an approved area or leave.
974: Please get rid of the campers on the green way.
975: please get rid of them. . dangerous, and dirty. clean up costs the taxpayers way too much. A visitor to our area has to look at the tents and trash that line the freeway. And I had to live with being evacuated twice last September because of the fires. Please stop the tent camps along the greenway and make it safe for the people who pay for it.
976: Please get the bear creek greenway cleaned up. No more camping they are destroying the green way.
977: Please get the freeway under control. I live by US Cellular ball park and I am scared my house will burn down by the fires the campers on the greenway will cause.
978: PLEASE get the homeless of the greenways. People use them for biking with children, jogging, walking, and even skating. It is unsafe to bring kids there which is not fair since that is what it was intended for was for family to enjoy. Because of their carelessness 13 families in my church lost home last year from the fires. There are dirty needles, trash and so much other unhealthy stuff out there and we pay taxes and have to pay for the cleanup.
979: Please get this trash out of Oregon, not just the Greenway.
980: Please give the greenway back to the people who pay for it.
I used to bike there, but now I am afraid of the area.
981: Please give us our Greenway back.
982: Please have some common sense and make it illegal for these parasites to live on our Greenway. They contribute nothing to our society nor do they want to nor do they care. Think about it.
983: Please help businesses in that area. They also have been affected
984: Please help improve our safety as residence of Medford and Jackson County.
985: Please help keep are children safe again
986: Please help make our county safe again. There are other options for homeless to find suitable safe living conditions that are better monitored. If they don’t choose those they can move on to another county.
987: Please help our town. This problem is not only an eyesore it is dangerous! Unhealthy! My children have never been on the greenway. I warn new residents of our area about how dangerous it is. Terrible.
988: Please help out greenway
989: Please help the "campers" find another, safe location when the shelters are full.
990: Please help the county!!
991: Please help these people living in a false and hopeless reality. This city was once beautiful and now is disgusting. These people need HELP
992: Please help to keep our city clean and safe. Greenway had to be restore after the local fires and clean from homeless people. This place are not safe anymore, also,
993: Please help us parents keep our kids safe. I took my children to the Bear Creek bmx track and saw 3 people doing drugs right next to us. I felt uncomfortable and unsafe with my children so we were forced to leave. My children and I counted almost 70 tents from the Central Point exit to the Medford exit and back.
We were such a beautiful place to live! I feel so sad for where we are today.
994: Please help!
995: Please help, we’re concerned about the crime, fires, the environmental impact and the public health issues.
996: Please her our voices & stop allowing camping at. Err. Creek. Did you know we are called DREDFORD?
And METHFORD????
997: Please keep greenway safe for all , I have never been there as I hear about people camping and won’t go there with my dog even as a woman .
Protect all citizens , keep the earth area safe from fire and find other resources for homeless . Build a tiny village for them or re do a motel !!!
998: Please keep the Greenway safe and clean for everyone to enjoy. The amount of needles, excrement and debris is very alarming, and we do not need anymore fires along the Greenway. They will continue unless we take action. Can you just imagine a child getting stuck by a needle with leftover drugs in it? Please make the law. NO more camping along the Greenway, sidewalks, etc. Please keep it safely usable for all!
999: Please keep these non tax paying vermin off our beautiful green way. Garbage including syringes and other drug paraphernalia. This must stop What’s it going to take another transient starting a fire and burning more peoples homes to the ground ? This so disgusting , drive into our once beautiful city but to see garbage every where, piles of stolen bicycles and human waste. Our city is turning into a cesspool. Wake up and flush the damn toilet !
1000: Please know that many of the transients have come to the area to purposely receive hand outs and housing. Yet our taxes are now to support this group too?
With wildfire season coming up, we cannot risk another Phoenix. Please protect us all and initiate real solutions.
1001: Please let’s make this happen.
1002: Please make every effort possible to keep the green way free of brush and hazards to the public. If it’s to be a campground manage it like any other county campground. If it’s a day use only park way treat it as such and close to overnight camping.
1003: Please make it family friendly again!! This would be a huge asset to our community.
1004: Please make it illegal to camp
1005: Please make our greenway safe as it was intended to be for our families to enjoy. This is rediculous and dangerous. You cant frequent any business on the greenway without fearing for your life.
1006: Please make the greenway a usable space for families. This is only going to get worse if it is not handled as soon as possible.
1007: Please make the greenway safe again. The camping is a huge fire danger and is not a family friendly path for bikes or walking at this point.
1008: Please make the Greenway safe from crime and wildfires.
1009: Please make the right decision to make the greenway safe and to be used as it was originally intended.
1010: PLEASE pass this law so Medford and the greenway can once again be a beautiful and safe place for its residents and visitors. I don’t feel safe in my own city any more, especially in the parks. It’s such an embarrassment having all the tents, trash, hazardous and human waste polluting our city. These campers don’t care if they trash out town and set fires and destroy everything around them. They don’t want to change their lifestyle and we the citizens, shouldn’t have to put up with this disgusting and hazardous filth any longer. They have been increasing in numbers and taking over Medford for years and it has to stop! My husband and I loved living in Medford when we moved here in 2004 to be near our family. Unless things change for the better regarding cleaning up the city and banning the campers, we plan on leaving Medford permanently when we retire in a few years. It’s not the beautiful and safe city it used to be. It breaks our hearts to see what has happened to our charming city. Please give Medford back to the law abiding, tax paying citizens who love and care for our city. NOW is the time to take action to save Medford before it’s too late.
1011: Please please please act!!!!
1012: Please please please do something..
1013: Please please please help the people of Jackson County reclaim the greenway as a safe clean place for families to walk and bicycle. This is such a wonderful resource we all own but we are unable to enjoy in the current state it is in. Not only does it feel unsafe it is unhealthy with used hypodermic needles and bodily waste scattered around.
1014: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ? ?
STOP STOP STOP
ALL CAMPING ON THE GREENWAY!!!
I have lived in Oregon for over 50 years
What is happening ? is NOT the Oregon where I grew up!!! It will be a SAD SAD day when I have to move ?
I live VERY CLOSE to the Greenway, for over 9 years and have never been able to walk on it, I have to walk on the Highway instead!!! This is WRONG WRONG WRONG!! PLEASE HELP!! STOP THIS INSANITY!!
1015: Please please please, I miss using the Greenway. It’s too scary.
And it’s so sad to look at, our beautiful area is just trash now.
1016: Please please stop the horrible abuse to our waterway system on the Bear Creek, the growing danger of used needles and drug paraphernalia that the homeless are leaving on the Greenway, the hazmat of human waste and the increasing numbers of homeless transients that are arriving in large numbers daily to contribute to the trash and complaints listed above. This won’t stop until they are NOT ALLOWED TO CAMP ON OUR GREENWAY. Most of them aren’t even from our Valley! Please stop this horrible scourge from continuing.
1017: Please prohibit camping on the greenway and throughout the town. This once beautiful city is now unappealing and sad. The first thing visitors see when arriving here are the homeless camps. Please take action to prohibit camping outdoors except for designated areas.
1018: PLEASE prohibit camping on the Greenway! We live minutes from there and we are appalled by the filth and squallor! Why aren’t any of the exorbitant property taxes many of us pay being used to rid our community of this eyesore, danger, and these folks’ complete lack of respect for themselves and our neighborhood??
Thank you, Wally and Mary Vaughan
1019: Please protect the Greenway. If its allowed to be a homestead, the work for years to clean Bear Creek will have been wasted. Take one of your big empty fields and move them there. Outhouses, water tanks. Maybe garbage cans also.
1020: Please protect this space from dumping and biohazardous waste. The creek and the animals that live there deserve a clean space.
1021: Please remove the illegal campers on the green way and make it a safe walking or biking path like it was ment to be!
1022: Please remove these dangerous homeless people that are near my back yard. There has been illegal camp fires and a murder just a few
weeks ago. I live in Aspens on the creek and daily there is multiple incense from fires illegal drugs and now even murder. This is scaring me and anyone that comes to visit me. This has been going on way too long. I’m tried and feel like this is a losing battle. Please save our communicate….
1023: Please return the greenway to its original intended purpose. This is a health and safety issue for our community.
1024: Please save our greenway from those who are destroying it…
1025: Please save our greenways!
1026: Please save our wonderful Greenway. What it has become is nothing like what anyone thought it would be. It was a place of beauty. A place to walk beside the creek and take in nature. Now it is anything but a beautiful place. It’s a public trash can. A scary place to be. You can’t ride your bike there any more, safely. You can’t walk there any more, safely. It’s definitely a fire hazard.
1027: Please save the greenway it disgusting,
1028: Please save the Rogue Valley from looking like Portland and Seattle! The trash and campsites are embarrassing. Single women should not feel unsafe walking alone on the Bear Creek Greenway.
1029: Please shut it down. We want to enjoy the green way. Its a fire risk as well.
1030: please solve this problem without taking resources away from taxpayers and your constituents. Inaction means that a valuable community resource (parks) misused by those who are not contributing, are denied to the public at large.
1031: Please STOP ALL CAMPING ON THE GREENWAY!!! What a blight on our community. This camping is extremely dangerous to the citizens in so many ways. Crime and disease abound in these camps where the campers do not follow Any sanitation or hygiene! They are a constant threat of starting fires and creating devastation for thousands see the September alameda fires. Many tourists have commented negatively upon seeing all the homeless camps along the I-5 in medford, we decided this would be a very bad place to stop and spend our tourism dollars so we just kept driving.
Please, please help save our lovely valley from this terrible blight!!!
1032: Please stop allowing camping on our green way- it is just a matter of time before fire destroys our green way and our homes that are along the once beautiful Bear Creek Green Way.
1033: Please stop allowing camping, drugs, prostitution, crime on the Greenway. It was such a nice place to take a walk with family on Sunday afternoons. Now you are afraid for your life! Camping on the Greenway is not ok!!!!! It’s horrible and it puts citizens of Jackson county in danger for diseases, crime, fire and even losing one’s life. It this is not stopped, we will become a dirty, filthy, drug and crime infested place. Oh wait, we are there already! We will also have a repeat of Almeda fires. I already lost everyone that fire. Not ready to go through it again!
Not enforcing the law enables all these behaviors. Homeless, drug addicts and criminals are taking over our town! How is this ok and fair to the rest of us?!?!?
It’s time to stop it before it’s too late.
1034: Please stop camping on bear creek it’s an absolute mess
Enough is enough
1035: please stop camping on The Greenway where’s my beard where’s my beard
1036: Please stop camping on the greenway! We are not a dumb in southern oregon. If homeless don’t want support ship them to Portland let them live their life else where
1037: Please stop camping on the greenway. It used to be a beautiful, safe place to walk and bike but now it is filthy and definitely not safe due to all the homeless . It was built for the community to be a place for relaxation and healthy recreation. Now it is a place for trash collection, drugs, murders and all other sorts of criminal and unhealthy activities. There is no way I would walk it now and certainly never take children or grandchildren.
Medford and areas surrounding the greenway/freeway have become extreme eye sores.
1038: Please stop homeless camping in geeenway
1039: Please stop illegal camping and clear out all cover including trees, bushes, shrubs.
1040: Please stop illegal camping on the greenway
1041: Please stop people from camping on the greenway. I live in a small town for a reason and I certainly do not want to see Medford turn into a disgusting city like Portland with "tent cities" spread out everywhere like a plague.
1042: Please stop the camping along the greenway. The trash and needles are a bio hazard for everyone that lives in Jackson County. When can law abiding citizens feel safe to use the greenway with their children, family and friends?
1043: Please stop the camping on the greenway! Can’t even take my grandkids down there, I feel it’s too dangerous.
1044: Please stop the camping on the Greenway!! The fires, the trash, the used needles, the excrement. It’s destroying the beauty that the Greenway once had, and polluting our city. It has moved beyond eyesore and become dangerous to our community.
1045: Please stop the camping on the greenway.
Those camping who start warming / cooking fires present a fire hazard for ALL, including others who are homing on the greenway.
There are also waste hazards – all if the camping areas are filthy with trash and feces, needles and other drug paraphernalia. When the camps are shut down by the police, the campers just go where they are gifted all new gear, then establish another site.
It is also dangerous for the citizens to use the greenway. There have been many disturbances created by the campers who do not want to be disrupted or disturbed by others who want to enjoy the purpose of the area.. It is not safe for bicyclists or joggers or even dog walkers, let alone families who want to enjoy the greenway. I can think of three murders just recently on our greenway.
It is time to put a stop to the crimes and filth that permeate an area that was built for the use of the entire population to enjoy.
Eliminate any camping on the greenway so that it is available to everyone – and without fear of harm.
1046: Please stop the desecration of our beautiful city and stop the homeless camping on the greenway.
1047: Please stop the illegal camping and trash collecting on the greenway. The fires that are started on the greenway can be devastating. Ashland, talent and Phoenix are at risk as well. People do not feel safe using the greenway for which it was intended. It is a scary place to go.
1048: Please stop the madness! I’m tried of not feeling safe in my city.
1049: Please stop the ugliness that is happening along the greenway
1050: Please stop the violence and distruction of our valley.
1051: Please stop this abuse of our beautiful public places. We need this to stop the drug use and irreversible damages that are happening to our greenway and it’s wildlife. Not only does this affect the greenway and cities nearby but it flows down to the heart of our areas and negatively impacts the rogue river as well.
1052: Please stop this mess
1053: Please support the rule of law and not allow camping along our green way. This is also a serious environmental health issue. This is also fish spawning creek.
Respectfully
Troy
1054: Please support the sustainability and growth of our city by hearing the voices of our taxpayers, not just the few loud activists.
1055: Please take action. Our town has become a filthy, disgusting mess. Trash is absolutely everywhere on our streets, and along the freeway. Everyplace that the homeless set up tents and tarps along with bicycles and garbage. It all makes our community look like we just don’t care. Its unhealthy and unsafe. And I am personally sick of seeing it. If law enforcement saw me throw a cup or garbage out my window, I would be cited. But yet the transients are allowed to pitch tent, tarps, garbage, piss and crap all over our town and it accepted. They are intoxicated, drugged up and indecent in public. But again its ok for them. Something very serious needs to be done. And follow through!
1056: Please take control of Jackson County and see that all laws are enforced at all times. It is time for you to do your jobs and be responsible for all citizens safety.
1057: Please take the necessary legal steps to clean up the greenway. It is a hazard for the entire community. If we learned anything last fall, it’s that we live in a major fire hazard area and we can’t allow behaviors that jeopardize the safety of people’s homes and businesses. The tent camping and drug problem on the parkway is unacceptable. The tax paying citizens cannot even use it safely currently. It is time to take a stand so we do not end up like Portland, Seattle and San Francisco.
1058: PLEASE!
1059: Please!
How bad does it have to get?
How many fires do there have to be?
How many tax dollars to repair fences and clean up garbage?
How many stolen bikes added to the giant pile of bikes?
How many of these homeless people are here from elsewhere to take advantage of the resources that are supposed to be for our citizens?
It’s disgusting
It’s embarrassing
It’s a Heath hazard
Have you any idea how many of us are moving to get away from the rampant crime and drugs in the area that are mainly due to the influx of criminals living on or near the greenway?
Jackson county is unrecognizable. I’ve lived here most of my life and never thought I’d leave, but I am and as soon as I can.
1060: Please!!
I grew up here and never never in my life would I ever think I would be so ashamed as I am now please let’s stop this
1061: PLEASE, DO SOME THING IMMEDIATELY.
1062: Please, please find some solutions for the homeless who have taken over the greenway. I had to turn down a house I wanted to rent because the view out the front was the homeless encampments. They would be walking through to get to the street and it felt unsafe. Some of these sites are just short of looking like a junkyard or landfill! The drug use waste is also out of control. True compassion would be to actually help these people get out of the filthy environment they are living in and then the citizens of Medford could use the greenway for what it was designed and taxpayers money spent for.
1063: Please, please help clean up our community. The drug use, camp sites and garbage is getting worse and worse in Medford. It is becoming unsafe for us to even walk alone in our neighborhoods. Please do something to help clean up Medford and make it a safer place to live.
1064: Please, please return the parkway to a place we, as tax paying, permanent citizens can enjoy. Just driving by areas along the freeway where we can see the homeless living is so-o maddening. We look like a city that doesn’t care about our environment and allows trash and filth to reign! Can you imagine what people driving thru our area think? It’s embarrassing to say we are from Medford!
1065: Please, Please, Please, don’t let our beautiful Southern Oregon go the way of Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and other cities. Commissioners!! Do your job. You represent the people of Southern Oregon. We do NOT have to give over our beautiful greenway to people, even homeless people, who create such a blight on our waterways.
1066: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, it an end to this!! I’m just gonna ditto every other comment you’ve received about stopping the homeless community from what they’re doing. THIS IS HORRIBLE!
1067: Please. As a citizen and a taxpayer, cleaning up the greenway is a good first step in helping out community.
1068: Please.
I’m scared to suggest to out of town guests to even stay in Medford because of this. Im afraid they will go for a stroll and run into this disgusting mess of a situation.
1069: PLEASE…PLEASE…PLEASE.…Remove the campers for the greenway. It was not put there for camping. Who in the world came up with the idea to let drug addicts camp there??? It has become an embarrassment to the people of our area, and eyesore, a danger to people trying to use it for recreation. We have so many homeless walking the streets of Medford and sleeping under the bridges it makes me want to leave the area I’ve lived in for 60 years and move to a more decent town. Providing for the homeless just brings more homeless here and is ruining our beautiful valley. Stop feeling sorry for them and give us back our town.
1070: Pls make it safe. I would love to visit!!
1071: Police need to stop cleaning up after the homeless. Make the homeless clean up their own trash and feces on the greenway. Don’t give the homeless free stuff to drag to the greenway to litter. They don’t save anything- they just get more. When the homeless are arrested, put them in jail, or build an outside pen for the overflow if dangerous criminals need to be inside. If the City wants to spend money-spend it on mandatory drug and alcohol rehab, where they are locked in a facility for 6 weeks to complete it. No addict will voluntarily stay in an open door policy facility. Every citizen has to be responsible for their own up-keep. Homeless should not expect anything different. Life is hard. Most of the homeless don’t want to re-habilitate. They don’t have to when free stuff is freely given to them. ie food, drinks, clothing, showers, laundrymats, etc. With all that, they only have to rob the ordinary citizens for money to buy more drugs and alcohol. Possibly move them to the outskirts of the county. They can live off the land. It would get really old fast. Either buck up and be a citizen or go live in the wild.
1072: Portland, California, are just a few examples of what our county is starting too look like with all the trash left behind, all the needles and tents. Please. PLEASE put a stop too this because we once had a beautiful county now its just flutterd with trash left behind at every camp ground and it makes all of us very sad and frustrated.
Thank you
1073: Possibly a fine with payback of community service if not complying to request to leave the atea
1074: Resident since 1954
1075: Riding a bike used to be enjoyable on the greenway; now it’s a nightmare.
1076: Safety for others is a major issue.
1077: Salmon and Steelhead alone should be reason enough to stand up and fight for the bear creek and Rogue tributaries. Think about all of the human waste running through our valley! Not to mention all the garbage that is continually mounting up. Drugs, sex trafficking, human trafficking, WILD FIRES! When are we going to wake up and deal with this! Let’s get behind this cause and put some boots on the ground. In a day when everyone is so bothered about being "green" one would think this information would be on every major news outlet in the Western US..let’s start taking back "our" Oregon and send these vagrants down the road. Not the Rogue River!
1078: San Diego had a Hep A outbreak in2017 in the homeless community. It can happen here, including other infectious diseases. I’m already stressing about fires again. It would be nice for regular citizens to use the greenway again without fear for personal safety. I support the ordinance. Thank you
1079: Save our city from the environmental disaster that is occurring. This should NOT be allowed. It makes us sad to see our beautiful Medford look this way…trash, waste, utter chaos. Please fix this!
1080: Save our community. I don’t feel safe waking outside due to all of the drug activity surrounding our homes. It’ll only get worse if nothing is done about it.
1081: Seeing as I was a victim of the alameda fire and lost my place to stay I do not support this so called ban on camping as it is more of a ban on houseless people as well I recently had back surgery and if you are unaware it’s quite a wait for unemployment due to covid so getting into a new place is not a option as of this moment. I was sub leasing and was told by fema only one member per household can claim fema assistance. Seeing as I was renting this left me and my girlfriend without a place to stay. I do not support this ban
1082: Send them back to where they came from.
1083: Set laws if they are broken give homeless people hours to serve on picking up trash
1084: shameful misuse of public lands…..there needs to be options for housing the homeless
1085: Sheriffs are doing a terrific job, but this has got to stop. It is wrong, an endangerment to all. Not good in any aspect of health or mental health or SAFETY of anyone living in or walking around. Come on everyone this is America be proud, we offer shelters and counciling expand that area if needed don’t let these filthy disease spreading drug and violence areas continue. Our children grow thru hero’s and good examples this is not all there is!!!
1086: Since moving here a year ago exit 30 has turned into a homeless camp! I know there are ordinances already in place about camping urban camping. How is it I’m charged to camp in the forest but we have allowed people to live in a tent on a green way belt developed for citizens to you and enjoy. This is a disgrace. And makes our home town looks like trash. The green belt is the first thing you see entering or driving through Medford. How is it a murder takes place on the green belt, a public piece of property and police are required to issue a warrant to search a tent illegally placed on it. The police do not require a warrant to search my car if I’m pulled over for doing something illegal. How is it we are not enforcing laws against some citizens but enforcing them against those actually contributing to society. We have gone so far to the left to protect the rights of homeless people that we are trampling over the rights of those that have a home.
How has this been allowed to continue after the fires caused on the green way. Why are this people so bold to pan handle next to a sign that says no pan handling! Because they know there are no consequences for them. How is it we’ve allowed these people to loiter at every corner in Medford and in every park we have. Why is it when we my kids have games at the U.S. cellular ballparks I have to make sure they don’t wonder on to the green way. Why are the homeless allowed to have fires and drink? Because this city has allowed them to do what ever they want. It has to stop! The more you give this people the more they take. They don’t want to be part of society! How can I help anyone that will not help themselves!
1087: Since the fires have burned the areas they live in, we all can really notice how big the problem is. It is sad to see children are living with their parents in the slum on the greenway. I am curious why we don’t have better programs to help these people? The trashy ness is far out of control. I am sure there is plenty of tax moneys to take care of this issue. I see 30 or more trailers just sit in the parking lot of the expo unused. This is the responsibility of our city and county officials that we have elected to take care of… Please at the very least make an attempt to fix this problem!
1088: So many cities and towns in the Northwest have areas like the Greenway that are a jewel to their communities. Ours and an unsafe, unhealthy, and environment destroying blight on our town. 15 years ago I could still run their with my wife and the kids could ride their bikes. We have not allowed them out there for the last 10 years, and feel unsafe running or riding there ourselves. I was involved in a project though Crater High School to re-stablish historic populations of Salmon and Steelhead to Bear Creek, but due to the contamination of the waterway this effort has been completeley abandoned.
1089: So sad to have our beautiful Greenway and not be able to use it for fear of campers and drug addicts.
1090: So tired of the drug addicted filth making holes in fences, bringing trash everywhere and turning Medford into a toilet. Bear creek needs to be protected.
1091: So very tired of the greenway & many of our parks in general. I no longer feel safe even riding my bike on the greenway by myself – never felt comfortable walking it. I’ve lived in the valley my evtire life abs in medford for 11 I refuse to ride the corridor between bear creek park to the railroad park with my kids – it used yo be a wonderful trek on a Sunday to ride our bikes to ride the trains. I suppose it is an educational experience – in the last few years we’ve had dyscussuins about shouting lewd comments to women, how heroin is injected, what mini butane torches are used for, trash & why the trash in the greenway isn’t always safe for us to pick up, what happens when you drink too much (you pass out right next to or partially on the greenway). Abs please don’t blame the fires & covid. It was bad before – it’s just much much worse now. We purposely purchased our house due to the east access of the greenway – let’s make it a family place instead of a 29 mile long homeless camp.
1092: Solía caminar con mi niño por el parque y esta última vez q fui no m sentí segura por mi hijo, ellos salen de todas partes y temo por la seguridad de los niños
1093: Solutions for a clean and safe greenway exist and holding those littering accountable for cleanup. Those arrested should be given cleanup responsibility daily. They earn money to pay fines and get out of jail by cleaning up trash. There are enough incarcerated in Medford to clean the greenway quickly.
1094: Something needs done about all the homeless problem because
Of all the drugs being used in our parks .it is becoming a real health and safety problem.
1095: Something has got to be done about this so I’m glad to see the inception of some action. I fully support restricting any camping on the greenway.
1096: Something has to be done. We are living amongst a trash heap of a town. It is just disgusting and unsanitary! When is enough, enough? When is the City finally going to jump forward and start taking care of their town and stop worrying about offending people who are trashing it! I have left here my whole life and never seen it this bad. Truly considering moving away from a town that’s not turning into such a dump. Please, take initiative to clean up this town and get rid of the people using it as they’re dumping grounds. Obviously these people do not have any respect for where they live. Even if I was homeless I would find a trash can to put my trash in!
1097: Something must be done to remove the homeless from bear creek. They start fires, pollute bear creek and cause tax paying people like myself to be fearful of using the greenway. This is unacceptable.
1098: Something need to be done! we have a beautiful city, But with all the homeless who don’t care about our town, they are making our community look like a dump from the freeway! This is not safe ! You can even to a buy things in Walmart, Fred Myers because it is all lock up! The pan Handley is out of control! using their kids or dogs to get more money! I was born and raised here, My family came to our beautiful valley in 1855. I The trash needle and human waste I am sure is not what mu Founding father thought when they set up their home here.
1099: Something needs to be done about the tweakers camping on the greenway asap!
1100: Something needs to be done soon and before Summer arrives. Once the vegetation starts to dry out it becomes a fire hazard. My wife and I use to walk and ride our bikes from Medford to C.P. and Medford to Ashland . It has been over a year since we stopped using the path due to encounters and danger with the homeless people!! I use to live in Portland and have family living there. I use to love to visit there until it became an eyesore now our Community is becoming the same way!! Please clean it up before it becomes an undesirable place that people want to come and visit and move to.
1101: Something needs to be done to clean up the greenway
1102: Something needs to be done to get rid of this nastiness. It has been a nightmare for years and is getting much worse. When you pull into our once beautiful town, it is a disgrace to our town. Makes me terribly sad! We can’t continue to allow this in our wonderful town of Medford!
1103: Something needs to be done. among the dozens of problems they have been creating. None make me as angry as wild endangered fish species continually blocked off from their spawning habitat by man made rock walls and killed by the homeless. Wild steelhead and salmon are dwindling, this being a major spawning creek that has seen millions in restoration work and thousands of community volunteer hours is now destroyed.
1104: Something really needs to change with the greenway. I realize the people that stay there need help, and housing and such, but for those that refuse help and WANT to live like that, lock em up! Fix our greenway! …..respectfully.
1105: Starting to look like a 3rd world country around hear. Embarrassed to say I live in Medford. This has to stop.
1106: Stop handing out the welcome mat to the homeless coming and going thru medford on
Hey 5
1107: Stop the destruction of our beautiful southern Oregon county and make it safe for my kids!
1108: Stop the destruction of our city and green way!
1109: Stop the devastating wild fires.
1110: Stop the embarrassment and filthy conditions on our lands
1111: Stop the illegal camping on the greenway! It is turning into a landfill. I no longer feel safe using the greenway. It is a hideout for sex traffickers, drug addicts, arsonists, and criminals.
1112: Stop this madness! We cannot allow our greenway to become a cesspool and a dumping ground for people who have checked out of society. Give us back our greenway for what it was intended for! Please do what is right!
1113: Stop turning a blind eye to this mess. Enforce the laws.
1114: Such a beautiful part of our city being destroyed by those who care about no one.
1115: such a shame for jackson county elected officials
1116: Such a shame to see something that should be an attraction and bring people to this valley is the biggest area people avoid. There is so much potential with new restaurants and family time on the greenway, if all this was moved out and kept out. Let’s make it like bend where families bike together, go on walks, eat by the water, and feel safe doing so.
1117: Such a waste and a very dangerous place. The ones who accept help hurray for them. The rest just want a handout so they don’t have to work.
1118: Sucks that we can’t even walk down our own bike path without feeling unsafe. All the trash and needles are very gross and doesn’t make medford look good when driving through our town. Change is needed
1119: Tax payers paid for the Greenway and want to be able to use it with out fear.
1120: Thank you for all the work you guys do as county commissioners and Medford city council members. Your job is hard, you have to judge between the wants of the community members, and make a balance for those a rule might be imposed upon.
Please consider our plea to clean up the greenway with a necessary ordinance and if possible enforcement. We love our dear city and county and hope we can all come to a conclusion that can benefit everyone!
Thank you for all you guys do!
Respectfully,
Jessica Grissom
1121: Thank you for cleaning up our community!
1122: Thank you! for the efforts in cleaning up our green way. I hope this pushes many homeless to do better for themselves, give the local residents the greenway back for hiking and riding, and prevent many fires during the summer months!
1123: Thanks for your consideration and moving toward a better situation.
1124: That space is for all of us and needs to be safe for all of us to use. The city has done a great job of providing a space for people who are displaced and wanting help. Those not taking advantage of the services are not looking for a hand up but a hand out. They may not be able to make good decisions due to drugs or mental illness. They should be held for a week for evaluation to be sure they are competent to be left to their own devices. Giving in to lawyers (who may not have any skin in the game) is not the answer.
1125: The camp grounds along the freeway are disgusting and I’m guessing dangerous to so many who are residing there. Something has to be done! Our town has gone down severely in the past 5 years. This is very sad!
1126: The Alameda fire was sent by two transients, as I understand. I haven’t seen the Fire Report yet, have you? In any case, fire season is coming soon. The greenway will soon be brown as summer hits. We can’t afford another fire. We can’t afford to have transients living in such a dangerous setting.
1127: The amount of camps you see from I5 from north Medford to South Medford is disgusting. I can’t even let my wife and kids use the green way for biking or walking. It’s only a matter of time before it gets worse. Please find a way to fix this and hold accountable those met to enforce it.
1128: The area has become a disgrace, this can’t continue and expect tourists to come here and feel safe. The citizens here don’t even feel safe anymore. Children can’t even play in the parks anymore. People are afraid of their homes burning down. Accepting it has only made it worse. Please do not allow this to continue.
1129: The Bear Creek Greenway is not safe for my family to use. It makes me sad.
1130: The campers should have to do community service and clean up "their" mess and trash that they have created. If they attempt to re-camp – they should be cited and removed. As tax paying citizens we are appalled by the condition of our city and green spaces.
1131: The camping along the greenway has been a major issue and burden on this county for years. Not only do the homeless living on the green way cause issues for local residents, they also add to our already burdened healthcare system by taking up beds (which are already limited) for avoidable complications, and often times related to disputes on the greenway.
The greenway was intended as a route for bikers, walkers and runners. Today it is entirely too dangerous to use the greenway because of the trash, dangerous individuals, drug use and violence present along the greenway.
Making it illegal to camp along the greenway may be one of the first steps in getting back our community. There is no reason these people illegally camping along the greenway should be allowed to do so.
1132: The camping along the greenway has to stop, the people are doing drugs, making a mess and burning campfires. We don’t need another fire, my mom and I already lost our homes and NO ONE ELSE NEEDS TO LOSE THEIR HOMES!!!!!
1133: The camping along the Greenway is now unsafe for anyone!! The trash and filth that is piling up for all to see is extremely sad to see. Our beautiful Oregon is being taken away by the illegal camping going on. It must stop. I don’t feel safe walking or biking along the greenway anymore because of this horrible situation. End this now especially before fire season starts!!
1134: The camping and garbage along the greenway is intolerable. It completely undermines efforts for drug treatment and greenway cleanup and must be enforced. We need better, we can do better.
1135: The camping and the trash that has accumulated not just on the Greenway but Jackson County has become a disaster. Ordinances need to be put in place to prevent camping in city limits. No exceptions.
1136: The camping on the greenway has to be curtailed. Besides the incomprehensible tonnage of garbage they generate, the uncontrolled fires they start are an incredible risk to the community. While there is discussion over the actual cause of the Almeda Fire, what happened shows the potential for the homeless and their fires to destroy anything proximate to the greenway. Talent and Phoenix are gone and Central Point has narrowly missed burning twice. Until the various landowners and agencies that control the greenway property create a working strategy to hugely reduce the fire risk from camping, it needs to be prevented.
1137: The camping on the greenway must end, today!! I do not feel safe even walking with my dog down there by myself let alone with other people. Not to mention the filth, garbage strewn around, needles on the ground and every drug deal going on imaginable right in front of me. It’s disgusting how our beautiful town has come to this. Please end this today and let’s get our city back so that we can all use the beautiful greenway and have our parks back.
1138: The camping sites are growing in number. More and more are seen from I-5 entering Medford. They clutter the area with the trash piles. It’s not only unsightly but unhealthy. Now the 2nd death has been discovered. These areas must be cleaned up/out. It’s becoming a huge gathering of crime. I think camping along/around Bear Creek Greenway should be against the law and routine checks by police or authorized people/groups to enforce.
1139: The camping, trash, drugs…. so disgusting and unsafe for our citizens! We cannot even use our greenway because of the drugged out and homeless people that ruin it for everyone else!!! When upstanding citizens want to go camping we go to camp sites and we pay for our visits and are required to CLEAN IP AFTER OURSELVES!!!
1140: The City of Medford and the County of Jackson have a responsibility to our community to police our public spaces. The issue driving people to the green way must be dealt with now before we drive away residents and/or business or prospective business considering relocating here.
1141: The City of Medford should be ashamed for allowing this to happen. Such a danger to our town
1142: The condition of the "Greenway" is a health, safety and fire danger to everyone in the Valley. Clean it up or sell it off for development so that the businesses that move in will clean up the problem for us.
The current situation with homeless camping, crime, litter, arson and fire are totally unacceptable.
1143: The condition of the greenway is a health hazard not isolated to fire danger.
1144: The condition of the Greenway is an atrocity. Jackson County has resources available to support persons experiencing homelessness and those should continue to be offered to people. People who choose to not accept those referrals and/or choose to not be law abiding should not be permitted to use and abuse this land. The area is no longer safe for the many of us who want to care for it and use it as it was meant to be used-to enjoy the beautiful surroundings this area has to offer. So many wonderful and hard working families are moving away from Medford due to the increase in crime and homelessness-we need to stop ignoring the problems and blaming others. Let’s clean it up and keep it cleaned so those of us who pay taxes and follow the laws can enjoy it.
1145: The condition of the Greenway is disgustingand dangerous. I won’t walk my dog or bicycle there anymore. The area off exit 30 sends a poor message about Medford–how many stolen bikes are piled up there?
The mayor, city councilors and county commissioners all need to tour the area on foot, not just glimpse from afar in an automobile.
Please enforce the no camping policy!!!! I realize there are no easy answers, but the tax paying citizens of Medford and Jackson County are tired of this mess..
Thank you..
1146: The condition of the Greenway is intolerable. It is not only a serious hazard to the health of the people swarming into the Greenway, (due to garbage, defacation on the ground and waterway, and contagious diseases.
This has been and will continue to be an intolerable situation. It must STOP. The individuals need to be processed and referred to Teams that will refer them to the agencies that will support their needs.
IF we don’t address this NOW it will only get worse. IF we make things too attractive and rewarding, the numbers of homeless will just increase.
When I moved here (1969) the economy was much weaker in So. Oregon than it is now, but there were VERY few homeless. As the drugs began to flow through our State the homeless population grew. .
1147: The current laws making living here less and less desirable. The greenway used to be a jewel in the area. Now it’s what residents and visitors dread looking at.
Besides making this gorgeous valley horrible, it is clearly a safety risk provided the amount of fires, assaults, and emergencies that occur every year
1148: The current permissive practice of allowing camping, dumping, and shooting up is becoming a virulent cancer upon our land. A once beautiful resource for companionship and exercise has morphed into a dangerous and destructive hazard to the tax payers who built it.
Continuing to allow, and actually support bad behavior is not worthy of the seat of a councilperson or commissioner. It will only exacerbate the problem. Create and support alternative housing (I Know this is in motion) and if bad behavior persists, incarcerate…it is, or should be….the law.
1149: The current state of the Greenway is not helping anyone, but rather a huge fire and safety risk to the community. Allowing the drug use, trash, and destruction to continue is enabling those causing these issues to only decline further. The Greenway needs to be completely cleaned up, restored to its prior beauty, and monitored/patroled so that it may be used as originally intended. The community should benefit from this space paid for by its members. Those in charge of the Greenway must be held accountable and supported in this goal. Enabling and supporting bad behavior should not be tolerated. There are ways to help these people, but this is having the opposite result.
Camping should be allowed on private property with the property owner having control of who camps on their property and the responsibility of keeping it clean and not a risk or liability to nearby people and properties.
1150: The current status of illegal camping on the greenway means trash, debris and human waste is lining the greenway and entering the creek, itself. This is dangerous for humans and their pets.
I personally will no longer walk the greenway due to so many illegal campers, and they are unknown entities, so it feels unsafe to me.
1151: The decline of our community is horrendous. It is beyond me that this continues to be happening and almost welcomed. We used to be able to enjoy nice places that tax payer funded projects paid for. Now, all you find is trash, needles, and fires everywhere. When did it become ok to continue to do horrible things and it is so easily defended. Give us our community back. Stop the lawlessness. Allowing people to squat, you only invite more. Nip it in the bud while you have the chance, or doom us all to the decline this brings.
1152: The destruction of the greenway must stop. It is not safe. I am. Lifelong resident of the Rogue Valley. The dangerous trash left by homeless camping is unacceptable
1153: The destruction to the greenway by illegal camping has gotten out of control. It is time to get control and let it heal before it is too late.
1154: The endless homeless campgrounds that line the greenway are a disgrace to our community. Sadly, the greenway has become unsafe for commuting via bike or foot as it was intended. Something needs to be done about the homeless camping. Their trash, human waste, and drug paraphernalia litter the once beautiful land in our Rogue Valley. Please make it a priority to end camping on the greenway to ensue a safer community.
1155: The existing campsites at least need cleaned up the bicycles and garbage are eye sores and if no bathroom is available they should not be there any way!
1156: The fact that the Greenway is in the state its in is a dis-service to the members of our community that pay taxes for it but are afraid to use it. I invite the city council members to get involved in person to clean it up so that they realize what a travesty it has become. Talk to the officers who respond to the Greenway. Go and visit the homeless camps. Clean up the syringes and garbage that pollute bear creek. Its embarrassing that we even call it "the GREENway"
1157: The filth and hazardous debris found on and along the Greenway is unacceptable and dangerous. The filth and garbage on display from roads and highways is an embarrassment to our community.
1158: The filth and unsafe conditions on what was once a beautiful place, has to STOP! The laws need to be enforced. The pollution in the creek…needles? Really?
1159: The filth is an embarrassment. Our tax dollars can be put towards something more productive than cleaning up trash, dirty needles and human feces.
1160: The filth The transients leave behind has a huge impact: on our community, our financial resources, our livelihood, and our public health. I’m all for helping others- many of these folks don’t want help. Help them move along!!
1161: The fire risk alone should be a large enough impetus for the City Council to enact this ordinance, let alone the cost in la st tourism dollars, ecological damage, crime , and visible decay. I implore you to provide this protection to the city that elected you and close the Greenway to camping.
1162: The freeway exit off Crater Lake Hwy is disgusting! Tax payers are tired of paying to clean it up!
1163: The garbage is getting out of control. We definitely need to stop the homeless camping along our Greenway.
1164: The garbage is getting ridiculous. I understand the homeless need a place to sleep. Let’s create a space that they can camp that doesn’t trash our town. Give them a dumpster and in force it being kept clean. Get them out of our city parks so our children can play without the trash everywhere.
1165: The green way does not promote safe activities or healthy living. Murders, drugs, rape, all occur from the illegal camping. It is also leading to the city of Medford becoming undesirable place to live. Please clean it up.
1166: The green way has become unsafe for both the people who live on it as well as other residents of medford. I am a young woman who lives near the Greenway and I avoid it at all cost. I fear for myself and others who frequent there or otherwise.
1167: The green way has become very dangerous.
1168: The Green Way has been taken away from GOOD PEOPLE and given to the Homeless Drug Addicts and the Homeless Criminals, That don’t want help,but they want a free ride which we the GOOD PEOPLE of Jackson County are providing for them and not all Homeless people fit into these 2 categories but the ones who don’t want to get out of their situation’s will remain Homeless and will ride the FREE handouts they are getting. They choose the Lifestyle why do we The GOOD PEOPLE of JACKSON COUNTY have to keep suffering for this,These fires we had last Summer How many GOOD PEOPLE for no choice of their own are paying the PRICE again of IN ACTION of the so called People who repersent us to take control of the situation, I VOTE NO CAMPING what so ever!!
1169: The green way is seriously so sad I’d help do cleanup if I can get info on how to join!!!
1170: The green way is so disgusting , and is a discrase to our community. You can see the green way from both medford exits , whitch means it is our visitors 1st impression of our community. Please lets clean up our community.
1171: The green way is so unsafe for everyone please clean this mess up it looks horrible from the freeway to keep Oregon green
1172: The green way used to be a great place to walk and bike. Now with all the homeless people camping there I don’t feel safe going anywhere near there.
1173: The Greenfield Park Way in Cental Point and Medford Or
are field with trash. No camping should be allowed. It has become unusable for any activity. We are not Portland.
1174: The greenway & walking/bicycle paths were made for the residents to enjoy, & put in & maintained by our tax payer money, but it is not safe for us taxpayers to even use! Driving on the freeway through Medford, all you see are homeless camps. Who tourists would be enticed to stop to visit our city, as that is the impression they get; so these camps could be affecting some businesses as well.
1175: The greenway can’t be enjoyed any more..I am afraid to go there. I can see the trash from the highway. It’s ridiculous to think we are supporting the unhoused by letting them stay in an area without hygienic facilities. It’s a strain on city resources to have to clean vast amounts of waste created and left behind.
1176: The Greenway cannot be enjoyed by the residents & visitors because it’s currently unsafe. Coming off the I5 on ramps is a horrible eyesore. There is crime & drug use associated with the homeless camping aling the greenway.
The residents need the Greenway taken back & need to be able to feel safe.
1177: The greenway has become a danger to our community. Not only for the criminal activity, but for the fire danger it poses to the city of Medford. After Almeda, we cannot allow any people to remain in the greenway where their disregard for the health and security of taxpaying citizens is put at risk by their disgusting behavior.
1178: The Greenway has become a disgrace and anyone traveling on the I-5 can see the mess these people have made. It bothers me that they cannot even pick up after themselves.
We need better resources for these people, shelters and mental health services. Of course we all know that they have to want to better themselves too, that is the struggle.
I hope we can all live together and get our city pretty again.
Thank you.
1179: The greenway has become a disgrace, and eyesore for the community. The people camping/squatting destroy fences and leave there trash and filth everywhere without remorse. And then the community gets to clean it up. Who pays for this, we do. This is what happens when local governments do nothing. Something needs to change.
1180: The greenway has become a disgusting and dangerous place. It used to be beautiful and perfect for family walks and general outdoor exercise. Now it has turned into a place for trash drugs and criminal activity. It is not safe or sanitary and something should be done.
1181: The greenway has become a mess and if we continue to allow people To camp there then we are condoning murder.
1182: The Greenway has become an eyesore in the city of Medford and Jackson County. It is a huge danger to our communities in the warmer months when fires are a big danger. A lesson should be learned from the fires of the past 3 or 4 years. This should be a no camping area. Our entire valley is a risk and the biggest examples are from last summer. Please get a handle on this for the sake of the entire Rogue Valley. Thank you!
1183: The greenway has become nothing short of a year around health hazard and a summertime fire hazard risking all the residents lives having transients living on it. Not to mention the maintenance nightmare it has become trying to do sweeps and clean ups.
1184: The Greenway has become unsafe and hazardous to our community with lots of drug using homeless people. I do not feel safe walking or riding my bike on the greenway like I used to be able to.
1185: The greenway has become unusable for the majority of Jackson county residents. It has lost it’s original intent of providing a pleasant, healthy and safe experience for its residents. Millions of tax payer dollars went into its creation. Therefore, ALL taxpayers and their children should be able to enjoy the greenway unhindered. Please do everything in your power to restore it to original intent. Thank you.
1186: The greenway has been a huge issue in the valley. I would like to know that I can ride my bike with my daughter on the bike trail without dealing with the homeless camps and the drug users
1187: The Greenway has been taken away from its intended use and allowed to be turned into a garbage dump with hazardous materials and criminals. It is no longer a safe place for family’s to walk or ride bikes! The Fire danger caused by these transients is jeopardizing many lives , homes and business! The stealing and drug use is out of hand! This valley has become a haven for transients. I have heard the call it the Golden Valley because they get everything free and there are no repercussions for criminal actions! Please Stand together to change this dangerous problem!
1188: The Greenway in its current state is a danger to our community. The amount of pollution going into bear creek isn’t okay. I’m shocked deq isn’t getting involved
1189: The greenway is a complete disaster and fire hazard. There is a giant pile of stolen bikes that no one does anything about. Is this what we want people to see when the arrive to our community? Is this the impression? I support all efforts to eliminate all camping on the greenway. Please do something about it now!
1190: The Greenway is a disgrace and so are lands adjacent to I-5! I’ve had family and friends com here and it is embarrassing when they say what an eyesore Medford is. And why aren’t we doing something about it. I tell them, well, someone cleans up the trash routinely for the poor souls that can’t manage to keep it clean themselves. Too many people and organizations that give the squatters everything they need. Because they just trash their belongings, paper, wrappers, blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, clothing, needles and anything else, because there is always someone who will give them more! Get rid of these pieces of sh&: so we can be proud of our city again!
1191: The Greenway is a disgrace. Where are MY rights as a Jackson Co resident to have a decent City ? These are not "homeless" but rather transient bums.
1192: The Greenway is a disgrace. It’s unsafe, dirty and unfair that tax payers have funded a scenic bike route that we cannot even use.
1193: The greenway is a disgusting pig sty It’s not even close to being safe for the people who payed for it.
1194: The greenway is a mess and we are enabling this.
1195: The Greenway is a riparian zone and needs to be protected. Removal of non-native plants, i.e., blackberry bushes should be a priority in cleaning it up…
1196: The greenway is an embarrassment! Just drive down I5- it’s a dump and very dangerous
1197: The Greenway is basically in my backyard and the fear of fire destroying my home is a great concern from the many camps there, some only a few feet away from my home. The garbage and noise that I see and hear all hours of the day and night is very disturbing. I live in a 55+ mobile home park with many residents that would have a hard time evacuating if necessary. Fire has been a great concern for the last several years even before the Alameda fire. We cannot feel safe using the bike path to ride our bikes and get some exercise. We shouldn’t have to be afraid to use what we pay taxes on. The people that "live" there now pay nothing, the beg, steal or "borrow" what they have in the camps. Some needs to be done to protect our community. Again fire is our greatest concern.
1198: The greenway is beautiful. It needs to be cleaned up. Camping should not be a loud may- october. No fires either. There are so many other resources for our homeless population that they dont take advantage of.
1199: The Greenway is being abused by homeless drug addicts every day and every night. What was once a beautiful bike path that people would enjoy to walk run and bring family and friends is now solely the stomping grounds of the criminals of Jackson County. They camp up and down the bike path in tents and we call this helping them live. We are helping them because they have ko where else to go. This is what I can tell you. It’s never helping a person by enabling them to do the things that are keeping them from doing better in life. These people need treatment and rehab. A actual place to go and get better. We can’t expect them to someday become better if we enable
Themto continue to live homeless in tents on the bike path. Every single person down there on the path is using drugs. The ground is riddled with used dirty needles. The neighboring tents are always fighting and stealing from one another. There is stabbings, fights, rapings far more often than is reported to authorities because these people have warrants more often than. Not they don’t run to police when they have been victimized. Many suffer from drug overdose and are alone hiding in the bushes from their own shadows late at night. Uts become an awful place of only abuse. It’s no longer a place to enjoy. It’s a place of fear. A place that criminals have taken over. That drugs get used and that people fa victim on a daily and nightly basis. So I am certainly hoping that we can enforce no camping policies. Not only does the Greenway need to recover but so does every homeless addict out there.
1200: The greenway is destroying our waterways. It is a hazard to the community!
1201: The Greenway is directly behind our home with an access road to a Crown Market. The amount of traffic walking by at all hours, the fighting, and theft is out of control! It’s not ok to be fearful of our own backyard.
1202: The greenway is disgusting and not safe or healthy for the public.
1203: the greenway is disgusting and unhealthy. I feel sorry for people who have lost theit homes/or places to live, that is through no fault of their own. this must be taken care of now. i am fearful of more fire,crimes and filth.
1204: The Greenway is filthy and a danger due to the homeless living there. We need to clean it out and prevent future fires and drug use on the greenway. It has become a war zone even for those living there.
1205: The Greenway is lit safe for my family to use. We are not helping people by allowing them to further their addiction and destroy our natural resources and the greenway my tax dollars went to develop. Stop illegal camping on the greenway and make it safe for families again.
1206: The greenway is no longer a safe place for me and my children to walk. It’s also an unpleasant thing to look at, especially coming into Medford in I5. So much trash an filth. This is Oregon and we can’t keep it green if this particular population isnt reapecting their surrounding space and land.
1207: The greenway is unsafe for all and needs to be cleaned up
1208: The greenway isn’t a safe place when I moved to Medford 35 years ago we thought it was great to have some place to ride bikes and not have to worry about cars. That unfortunately didn’t last and now we would NEVER consider going anywhere near that area, in fact we feel it is too close to where we live now. Twice now we have had to be prepared to gather or pets and get out because of the threat of a fire. We bought our home here because it was a good neighborhood but not so much anymore.
1209: The greenway needs to be a safer/ cleaner area. It’s a homeless campground. It serves a different purpose. We need to get it back to being a safe place for people to walk and ride bikes through. Where one doesn’t have to worry about the needles and garbage that’s affecting the creek.
1210: The Greenway needs to be cleaned up. The homeless problem needs to be dealt with and not be ignored. This is a safety issue for everyone that lives in Jackson County.
1211: The Greenway needs to be closed to camping . The Greenway IS NOT A CAMPGROUND.
There are NO fire pits. Medford/Jackson Co will be held responsible for any fires since they are allowed to camp and turn their heads on the fires on the Greenway.
City of Medford along with Jackson Co. is responsible for all the crime that has been allowed to continue. Clean this town up.
Medford / Jackson county is also responsible for the Bear Creek getting poluted, and now poluting the Rogue River which is a wild and scenic river. You are the repsonisble ones to get this Greenway cleaned up.
Find these people a campground with firepits and bathrooms if you want to continue to enable crime.
Get the drugs, drug addict, homeless, & houseless CRIME off the Greenway and open it back up to the public, the ones paying taxes.
This needs to STOP! No winter camping as you call it. NO MORE FILTH. Get the scum off the Greenway. They have options through Rogue Retreat and other programs. Use it or they need to be held accountable. Stop the enabling!
All you commisioners should watch these two awakening videos
.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpAi70WWBlw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WijoL3Hy_Bw
1212: The greenway should be a place of natural beauty, recreation and a space for all to enjoy. Allowing camping there is destroying it and other solutions must be found for the homeless population.
1213: The greenway should be able to be used by anyone, it could be a great place to walk, run, ride bikes. Unfortunately, because of the condition it is in and the crimes that happen along there, it is not safe. Recently, at work, we had some staff that were from Portland that were here for about a week. One asked me about the greenway because she was wanting to go for a run there. I advised her against that stating that it may not be safe. I have used the short stretch leading from the Dairy Queen parking lot to the dog park always looking out for anything that could harm my dog. I would love to see the greenway cleaned up and made safe for the general population to enjoy.
1214: The greenway situation is totally unacceptable. Please ban all camping and dumping there.
1215: The greenway used to be a place to take your kids for a bike ride. I no longer feel safe walking near it. Our cities starting to look like Portland, or downtown San Francisco with all the filth, and garbage. Let’s clean it back up
1216: The greenway used to be a safe place to ride bikes with my kids and Girl Scouts. Now the devastation and unsanitary conditions make it unsafe. Allowing the illegal camps and garbage and destruction is heartbreaking to see. The greenway has become a haven for homelessness, drugs and destruction.
1217: The greenway used to be fun and beautiful to ride along as a child. I wish I could share it with my children, too bad. No one likes the homeless around because they leave unsightly trash and makeshift camps and dangerous objects like needles around. Not all homeless do, but unfortunately most do. Time for it to end. Just stop it. No more.
1218: The greenway used to be such a wonderful place to walk, exercise, and enjoy the beauty of the Rogue Valley, but in the last year that beauty has been completely destroyed and replaced with make-shift tents, vagrants, and trash. The situation is tragic for both the homeless and citizen communities, but something has to be done to restore the greenway. We can’t continue to allow these vagrants to degrade and destroy our community’s spaces that I and other tax payers provide.
1219: The Greenway was a attractive bonus when we first moved to Medford over a decade ago. Now it is a safety hazard. I do wish we as a community could use the path again without fear.
1220: The Greenway was a beautiful place for families to bike ride. Safe no car traffic. Now, it infested with druggies and radical political groups that collect the freebies from the state and have turned the Greenway into a dump full of disease with the rotting trash and human waste. Add in the drugs and people screaming and attacking other’s while high on drugs. It’s disgusting, shameful and needs to be cleaned and no camping allowed. It’s a complete eyesore to anyone driving the freeway.
1221: The Greenway was a significant investment that took years to complete. The community deserves to see the vision of its use protected.
1222: The Greenway was developed and intended for all residents and visitors to enjoy…walking, biking, exploring. It is not only dangerous with regards to violent crime, illegal fires getting out of control, it is a public health hazard due to rampant pollution…not just for Jackson County, but for many miles of polluted waterways. If any Corporation were to pollute the area even a tiny fraction of what has been allowed to be done by the homeless for several years, the City, County and State would hold them accountable…just as you should! This has been out of control for far too long. Our elected officials are intelligent and resourceful in many ways. You have the power to enforce the laws set forth. PLEASE use the powers you have been granted to put your knowledge and resources to work to RESTORE the Greenway for it’s intended purpose.
Respectfully,
L. Austin
1223: The greenway was intended for use by all. I stopped going down there ages ago. To disturbing, I’ve watched people deal drugs and deficate in the open. I am aware there are people who really want help. Help them. Get the rest out.
1224: The greenway was once a beautiful family area …now you cannot go at all without the risk of being attacked , robbed or killed . Our tax dollars built this for families ..not the homeless …we need it back
1225: The greenway was once a fun bike ride for us and our kids . We’d ride from central point to bear creek park. The drugs and homeless population makes it impossible for anyone to enjoy anymore. Please save the greenway for our rogue valley residents to enjoy again!!
1226: The greenway was paid for with tax dollars…..now no taxpayer feels safe there. This has to end. I do not support $55000 a month to clean up this crap every month!!
1227: The Greenway went from being a benefit to a blight. We the tax paying invested residents of the Valley demand it be managed and the homeless be removed and kept from returning. We also demand out elected representatives stand up to the ACLU a d other radical activist groups and remember who you represent
1228: The Grrenway needs to be cleaned up, and transients moved out.
It has become a hotbed of drug use, crime, and general lawlessness.
The lawlessness spreads out into our shopping areas, main streets and neighborhoods.
All efforts should be focused on reclaiming the Greenway space for the law abiding, tax paying citizens, like myself.
Protect Medford, and it’s surrounding neighbors.
Enhance and enforce policies to protect us and our properties.
Thank you,
Kelly McNamara
1229: The homeless camps are out of control. It has made it unsafe to be along the greenway and in parks. We are considering moving away from Medford.
1230: The homeless encampments along the greenway need to be addressed immediately. There is constant risk of devastating fires to the already fire devastated surrounding communities. The Greenway is not designed or intended for camping. There are no toilet or shower facilities, and this has resulted in people washing and toileting in and around Bear Creek, causing severe health risks to both the homeless and anyone trying to enjoy the Greenway. The view from the I5 has changed from what used to be an inviting, bustling, clean little city, to a tent and tarp laden disaster, with piles of trash, broken bicycles, and smoldering fires. I noticed yesterday that the homeless have even cut and rolled back a large section of freeway chain link fence. I assume this was done to make running across the freeway to the other side to prevent walking around easier. This is a major traffic hazard which could result in someone being killed. They have strung up hammocks, some of which were occupied, on the fence itself. Crime around the Greenway is terrible. There have been stabbings, and recently a shooting death.The scanner shows a nightly parade of people with backpacks, roaming through Medford surrounding the Greenway, breaking into vehicles, stealing recycling, trespassing onto people’s private property, and even at times going INTO people’s homes. The people who live and work in Medford deserve to feel safe in their community. The tax payers deserve to be able to safely enjoy the Greenway. The parks surrounding Bear Creek have become extremely dangerous from a combination of loitering homeless people, many with drug or mental problems, and discarded needles. I don’t take my kids to the parks surrounding the Greenway anymore. It isn’t safe. I know many other moms that feel the same way. The last time I visited Bear Creek Park, years ago, I encountered a mentally ill homeless man taking a sink shower in the women’s Greenway. I am almost to the point of avoiding any kind of shopping in South Medford near the Winco area, for fear of my vehicle getting broken into. If something drastic is not done to change this, Medford will end up like San Francisco: sidewalks with human feces, needles everywhere, businesses ruined because no one will want to deal with the mess or feel safe leaving their car in the parking lots. I implore you all, please, prohibit ANY and ALL camping and sleeping within Medford city limits and clean up the greenway. Thank you for your time.
1231: The homeless problem is an embarrassment to Southern Oregon. Throw the druggies in jail and ship them to Portland where they will fit right in!
1232: The homeless situation is out of control!
I have lived here for 35 years and I have never seen things so bad. I actually have personal experience into the changes in the homeless situation: I worked for the Medford Fire Department for those 35 years.
1233: The homeless want respect from the community but they show their disrespect by throwing trash everywhere. This drive down the freeway and seeing tents and trash everywhere is disgusting. I can no longer be proud of the state let alone the city I live in. I understand housing shortages and the rental market is tight. Has any of you looked to see the price of a rental even in the shader parts of town is ridiculous. There is no way a single income working minimum wage can afford to live on their own. Something and someone needs to step in and take care of this problem.
1234: The homeless who are taking over the greenway contribute nothing to our city. They don’t clean up after themselves and have no respect for anyone’s property. The people of this city who pay taxes to have the parks and greenway should be able to use them without fear.
1235: The homeless, house less, thieves, and druggie have taken over the Greenway. It is unsafe for residents, children, taxpayers, pets, and wildlife. Those that have taken over, have fouled our waterways, land, and environment. They have adversely affected our watertable. We the taxpayers have spent millions to build and maintain the Greenway. We taxpayers have also spent massive influxe of monies to try and repair the riparian zone along the Greenway. The Riparian Zone is 50 feet from the bank of both sides of the waterway. The zone has been molested and destroyed by the homeless, and transients living along the Greenway. They set up toilets, that are buckets with holes in the bottom dropping directly to the waterway. They have so much trash dumped that it looks like a city dump. It takes literal dump truck loads to take this out. On February 17th and 18th of 2021, the Police, Parks Department, and citizen volunteers collected 70 cubic yards of trash, plastic, and drug paraphernalia from under the 10th and 12th st bridges, and Railroad Park area. This is not excusable in any way, shape or form. This is a very small area that was cleaned. For some context on a cubic yard of garbage. A cubic yard is 202 gallons of garbage. So 6,060 gallons of trash were removed in this small area over 2 days.
As a bonus, September 8th of 2020 we had massive man made fires that wiped out 4,000 households, and 100s of businesses. These fires were started by heat, weather conditions, transients, and other unknowns. We do know that daily the fire and police are putting out fires, as are small businesses along the Greenway. Without homeless, vagrants, drug addicted, and thieves setting up camps. These fires would be non existent.
These homeless. Vagrants, thieves, and drug addicted, cause much damage to our homes and small businesses along the Greenway area. There are multiple instances of thefts, at these businesses, and households, daily. There are many instances of damage to fences, buildings, and property, by these houseless, vagrants, transients, and drug addicted daily. These same businesses and homes along these areas, deal with needles drug paraphernalia, and human waste daily. This is unconscionable and wrong. The camping should be illegal along our Greenway. Our wildlife, environment, and citizens are all suffering irreversible harm from these campers. The camping needs to stop. The camping needs to be outlawed along these areas.
1236: The illegal camping in southern Oregon has grown out of hand. Not only does it visually look horrid and a safety hazard but over the past few years there has been a spike in violence and crimes in the greenway. We as a community need this cleaned up then patrolled more following that.
1237: The increasing amount of transients, homeless campsites and drug use in these areas is making my home town and the place where I’m raising my babies feel unsafe. This is something I’d expect in a large city like Portland, not in Jackson county.
1238: The majority of these people need MANDATORY INTERVENTION for addiction and mental health issues.
This is not a homeless issue it is a mental illness and/or drug addiction issue.
1239: The more we give for free without requiring respect and cleanliness in return, we will only continue having this type of problem and more. The Greenway was meant to be a walk path for the enjoyment of every. Now no one walks this path without being on edge and having fear in the backs of their minds. Some say the problem is based on the lack of mental health facilities for the homeless but I do not agree. Yes, there are a few that could use this assistance but most are just lazy, expecting someone else to clean up, it’s not their problem. By the number of needles collected recently, maybe our drug assistance program isn’t working. I for one have never understood how giving a person addicted to a drug more drugs to help them get by is actually helpful. Very sad to see our valley being turned into a trash dump.
1240: The nexus between uncontrolled compassion and reasonable civic stewardship has long ago been reached. Too many of the greenway campers have chosen a lifestyle of hand-to-mouth living, as well as a fair portion who are poor or mentally ill. Clear out the green way and place people in the appropriate services. For the rest, let them live their chosen lifestyle elsewhere. Our country and valley will never move forward without this as a first step.
1241: The number of tent cities popping up along I-5 is not what I want to call home! It’s a hazard and is embarrassing that this is what Southern Oregon has come to!
1242: The originally intended purpose has been hi-jacked
1243: the people camping need help. if you can stop people from working and running businesses. You should be able to make these people get help.
1244: The people camping there are making it a disaster. It’s disgusting to drive by even. My family and I used to ride our bikes down the path over by there all the time, but now we all feel unsafe and are very disappointed in the way that our beautiful town is being taken over.
1245: The problem is escalating and allowing this to continue on tax dollars only encourages the problem. It is inviting another problem of fires and loss to our community.
The filth is only inviting disease and harm to all who live in Jackson county .
1246: The problem with our parks and green way has gotten way out of hand. To the point that I no longer take my kids to the parks or go for walks on the green way due to the fact that the last time I was walking along the greenway one of my kids spotted a used needle on the side of the path.
1247: The problem with transients/homeless people living on the Greenway didn’t start with the Alameda fire or Covid 19. This has been a brewing problem over the past few years… largely ignored by the City of Medford and Jackson County. You can’t ignore it anymore..it is in our faces EVERYWHERE in and around Medford. The Greenway is unbelievable!!! Full of trash, used needles, feces, stolen items, rotting food, rats, discarded clothing, shoes,it’s embarrassing, disgusting, depressing and ILLEGAL!!!! When did this become ok and acceptable??? I am 68 years old, born and raised here. I don’t even recognize Medford as home anymore. It is unsafe, dirty and going down hill fast…. largely due to our huge homeless population. The majority of people living on the Greenway do so because they can. There are no consequences for illegal behavior..they can use illegal drugs, rape people, drink in public, expose themselves, hide stolen items in bushes,and over the last month murder two people..it’s a win win for the criminals!!! There is help for homeless people who want help. Stop pandering to these people..stop giving them sleeping bags, tents and food. If they want food they can go to a shelter..they can play by the rules or move on to another town. I’m sick of seeing tweekers all over town and having to dodge them on Riverside and Central because crosswalks are only for us who follow the rules..again, they don’t have to. I would like to feel safe in this town and proud of this town. The citizens of Medford and Jackson County are looking to you to finally address this problem that can’t be ignored any longer. Please don’t continue to hide your heads in the sand and pretend this problem doesn’t exist.. we ALL see it!!! And stop giving them free stuff!! STOP IT!!!
1248: The remedy requires action. Inability to take action results in worsening conditions.
Choose Faith in doing what is right, rather than Fear resulting from indecision.
1249: The residents of Jackson County are done sitting back and watching as this homeless problem engulfs the Rogue Valley. We need to collectively come together and demand our elected officials put an end to this problem before it gets any worse. It is only a matter of time until more innocent bystanders in our community fall victim to the violent and unpredictable actions of those lawlessly occupying the greenway.
The beautiful views of our parks and recreational amenities have been desecrated with an overwhelming abundance of trash and needles. The safety and security of our homes have been breached due to the close proximity of these camps as they leech into our backyards. Sadly, the times of Medford being a safe place to raise a family are far behind us.
The policies put into place protecting these drug infested tent communities are only enabling those who have chosen this lifestyle. If we continue down this same path, the consequences will be grave.
The Heart of the Rogue desperately needs healing.
1250: The safety and fire concerns of people illegally camping in the greenway are obvious. For how devastating the fires were last year it could have been much worse. Having lived in the Rogue Valley for 31 years I was excited when all the time, money, and energy that went into building the bike path was completed and use it weekly to ride my bike from Bear Creek park to Ashland. Riding between Bear Creek park and Central Point is eye opening and sad so I quit riding that direction.
Having lived in the Rogue Valley and raising my family the last 31 years here I have always had a sense of pride about the area and let people know what a hidden gem the area is. Imagine now the first impression a visitor has getting off I5 at the Crater Lake exit and sees the disgusting camps with trash scattered everywhere. Every intersection in the area now has people holding signs taking money from cars right under a sign stating it is illegal to do so. If I was getting off the freeway to look for a place to eat or get gas I would get right back on the freeway and head to the next town never looking back. Truly sad.
1251: The safety and security Medford once had is long gone thanks to passive, liberal policies. I want to put my home up for sale and leave. I feel punished for playing by the rules and being a tax payer.
1252: The safety of my children is of great concern. I shouldn’t find needles in parks next to these homeless camps that my child could of eaaily picked up instead. They have no care for the environment or anything else.
1253: The solution of the Rogue River is also at stake. Bear Creet, with all of the human waste pollution pours right into the Rogue River. This damages the habitats of the wild life who depend on the Rogue.
1254: The sooner the better, hard to believe local politicians let it get this bad.
1255: The squatter population on the green day is the whole reason half of our town burnt down. If that’s not enough reason to pass this ordinance than I dont know what is, as a woman i am completely unsafe on the green way i cant even imagine how the people are coping with having this right in their backyard. Something needs to be done before the people take it into their own hands
1256: The state of affairs with the homeless living on the greenway is unacceptable. They should not be allowed to start campfires there and commit crimes and intimidate citizens there, possibly causing another huge fire and not allowing taxpayers to feel safe using the greenway to walk and ride. There needs to be more options for homeless to reside in sober living facilities or jail.
1257: The state of the Greenway is absolutely disgusting – it is an embarrassment and disheartening. We have allowed what could be a beautiful outdoor recreation opportunity for the community to be held hostage by lawless, disrespectful vagrants. Change must happen.
1258: The state of the Greenway makes me embarrassed to live here. It makes me feel unsafe. I grew up in Medford and I used to walk along there, but now I won’t even go close to it. Please do something to clean up this town. We have resources for those camping there, they should be using them.
1259: The syringes and trash are evidence of a drug hangout and totally ruin the wildlife habitat and safety for use by our communities. Please bring our pride back and save this beautiful creek parkway from ruin. There has to be an answer to this issue, we can’t just let it go. Please help.
1260: The time to act is now. There are resources for the transient population on the Greenway. If they choose to not accept those resources it should not be acceptable to make the Greenway their home and take away this resource for our community. It is not safe for families to use this resource in the current state.
1261: The town has become such a dump recently and is a hazard for fires as well as women. This needs to be addressed.
1262: The trash and waste not only affect Bear Creek and local waterways. All waterways lead to the ocean. This is not only a local problem at that point. This has a ripple affect that reaches far beyond the valley.
1263: The trash left by people camping on the greenway is not healthy for the environment
1264: The trash these campers create is appalling to see driving on I-5 between South and North Medford exits. This has to hurt recruiting for people to move here for work. That’s a smaller concern to me than the contamination of the Bear Creek waterway and tributaries of human waste and drug paraphernalia. The local and state government resources spent to clean up trash is better spent on services to benefit a larger group of citizens than to be wasted cleaning up after non-tax payers. Let’s spent that money on affordable housing and social services to help people not housed or well.
This has to be addressed. Grateful for this proposal to make changes.
1265: The valley is going down hill from these people camping. They leave their nasty trash, tents, litter, etc. I drive by in disbelief because of how awful it is getting and I feel bad for the Medford residents. This has to stop. They need to figure something out and do what we all have to do— work.
1266: The waste both needles and biological waste are polluting these areas & the water ways that are meant to be used by all citizens in the valley. Right now the greenway is unsafe for residents to use and soon fire season will be here which presents another level of unsafe situations. There have been fires in the recent past that threatened homes and structures. The folks in these situations need mental help, a safe place to be that doesn’t allow drugs like hope village! Clean it up and police it!
1267: There are 6.5 acres for sale just across I-5 at the corner of Stewart and Barnett Roads. Why not purchase that and make into a protected site for those with no homes. Build tiny homes/structures, make common bathrooms, common gardens, and require no drug use. There is a way to provide for the less fortunate if government will actually be fiscally responsible and commit to doing their jobs, not just get a taxpayer funded paycheck.
1268: There are better more efficient ways to assist the homeless through transition. Please restore the Greenway to its original intent of cleaning up Bear Creek and providing a safe outdoor space for the citizens of Jackson County and those who visit this area.
1269: There are no easy solutions for so many of the issues we face today. But through experience we learn that the smaller the problem the easier to fix and this problem is only going to grow with time if not addressed now. Do you need help from the community?
1270: There are options available for the homeless. The situation as it is now is unsafe and highly unsanitary. Something must be done.
1271: There has to be a better way. Medford is a great city, but it currently looks like a slum from I5.
1272: There has to be something that we can do as community, to can come together and find optionsb and permanent solutions to clean up the Greenway and other areas in Jackson County safe for everyone to visit and travel on. It has been years since anyone in my family will even go on the path. 10 years or more my children would bike ride the path from Central Point to South Medford to the park. Now I would not even give it a thought of taking the path
1273: There has to be something we can do to save the Bear Creek Greenway. As a business owner and a citizen, I am appalled at the conditions that we currently face.
I used to walk my dogs on the Bear Creek Greenway path, but I had a bad experience a few years ago with a very large dog and his very large owner. I avoid the area now choosing to walk the neighborhoods and sidewalks, but we are starting to see the overflow of homeless on the sidewalks of neighborhoods now too.
What a tragedy that we have now let the "Lawless" take over our valley. You can’t hike the hills either as there are camps in the woods that can be even MORE scary.
One idea is to have the police go in front of a Paddy Wagon and assess the people there; do they need jail? mental health help? Or simple a room that we give that to them for a limited amount of time so they can get the help they need to be a productive, contributing member of society?
Rounding people up in a paddy wagon and distributing them to places that are already in existence sends a message that we will not be held hostage anymore.
There are several projects repurposing hotels for apartments, the Mission and so many more organizations that our community supports including a jail.
We need to take a stance: ANYONE found camping on the Greenway is arrested and sent to JAIL.
I believe we can and should help our neighbors. We were evacuated last year, luckily our home survived. We, along with our neighbors donated to help as many fire victims as we could. I’m also sure that the ones along the Greenway are not our neighbors, or fire victims.
My hope is that we can assess the area and help any fire victims and kick the rest out!
As a 5th generation Oregonian and in my 60’s, I acknowledge that time are different. We have always had what we use to call "Hobos. There is a real difference in today’s "Hobos". The sheer number of homeless people and their unchecked behavior. The "Hobos" of the past avoid people, except for the occasional side job to earn a few bucks so they could afford to avoid people again. Being a street person was dangerous back in the day because there were consequences to not belonging to society — jail, chain gangs, beat up and chased off or worse. The homeless of the past hid from society. Now society has to hide from the homeless and still find a way to pay for all the damage they do and the services they expect.
I’m not sure what the answer is, but the first thing I believe we must do is to let our elected officials know that in no uncertain terms we want a resolution to this situation.
1274: There is a reason the running joke about Medford is Methford. The city needs to do something about this. It has gotten worse and will continue if nothing is done.
1275: There is a solution for all. The residents of the community, as the needs for the homeless and mentally Ill. What there isn’t room for is drug use, murder, assaults and destruction. It’s time we take our city back.
1276: There is an alarming amount of trash and other waste that is regularly deposited in Bear Creek but during high water from storms and winter run off the massive amount of trash, human waste and pollutants from camps under the bridges as well as in low lying areas are all washed downstream to the Rogue River and eventually the Pacific Ocean causing detrimental effects to the aquatic and plant life that is essential to the communities and recreation areas throughout SW Oregon. While taking no pleasure in it Jackson County must ban all camping on the Greenway as there is no other solution to even consider.
1277: There is no excuse for this mess. The fires in the summer and all of the trash. Driving along the freeway, it looks horrible. The taxpayers of this county should be able to safely use the greenway, but unfortunately, the only people that use it are the bums. Clean it up! Enforce the laws!
1278: There is no other way to make our town safe..I lost my home to the oregon fires..
i dont get why us tax payers should clean there lazy butts garbage up…
1279: There is no reason why our Greenway could be beautiful., safe, with hiking trails similar to Lithia Park and Jacksonville. Our beloved Railroad Park could be included somehow. Exit 30 is horrifying! As you are driving near the mall, is that sewage I smell? For years now. I was brought up to care about my community. Give A Hoot! Don’t Pollute! It is time to address this embarrassment!
1280: There must be some way the cleanup can be enforced. The people who make this mess needs to clean up after their selves. It does no good to issue a citation if it is not followed and not enforced.
1281: There needs to be something else done to help make The Greenway and Medford safer. There has been too many murders, overdoses, drug paraphernalia being left around, trash scattered, and ect in that area. Yet nothing is being done to stop people from creating homeless camps there and ruining the area/town itself. There needs to be a better solution to just letting it happen. What Kate Brown had done is not helping. Maybe make mandatory rehab a thing? It needs to be safe for not only families but all individuals that frequent that area.
1282: there should be no camping at any time of the year on the bear creek green way. This was not built to be used by homeless people. If they want us as the people how end up paying for the up keep and clean up of thier messes maybe they could show some respect for us. Give those that are truly just out of work a discount to a county’s parks for their tents.
1283: These camps are the first thing that is seen when coming into town from either direction and this is not what should be the first thing travelers see. These camps are not safe for the people currently staying there or for the citizens who want to use the Greenway but no longer feel safe doing so. The amount of contaminants that is getting into Bear Creek is not good for the sustainability of this area. The risk of fires These camper cause is too great. We have seen how often these fires can get out of hand and we have seen how fast these fires can spread. Losing as much as we lost this last year needsbto be used as a reminder on why these camps shouldn’t be permitted. How many acres of land is ok to be burned? How many houses lost by these fires is ok? How many lives lost by these fires ok? And we must always come back to the drug use that is happening. The amount of needles that is now being thrown on the ground…it is sickening.
1284: These camps have gotten out of control. They are public health threats, and they’re slowly taking over more and more of Medford, trashing every space they overtake without a care in the world about the destruction they leave in their wake.
Fires are practically reported daily on the greenway. Come fire season, it’s terrifying to think another windy day may very well level our towns again.
The needles they carelessly toss on the ground by the hundreds have made our parks unsafe for children. The reality we live in had me educating my 4 year old daughter on needles and how dangerous they are. Always reminding her if she ever sees one, do NOT touch it! And of course that lesson was needed, because there’s been countless times walking through parks we’ve seen them and she knows to stay far away from them.
The human feces throughout parks and along the greenways because there’s no toilets out there. The overwhelming amount of garbage that’s hauled off the greenway with each sweep should be enough to finally put a stop to this!
THE ASSAULTS, RAPES, AND MURDERS SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO SHUT IT DOWN!
We need safer options for our homeless population. We need to get control the massive amount of tents popping up along the freeway. The longer we allow these communities, the more they’ll take over the town. This is unacceptable. There’s options for people wanting to help themselves. A huge majority of them don’t want the help because they don’t want to follow the rules. That doesn’t mean it’s acceptable to trash the town, commit arson, rape, assault, and murder. The greenway was once a lush beautiful place to ride bikes and walk along. Now it’s a place everyone is terrified to go, a place of nightmares and horrors that the victims of the greenway will struggle their whole life to recover from. As a community, we cannot allow these people to continue to terrorize and trash our town. Please, shut it down!
1285: These homeless camps that are popping up all over the central area of Medford are a blight on our lovely community. What was once a pristine parkway along scenic Bear Creek has turned into a third world country with trash everywhere, drug use, assaults, robberies and more. The leaders of our community need to have the guts to do what is necessary to clean up the Greenway so that everyone can enjoy it. As it stands now, decent, law-abiding citizens don’t dare venture down to the Greenway. Please, please have the courage of your convictions and pass new ordinances or enforce the ones already on the books.
1286: These people don’t have anywhere else to go , some of them have no homes at all no families nobody to call to help them . A lot of them let addiction take the best for them , but it still does not give them right to trash the place like that not for no reason and then don’t pick up after themselves . Those nasty needles that have been used easily could of been picked up by a child and been put in there mouth or anything . I understand these people do need a place to stay and all that , but there trashing the place and not even picking up after themselves . ITS NOT OKAY !!
1287: These people need to be held accountable, and go through the steps to recovery.
I can’t imagine how many needles are in Bear Creek where people wade in the summer. This needs to END NOW. This Greenway is for the people that take care of it, not the people that are poisoning it.
Our city council needs to stop this immediately. Stop the enabling. it doesn’t work!
I suggest the council watch this because our city will die as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpAi70WWBlw
1288: They are Polluting our waterways, and what a mess they are making and leaving behind.
1289: They area is not safe for wild- life, birds, other people, etc.
1290: They need some incentive to pick up their trash.
1291: They should never let anyone ever camp or live on the greenway.
1292: This "camping" fiasco going on is an absolute nightmare. I live right by Bear Creek Park and I fear for families and individuals that use the park and the bike path. I also fear that the individuals using the area as a camp ground could be at risk. Where I live is my first bought house which I don’t intend to stay in forever and the state of the Greenway is going to hinder the value of my home which isn’t fair to me. I am also a person who fishes year round and if I were to drop a wrapper on the ground near a creek or lake I’d be getting a fine. I don’t think that the Mayor, or city really has a plan or cares to have a plan on what they do with the homeless that are a constant problem with our community. Will it take another death along the bike path? Will it take someone’s child getting stuck by a needle? The "clean ups" are not enough. As a community member that lives literally a block from the park and bike path, I have serious concerns.
1293: This camping should not be allowed. There are plenty of programs to help people in need. These campers want to do drugs and steal.
1294: This action needs to be implemented right away. No waiting until next year or whenever.
1295: This affects our family lives negatively daily.
1296: This atrocious sight is appalling.It is one thing to be homeless but to allow such filth while doing it is outta control and disgusting. I can’t stand seeing the amount of trash and lack of respect these people are showing. I can only imagine what all the people driving through our valley on the interstate think.
1297: This behavior along the greenway needs to be stopped and cleaned up now. it is a danger to families businesses and the environment.
1298: This bs has to stop and soon!!! Fire and trash and drugs and murders y is this allowed to continue?
1299: This craziness needs to stop.
1300: This greenway should be able to be used by all. You used to see family’ with kids enjoy it but not ant more. Why should my tax dollars go for clean the greenway up weekly. We have places they can go if the follow the rules but that’s just it they don’t want to follow the rules what’s going to make people want to stop in Medford when all the see is the trash
1301: This greenway was a part of my first 2 kids childhood. My 4 month old son will never know the beauty of our greenway if something isnt done and done NOW!! Its absolutely disgusting that it has been aloud to get as horrible as it is. I feel that the cityof medford has failed to do their job. Something should have been done YEARS AGO!! My family and I used to walk the green way at least 3 times a week and we would always pick up trash as we would go. Now, I couldnt even try and pick up trash without the fear of getting poked with dirty needles or other drug paraphernalia. Along with the endless amounts of garbage and other ideams that have polluted the water of bear creek significantly i fear local spawning fish and other native species will soon disappear forever.
My husband has had to jump in the water to save multiple native salmon and steelhead fish that were stuck and wrapped up in the blankets/sleeping bags that were just thrown in the creek.
Please please PLEASE Do something about this problem. My family and I would even come out to help with the clean up.
1302: This has become unnacceptable and dangerous. We can no longer use the greenway. My house backs up to it and I am afraid we will have a fire back there in the middle of the night and the loss of life will be catastrophic.
1303: This has become unsafe for families to utilize the beauty of our Southern Oregon community. With the upgrades to bear creek park and the amount of children, families and other community members that use the greenway for recreation you would think the city and residents of Medford would be more determined to ban the illegal camping and the amount of drugs that has overtaken that area. It’s disgusting, extremely unsanitary and not right. PLEASE REMOVE ALL THE CAMPS!!!
1304: This has been long needed and overlooked. Now with all the groups stepping in to help the homeless there is no reason our taxpayers money can not be set aside to clean up our greenway and make it a public space again
1305: This has definitely gotten out of hand and there needs to be action taken apon this situation
1306: This has gone beyond being a nuisance to now being a public safety hazard‼️ It gets worse every time I drive by on I-5. Something needs to be done ASAP! Time is of the essence‼️
1307: This has gone on far too long. Stop it and clean it up!
1308: This has gone on lone enough.. Everything is in danger now. Our children, the wildlife, the theft and crime has gone thru the roof. We need our recreational areas back for families to enjoy…. After all that is what it is for. OUR SAFTY AS A CITY DEPENDS ON THIS
1309: This has gone on too long! We need this area cleaned up! Find a solution to house these offenders so we can have our greenway open and used like we use too. Our family and friends use to ride the greenway to Ashland every weekend and have been unable to do so due to the unsafe area. Let’s all work together and get some type of housing and help for these homeless people.
1310: This has gone on too long, more and more are coming because they see there is no consequences. It is not safe or healthy. Here we are wearing face masks and social distancing while Bear Creek is filling up with Bio waste materials.
Must take action NOW, especially before fire season.
1311: This has got to stop! The homelessness, the drug abuse, the trash all over the place. We do not want this any more. Something needs to be done about it. It’s out of control!
1312: This has got to stop! The trash is not healthy to our animals, environment and our kiddos! We as citizens do not even feel safe to help participate in the clean up in fear of stabbing ourselves or stepping on a needle, not to mention the feces everywhere. We need equipment to scoop it all up so our citizens are not put in danger.
1313: This has gotten completely out of hand it wasnt always this way I have been here since the 50’s and have seen many changes but this Bear Creek Park and Most of the parks are terrible and need to be cleaned up and policed properly times have changed but this mess does not need to be…
1314: This has gotten out of hand and needs to be remedied.
1315: This has gotten out of hand. Please do something to make the Greenway safe again.
1316: This has gotten so out of control and so effects our community and our safety.
1317: This has to end.
It’s destroyed our city.
1318: This has to stop! It’s detrimental to public safety and toxic to the environment.
1319: This has to stop! Unsafe for families and tourists. Dont reward bad behavior! Help the homeless that are wanting to help themselves. Forsett drug addicted and mentally ill to treatment or bring back the mental intuitions to house them. Better to use our tax dollars this way than to continue to clean up after them and feel unsafe in our communities.
1320: This has to stop!!!!
1321: This has to stop. Let’s quit enabling people’s drug habits and allowing people to use the greenway for a toilet.
1322: This has to stop. A solution has to be made.
1323: This has to stop. The freedom of being able to enjoy our outdoors is being stripped. We the people should not feel threatened by this unacceptable behavior and use of outlets outdoors.
If I litter I am fined. If the liter they should be fined and any such crime like needles left where others can get poked that is attempted murder so they should be in jail.
Please help this is unacceptable
1324: This horrible mess on the greenway needs to be stopped. It was not created for the homeless to use and abuse it they way they are!
1325: This hurts my heart so much. I’m appalled at how our beautiful city has turned so trashy. The rampant drug abuse and theft is horrible. We, as a community, need to take a stand to clean our city up.
1326: This is a difficult situation to say the least, but at worst, this is a public health crisis that needs to be stopped.
1327: This is a disgrace to see when out shopping, going to work, taking the kids to the park, how embarrassing we look as a city.
1328: This is a hard subject to deal with I believe the homeless are people created by God for a reason. This is why I give to the Medford gospel mission. This gives them a safe place to sleep and get a warm meal. I do not feel that we should be allowing them to camp out wherever they wish. Obviously it’s very unsanitary and the trash is a huge issue! It also encourages other homeless to come to our area. We must stop these camps now before this issue gets completely out of control. The camping near the kids little league fields is very dangerous for our kids. The drugs, needles etc. please do not allow this to continue in our valley.
1329: This is a health hazard for the community and the people living on the greenway not to mention the environment. Please, consider the impact and enforce no camping laws along the greenway.
1330: This is a health hazard to all who use the greenway.
The greenway is not the place to allow camping, it was meant to be a place for us all to enjoy and cannot with the filth all along the way.
1331: This is a huge concern of ours. As taxpayers, we are paying for this area as well as constant clean ups. The saddest part of that is that we can not use it. We loved to ride our bikes on the green way until we were attacked by one of the homeless characters. Please fix this issue!
1332: This is a must! We need to remove all tents and homeless, find a better way for them to live.
We used to love riding our bikes on the green way, but we don’t dare go that way now it’s so sad. All the trash & needles along with sketchy people makes for a non family envy.
1333: This is a public hazard to the health of individuals using the green way to visit: community safety hazard because of human waste; garbage waste; and personal safety concerns.
1334: This is a public health crisis for everyone. The greenway ecosystem is being damaged as well which feeds into our water supply. The drug needles, trash, human feces etc. all being put into the river. In addition, I can’t believe we allow this right next to our little league fields where children play. I’ve seen people shooting up all over the place. Brand new fencing that has been cut and rolled back to allow people to pass through and continue illegal behavior. I’m truly terrified for what the summer fire season will look like if we do not move these people out of the greenway. Perhaps we need to stop providing services right next to the greenway as well. It definitely makes it more likely that they would continue to camp there since everything they need is there….food, supplies, drugs, retailers and home to rob, water.
1335: This is a public health hazard. This needs to stop!
1336: This is a public health hazard….what would happen if this trash and needles get flushed down Bear Creek. This is also a fire hazard….we cannot afford another fire like last summer. DO YOUR JOB.
1337: This is a sad situation. The creek and greenway has the potential to be a beautiful part of our community!! We need to save it!
1338: This is a serious problem and I am very concerned there will be a repeat of the fires we had last year if this problem is not dealt with.
1339: This is a significant health and economic problem in our County. Allowing unauthorized camping and dumping hazardous materials in the Greenway area must be prohibited, period!
1340: This is absolutely disgusting. If you don’t do something about it right now you will never be able to stop it. These aren’t the people who lost their homes to the fire these are drug dealers thief’s and scum bags. We the people are tired of the few dictating what the rest of payed for. Clean them out now!
1341: This is absolutely unacceptable first..the people in these camps..2nd for our COMMUNITY!! HOW DISGRACEFUL..THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE. ASHLAND’S PROPERTY TAX ALONE SHOULD HAVE THE FUNDS! THE IS A CATASTROPHIC DISASTER IN THE MAKING. IF THERE ARE CHILDREN IN THESE CAMPS THAT IS ILLEGAL & SHAMEFUL. WE MUST REMEDY THIS. NOT A YEAR FROM NOW—– NOW.
JOYCE HESS
541-621-0248
1342: This is an area meant for family enjoyment – people do not use it for fear of safety. The trash and drug paraphernalia makes the area look awful!
1343: This is an embarrassment for our community. While I believe all people deserve help, we should not allow our city to be showcased as it currently is. The first thing you see when entering Medford is trash, damaged tents, shelters made of tarps, fences cut apart every 5 feet, you see that our city finds this to be acceptable. When the Greenway was first completed we would ride bikes as a family on it and now police officers aren’t even allowed to respond to calls alone for safety reasons. This need to be changed! Please give us our greenway back.
1344: This is an embarrassment to our community. Last week, I was told even Seattle homeless aren’t this disgraceful. Please make the greenway clean and safe. I hate looking at it when I drive by as my son says look they stole new bikes again
1345: This is an embarrassment to our County, take a stand and do something about it!
1346: This is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately. The view from I-5 is an absolute embarrassment. Why has this continued this long? Someone needs to go on record and explain why this hasn’t be resolved
1347: This is awful and needs to be fixed. We can’t safely use the Greenway anymore. Sad.
1348: This is become out of control
1349: This is completely outta control and needs to be handled and cleaned up, the amount.of needles and trash is absolutely disgusting and I’m sick of seeing it from one side of our beautiful town to the other,I feel sorry for the few that truly don’t have anywhere to go but 95 percent of it is just rampant drug use heroine and meth users its freaking ridiculous get a job and get off the greenway
1350: This is crucial for our valley now and for years to come.
1351: This is devaluing our property values here, our quality of life here, drugs are being sold and consumed by our youth, and our beautiful bike paths are full of literal trash. It’s a dangerous place to be. As a single woman, I don’t feel that it’s safe to ride my bike there. It shouldn’t be this way. The greenway should be a beautiful resource for exercise, sight-seeing, birdwatching for all… but instead it has turned into a wasteland effecting our creeks, wildlife, qualities of life, and property values. Devastating.
1352: This is devastating, disgusting, and very sad all rolled into one. I hope and pray there are enough signatures to start to remedy this situation.
1353: This is disgusting and a disgraceful name to our community. Something we can clean up and try to prevent and help others. Those needles are probably spreading diseases out and about and pose a serious danger to our wildlife and any passerby on the Greenway.
1354: This is disgusting and sad to say I live here. Time to kick them out. Make them accountable. Makes me sick
1355: This is disgusting my poor home town is turned into a human toilet by all these homeless. It makes me cry . I would never bring g a child into this world let alone this town the way it continues to change for the worse. Please help get them out of there , NO CAMPING . Clean up this City
1356: This is disgusting! clean it up and move them out! sure, they have a right to be homeless they do not have a right to be disrespectful to our town!!!
1357: This is disgusting, disappointing, and trashy(literally) looking.
1358: This is disgusting. I know it’s bad so I avoid it. Really sad it could be a great place to walk or ride. Thought about trying to fish on it also but don’t want to take the many many risks involved.. But even worse is it happens in our parks also. Another place I decide not to go. Or take my children! Last time I went to the park with my kids we had to have the pleasant conversation about why a hyperdemic needle was sticking in a tree and why to avoid it at all costs.
1359: This is getting out of control. It only gets worse from here, unless we do something now!
1360: This is just awful and is forcing a lot of us to move out of state. To much drugs and crime. When we moved here from Upstate New York 20 years ago it was so nice to be able to walk the Greenway with our dogs. Now I wouldn’t even there as I look at the mess it’s very sad to me to have to move away.
And all the time our police and fire have to spend it seems more than half of their time on the Greenway and not being able to help in other areas because it is ongoing in more than they can handle it seems.
I am a house sitter and pet sitter and there are certain areas that I won’t even go to anymore because of this.
1361: This is just disgusting what is happening on our Greenway! We need to rectify this immediately. I don’t have any suggestions though as what to do with homeless. Surely there must be some grants we can obtain for our homeless. Maybe pay our homeless to clean up he Greenway?
1362: This is just not safe, for anyone! There has to be a better solution! I hate to see people homeless but these camps are dangerous. When I took I-5 last week, I could see a camp with a huge campfire. It’s terrifying to think we could have a repeat of last September. Not to mentions the drugs ansd violence that is often reported. It so very sad! We really do need something to change!
1363: This is just terrible for tourism and I’m embarrassed of the park and greenway! Families cannot enjoy the park and the drug use is dangerous!
1364: This is just the beginning. It will get worse.
1365: This is needed for everyone’s safety.
Fires, trash, and criminal element.
No one can use the Greenway for it’s original purpose.
Thank you.
1366: This is no longer a safe bike path for anybody. The crimes ,debris, and drugs on the greenway has turned the entire area ,in and around it into a dump. We are doing nothing but enabling this behavior by letting these destructive individuals camp and run the greenway. Lets make it beautiful for families to enjoy once again and keep it that way.
1367: This is not okay & something needs to be done immediately
1368: This is not only unsightly and unhealthy for our eco system, but dangerous. As a long time Jackson Country citizen, I am appalled that this had been allowed to even get started, let alone continue. I am disgusted and beyond disappointed that this has been allowed to get to this point.
1369: This is not only unsightly but a health and environmental hazard. Enforce no camping on the greenway!
1370: This is only going to get worse. I can’t imagine the all the in town fires we will have this summer with all of the camping on the greenway. It will
get out of control before it gets better
1371: This is our of hand… something needs to be done
1372: This is out of control and needs to stop.
1373: This is out of control. Unsafe for those living there and for our city. Its destroying our cities natural environment.
1374: This is outrageous and needs attention to.
1375: This is ridiculous – clean it up immediately
1376: This is ruining our city and they need to find elsewhere for these people to do drugs and put their trash!
1377: This is ruining our town. I was born and raised here. I have never been more disappointed to be surrounded by this. As a local business owner and soon to be mother it makes me feel unsafe.
1378: This is something that needs to happen for the health of our community.
1379: This is such an ugly mess! How can I help
1380: This is terrible to see this happen. And to keep going on
1381: This is terrible! I would like the Greenway clean and to see no more homeless camps In our community.
1382: This is the most disgusting thing I have seen happen to this area. I have lived here all my life. The Greenway has always been a little sketchy since they built it but the camping and pig stys that are allowed on it now, and …the fires that are started from the area… let alone all the drugs and paraphernalia are absolutely disgusting and it needs to stop!!!! There is absolutely no excuse for this.
1383: This is unacceptable and needs to end. The liberal agenda of "tolerance and accommodation no matter what" leaves our city looking awful, entitles and emboldens people who have no interest in making their lives better. No sain person thinks this is ok. This will lead our city to ruin and will cause another catastrophic fire leading to a worse crisis and the death of Medford. Tell Salem to get out of how we handle this problem and to stop tying our hands to stop this madness.
1384: This is unacceptable and the laws must be enforced! No camping on the greenways
1385: This is unhealthy. Where are all the protesters about all the ways to being dumped into Bear Creek? What are we doing to the city?
1386: This is way past due. As a child my family took biking trips on the Bear Creek Bike Path. It’s horrible to see the state it is in today. If these people actually wanted help I would have more sympathy but since they don’t, I do not either. Why has this been allowed? Why are our communities allowed to be at risk from these people who CHOOSE a transient lifestyle? Clean up the Greenway NOW!
1387: This issue has gone on long enough!
1388: This issue needs to get fixed!!!
1389: This just makes me sick! Can’t even take my kids on a walk down the bike path and show them the once beautiful bear creek anymore!!!
1390: This land is for public use and it is being used for the wrong purpose. There are so many public safety concerns that is it absurd this is still being allowed. Allowing homeless camps in this area enables drug users, increases the risk of physical and sexual assaults, pollutes the land with trash, human waste, needles etc. allowing this to continue greatly threatens the life of many during fire season. The greenway was created for a specific purpose and it is being misused. Help these individuals to seek the help they need from the non-profits and get them out of there.
1391: This lunacy needs to stop!
1392: This makes me sick! Get these people out of here!
1393: This makes me so sad. I don’t feel safe walking or riding on the paths. This has to stop. Our beautiful county is turning into a big trash heap.
1394: This must be cleaned up and end this or else change Medford’s name to Trashford, with signs at each end of town. This is a disgrace to the Medford area I grew up in from 1945 and a disgrace for tourism and a healthy lifestyle
1395: This must STOP. I have watched this problem continue to worsen over the years. All the effort and money that has been spent to improve our creeks, river, and habitat is all for naught if we continue to sit idly by and allow it to be completely destroyed. How can we sit by and watch such blatant disregard for our environment? This is a blight on our community.
1396: This needs to be a county ordinance as the greenway extends from Ashland through Central Point & I fear will only relocate the problem to other areas, if it’s only a city ordinance. It was a transient that started the fire between E Pine St & Bebee Rd in Central Point a couple years ago. It has become an ugly burdensome unsafe costly issue for the cities & county. Must be addressed.
1397: This needs to be done now,it is only going to get worse. We are already hit with our tax dollars, having to deal with crime increase, fires,polluting Bear Creek, health hazards. How long before some of the contagious diseases going around these camps spread into the community . Please stop the homeless from camping in our greenway. It us going to continue to grow if we don’t do something to stop it now. I am dreading fire season this year, will we even be able to insure our homes in the future,if this continues to be an issue within this camp ,and our community is doing nothing to prevent these arsonist and fires on our greenway.How much more should we be subjected to, We tax paying citizens also need to be protected ,allowing the homeless on the greenway is not working.
1398: This needs to be done so that EVERYone can be safe. Our community needs to have better alternatives for homeless people if they’re willing to go.
1399: This needs to be taken care of. I won’t let my wife and daughter around the Greenway because of all transients and garbage. We are hikers and walkers, it would be amazing if we were able to walk that beautiful Greenway again!
1400: This needs to stop but how do we stop it. Let’s get our beautiful city back we don’t want a mini Seattle !!!
1401: This needs to stop! Baseball coaches have to go over the fields near green way before practice to remove dangerous syringes and needles before the children can practice. This is crazy and so dangerous for everyone!
1402: This needs to stop! I’m embarrassed to drive down I-5 knowing this is what our city is turning in to.
1403: This needs to stop!! Local government has been passive way to long!! We need to take a unified stance against this issue! Medford needs to form a reputation up and down the I-5 corridor for taking a strong stance on the homeless issue. The debris field left behind in these homeless camps is not exceptable!! If they cannot show the same respect and pride for the city we ALL live in, move on down the road!! Enough already!!
1404: This not humane treatment of our fellow citizens. It is cruel and I humane to allow people to live like this.
1405: This project is a must for all who want the greenway to revert back to a healthy environment for families in the area.
1406: This really has to stop. Please do something
1407: This should be a priority. We shouldn’t have to be signing things to get our area cleaned up. Make the Community Service Officers patrol and make the people camping clean it up..
1408: This should have been stopped long ago. Someone is not doing their job!
1409: this should included Central Point, where i live. I will protect my family whenever we are on the greenway, i to would not be on the greenway unarmed in its current state. after the fires on the greenway last year that had the chance of taking my home and family the homeless need to be controlled.!
1410: This should of been taken care of a long time ago, along with mental health workers coming along side some of these sick people. I would like to see it clean and stay clean!
1411: This situation has become extremely dangerous for the homeless and anyone wanting to use the greenway. And parents are not wanting to let their children in the little league field’s and railroad park. This has gone too far!! And visually looks horrible as well! In a recent work trip I made to a neighboring state, I over heard a group of people talking about driving through Oregon and how trashy the whole entire state looked along I5!
1412: This situation has gotten way out of hand. The greenway is no longer safe. It has become a haven for drug addicts and criminals. As someone who lost everything in the fires, I absolutely feel for and identify with people that lost their homes. I believe these are not the majority of people who are taking advantage of our area though. It is also worth mentioning that if we don’t get these people off the greenway before fire season, we risk having a repeat of last years events. There has to be a middle ground, somewhere these people can go that is more easily regulated. An area they can occupy and have their freedom but is also patrolled and monitored just like any other neighborhood. The recent murder on the greenway, the drug activity, the hoarding of stolen goods like the giant bicycle pile are all evidence that this isn’t working and only getting worse. Something needs to be done and that something needs to be not only immediate but also humane.
1413: This situation of illegal camping not only presents itself as an eyesore but is horribly unsanitary. Besides the piling up of garbage which creates a draw for vermin, we need to realize that these individuals are just deficating in the open. Can we get anymore unsanitary?
Stop the illigal camping now!
1414: Those camps are a travesty. It is way past time for them all to disappear. Not only from the greenway, but from anywhere that poses a risk to any tax paying citizen.
1415: Those syringes laying around are bad for our children if they step on one or fall on one could do a lot of damage.
1416: Time for a change and to enjoy the beauty of what this park has to offer! Let’s do this to help everyone in the community!
1417: Time is of the essence in this matter. It cannot drag out indefinitely, the time has long since passed that this be corrected for everyone in our community. It is woefully inequitable to expect taxpayers to continue to fund cleanups and lose access to our community. Our beautiful town and county have been usurped by transients and those who are not being required to follow the same rules or they are allowed special rules those of us footing the bill are not allowed (I will use the example of the City sending letters to homeowners if a bush or branch gets a bit over a water meter lid threatening to cut it themselves and charge us if it isn’t addressed immediately and yet, tents, trash and what not are everywhere and our tax dollars are being wasted on cleanup and enforcement instead of building up our town or keeping it beautiful) Again inequitable.
We can see illegal living starting up all over the place again.
Imagine what could have been done with all those funds used in this vicious cycle.
1418: Time to clean up. Letting this illegal camping go on is not only an eyesore but it’s unethical, inhumane, and it ruins this valley for those of us who actually pay the property taxes supporting this local government.
1419: Time to get them out!
1420: Time to quit hiding behind questionable court decisions which have been interpreted to say that bums committing illegal acts are immune from enforcement/prosecution. Being "homeless" DOES NOT GIVE YOU A LICENSE TO BREAK THE LAW AND ENDANGER OTHER FOLKS !
1421: Time to stop. Clean it up and keep it that way. No more camping or panhandling. It looks absolutely horrible.
1422: Tired of all the mess and looking dirty.
1423: Tired of seeing the trash and needles everywhere
1424: To be able to use for biking and walking but I am too afraid to do it. Not only is it unsafe for citizens to walk along it, but it is also unsafe due to the fires that are happening in the summer from campfires that get out of control. Please stop the camping along the greenway..
1425: To be honest , I’m.not very happy with homeless because of bad environmental at Greenway look so dirty and ugly also drugs additive need to remove off the property under Medford Greeway also homeless must leave because of fire blaze ruin and lost my mom’s lost condos that she part of landlords help to tenants for living and lost her investment for her support livings…
I’m blame for Jackson County Govt isn’t doing good job and don’t care about residents and waste our taxpayers we have to our right must stop give it away free syringes ? for heroin all over , so horrible .. MUST STOP ?!!
I’m sick and tired of hearing more more !! ENOUGJ!!
ANGERY!!!!!!
Also almost fire toward to my house closet to greenway at central point . That’s scary and nightmare .. STOP !!! No more happen again in the future!!!
Please clean them out of. greenway MUST!! Do something NOW !!!
We pay high expensive taxes !!
1426: To continuing allowing this will only cause the spread of this and areas once pretty and safe to become ugly and unsafe for all. They need help but we can not have our town destroyed. Keep our town clean, safe and free of fires and trouble the best we can!
1427: To the Medford City Council : I Totally Agree Something Should Be Done About This Illegal Squatting Along The Greenway. This is a Disgrace To Our Community ! Not to Mention a Hazardous Situation As Well To Our Environment and The People in This Community. If Something is Not Done ASAP, More Homes Will Be Lost, Possibe Additional Loss of Life and All The Heart Aches. We Do Not Need Another Almeda Fire Ever !!!
It is a Shame That The Greenway Has Become a Trash Dumping Ground. It Was Never Ment To Become One !
SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW !
Sincerely, Sigurd West II & Brenda Fulmer
1428: To whom it concerns,
I respect the plight of the homeless and transient of Jackson county. But we desperately need a change.
I avoid all of the businesses that are near the greenway; I find it frightening to go in those areas due to the homeless that stake out spots to sit at or ask for money. I definitely avoid the greenway as a woman and a grandmother. It is a dangerous and filthy area.
Additionally, I find that I am loosing my pride for my community as it’s filthy, dangerous, and embarrassing for my visitors and family to see.
I hope that additionally this will go into effect and be strictly implemented for everyone when it comes to fire safety. I know all of us are scared of the coming fire season and the risks associated with the greenway.
Thank you,
Susie Lynch
1429: To Whom It May Concern , The Bear Creek Greenway needs to be cleaned up and along Biddle Rd. too. They are an eyesore and trash everywhere. I feel for the homeless, but trash everywhere is ridiculous ! Is it all going to start smelling too ? When we lived in Arizona, homeless people were not allowed in the city and were escorted out. I support a village or something to help, but the greenwat was supposed to be for walks, bicycles, runners and nature observers. Why would anyone want to go there now ? Please clean up the greenway !
1430: Too close to kids and unsafe to everyone that lives in the area or uses the many parks or pathways.
1431: Traveling on I-5 and seeing all of the trash and tents etc, is revolting. What an eyesore. It looks so trashy. Something needs to be done.
1432: Truly sad what is going on here. The mayor needs to step it up
1433: Unbelievable what characters have shown up last summer and caused the destruction to our city and bordering towns. Also the mess we the tax payers are left with.
This is the first thing people see when they visit our town right from I -5 in over a dozen places
Sorry no more camping or doing any other ILLEGAL activity on Medford’s Greenway.
So many families have also lost safe recreation due to the presence of trash and drugs.
1434: Unbelievable that this is acceptable.
1435: Unfortunately I have witnessed urination and defecation in public areas of the park and people sleeping in the doorways to the restrooms. I have been accosted by people threatening me and verbally assaults. I believe there are three categories of campers; Mental and addiction problems, homeless due to loss of income and people that want to be off the grid. I believe we should help the first two groups but stop trying to assist anyone who declines assistance and enforce the laws against vagrancy, public intoxication, littering and being a public nuisance. There is an old adage; "build it and they will come". Stop trying to provide assistance to those that decline and move them on.
1436: Unfortunately it is a necessary evil. Our citizens of all ages need safe recreational/gathering spaces. It is vital to continued forward growth.
Medford is fortunate to have resources for those less fortunate, camping on the greenway doesn’t have to be an option.
1437: Used the greenway for yrs as a safe running route because of no vehicle traffic, now I’d rather run down the i5. Looks horrible for our beautiful community. When passerby’s are driving through. This needs addressed ASAP
1438: Used to be proud of this beautiful town with gorgeous creek running through it!!! We clean up in 70’s from industrial waste! To let it got to this is disgusting after so many in past work hard to clean it up!!! We should be ashamed of the shape of this town norw!
1439: Used to walk this path all the time loved the walk. The calmness the peaceful sounds of the birds seeing the squirrels. Going down to the bridge and watching the fish it was nice. Now I don’t want to and especially take my my grandkids. SO SADIT HAS TO BE THIS WAY.
1440: Very concerned over the ever increasing homeless population with the garbage and fires etc.
1441: Very concerned with the fire danger in the areas along the greenway with all the camping. The garbage is horrible too. We need to do something!
1442: Very tired of seeing the trashy camps along the freeway. Especially seeing all the bycicle parts and pieces at the North Medford exit of I5. I would like to see work camps.
1443: Wait, what?
I had to evacuate my family to Grants Pass and wondered if my home and office building would be still standing when I returned.
There is no amount of money that can solve the problem of people who don’t want to be helped. I plan to start carrying a gun when on the once peaceful and scenic Greenway and I know that was not the original in TENT….
1444: Want our Greenway for its intended purpose. Please vigilantly keep the campers and homeless out.
Thanks,
Curt
1445: Wanted to ride our bikes along the pathway thay follows I5. After seeing all the homeless and the garbage then hearing about the crime.. In addition the dirty needles … No thank you. It is a real shame that tax paying citizens can’t use what there paying for. If I were a tourists coming into the area… I’d keep driving.
Clean it up!
1446: Watching the homeless population grow so rapidly over the past several years has me concerned why nothing is being done. This once beautiful, safe town is now an embarrassment. It’s surreal, really. I have children that deserve to be able to go to our parks and enjoy what WE pay for! The Greenway is a disgrace to this town. Unfortunately, it’s the first thing many newcomers see as they are driving I-5. Something MUST be done.
1447: We all have PTSD whenever the wind blows. It is unfair for the tax paying citizens of this county to live in fear of losing everything because of a homeless encampment fire.
1448: We are considering leaving the area due to the safety of our young children. We feel it’s completely unsafe to be at Hawthorn Park and Bear Creek Park with our kids due to the amount of homeless camping and hanging around the area. We moved to Jackson County to offer our children a better living environment than we were raised in and sadly it’s worse than the small towns my husband and I are from. Medford used to be so beautiful and now all you see when you drive through town is trash and homeless camp cities. I don’t know why anyone would stop in Medford. Something needs to be done. Every I-5 off/on ramp has an entire city of tents.
After the fires this last summer we can no longer risk losing our loved ones and our home.
1449: We are discouraged about this unacceptable situation. It is not fair that hard working people make an effort to work and keep the city clean. We do not like living in a city where trash and abuse of public recreational sites is common grounds for "dependants". If they are misfortunate, they could apply for social services to be provided work, food and shelter. If they choose not to be helped they should not be allowed to live in the city public places. Law and order should be enforced. Otherwise, more people will come to "live" this way and the city will become a worse scenario as time passes by. We actually have considered leaving Medford because of this very reason. Thank you for your efforts in this matter,
1450: We are not a third world country. Let’s give this space back to our families!
1451: We are not solving the problem we are encouraging and giving false hope. The numbers only increase the hazard grows. We need solutions not temporary fix it is like putting a band aide over a massive wound as it only seems to get worse.
1452: We are sick of it! Please stop making the rest of the community suffer by allowing the camping, filth, harassment and crime to go on without real consequence. I am pregnant and I hate having to consider whether this community has become too undesirable, because of what is allowed, to raise my child in, and wonder if I should move elsewhere to a place that doesn’t allow this nonsense.
1453: We as a community HAVE to stop implementing the same policies that San Francisco, Sacramento, Portland, etc have PROVEN do not work. This isn’t compassion, this is enabling & encouraging bad behavior. The taxpaying citizens deserve to feel safe, have a beautiful community, and be able to utilize all areas of our community. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. It’s time to be smart and stand up for our community.
1454: We as a community need to quit enabling this homeless problem and start holding the homeless people accountable for their partake in destroying the Greenway, Cities and County. Nothing is ever going to change if we continue to allow them to destroy property and make it unsafe for the rest of the law abiding citizens of medford. Those camps that have TONS of trash and unsanitary waste and stolen property and drug needles are not fire victims.
1455: We as a people cannot continue to condone this type of behavior. There is no good reason why people have to live on the streets or in beautiful scenic areas trashing them and have no regard for the beauty of nature. These people alot of them have decided to check out of being responsible and contributing positively to society. Enough is enough! I realize that some have fallen on hard times but there are systems in place to help those who really want to get back on their feet. Thank you
1456: We can no longer allow the destruction of our greenway and community by allowing this rampant misuse of the greenway and public spaces. This unchecked camping is causing significant environmental damage as well as unsafe conditions for the community and those camping.
I as a 40 year citizen of Medford insist that something be done. I am seriously considering moving away from this place I love and call home solely due to this issue. I do not want to live in place that is quickly becoming to look like a 3rd world county.
1457: We can not even take our child for a walk or enjoy living in Medford anymore because of all the danger of discarded needles and contaminated bear creek! When does our rights to live happily and safely come in to play? I am so saddened by the disgusting lack of care for not only our city but the working families that live here. Some say by placing a non camping ordinance we are not being compassionate to those is our community that are homeless, mentally ill or have drug issues, I for one know in Jackson County alone we have numerous programs, shelters, and resources then most larger cities! I want to be able to drive to work without having to be heartbroken seeing seniors of our community cleaning up around these dangerous, disgusting, disrespectful camps only to have more camps, dangerous paraphernalia , and criminal activity increase!! Please give us back our city!
1458: We cannot allow another Almeda fire event to happen. The trash along the Greenway needs to be addressed as it’s an ecological nightmare. The drugs that seem to flow freely along the trail need to be pushed out so law abiding citizens and their children have a safe place to enjoy excersize and wildlife outings. It can be beautiful!
1459: We cannot allow this to continue. We need the proper response and resources to deal with why these people are living this way. We need mental health hospitals and long term care facilities .We need proper care for these people not a hand out that keeps them from ever getting better.
1460: We cannot even enjoy the green ways due to camping and Vagrant’s living there. They leave dirty needles and trash. We need to get Oregon which was once a beautiful back again
1461: We cannot use the greenway when we are too terrified. Our county is better than this!
1462: We cant even take our children anywhere near the bike path anymore. It’s a disgrace to our community.
1463: We cant even use the greenway due to the homeless people
1464: We can’t keep cleaning up Bear Creek. It has become a BioHazard which could lead to other diseases. Bear Creek was made for people to be able to enjoy, walk or ride bikes. It is not a campground and has no services to support a campground. If the city can’t keep it clean and healthy then the whole strip should be cut and mowed to the ground with nothing within 200 ft of the creek.
1465: We do not use the green way any more. This is exactly why. Why are so few allowed to ruin it for all the rest.
1466: We do ride our bikes on greenway trail and would hate to see all those trash left by anyone who don’t respect the land!
1467: We don’t want another year like last year, literally people running for their lives from a fast moving fire. So many losing their homes and are still displaced 6 months later.
1468: We go and ride the Greenway section in Rogue River. It’s so nice. Reminds me of how Medford’s used to be. Today there was so many happy people and families riding bikes and scooters, walking, running and just enjoying what it was meant for. It was a beautiful, peaceful hour making memories with my daughter on the Greenway. Everybody we saw smiled and said hello. I have so many fun memories of riding the Medford greenway as a kid. Then drove back to Medford and saw all the tents and trash at the North exit along our section of the Greenway. Then get home and watch the news and hear of another homicide on the Greenway. It’s time for our community and the city to put a stop to this and get it cleaned up.
1469: We have a car lot right next to greenway and so over the thief’s and low life stealing gas and stuff and going right under bridge to greenway and Medford pd does nothing about it! It is so discusting that we would let this happen and if keeps going with will just have more fires this summer because they are ignorant low life’s!
1470: We have a serious mental health and drug issue and we are failing to help 🙁 please close down all camping on the greenway forcing theses people to seek help !!
1471: We have always had people who are homeless here. I’ve lived here for 42 yrs and NEVER have I seen just pure disgusting disrespect for our community. There’s no reason to throw needles on the ground or in the creek it’s gross and needs to be stopped
1472: We have been evacuated in the last 3 years because of Greenway fires (that were started on the Greenway). The Citizens of Jackson County must have the ability to take back control of their Greenway.
1473: We have experienced 3 fires here in Central Point we believe were started by the camping on the Greenway, one began burning the back of our subdivision and the other we had to evacuate.
When will the Council and Commissioners realize doing the same ol’ thing does not work? Pandering to this is just putting EVERYONE in danger. Obviously word is out, and received very well by the increase in tents in the area, and that the area is perfect for this since we do not have strong enough rules and regulations to discourage it.
All we keep thinking is will the next one be the one that takes out OUR subdivisions? Something needs to be done and done now! Will the next one ruin our lives and those around us? The people in Talent and Phoenix know the resulting fear and devastation that results.
With great concern (and fear!!) Linda and David Borum
1474: We have lived here in Rogue River for over 20 years and used to enjoy the Greenway for walks with our dogs and bike rides, but we no longer feel safe due to the illegal camping of homeless people. It is a disgusting mess!
Please make it safe for the taxpayers to enjoy again! Patricia Mason
1475: We have lived in Ashland/Talent our entire lives, kids lives, and now grandkids lives. We have always been proud of our county, our home, excited to share with friends and family.
But as of late (since Covid mess) we are ashamed, ashamed and saddened by the filth. How can this be okay?
Please, restore safety to our greenway.
1476: We have lived in Jackson county for 17 years, we are business owners. Driving up and down HWY. 5 is like being in a third world Country. These people must be dealt with! I believe that giving them free drugs and needles and a safe place to shoot up, is one of the most ridiculous and dangerous things I’ve every heard of! . This is one of several reasons why Oregon has gone from being a beautiful States to being a filthy, over regulated and dangerous place to live. The homeless are responsible for many of the fires along the Bear Creek. We must address this mess in an effective way and it must be done now.
1477: We have lived in Jackson County for 5 years and really enjoyed walking and bike riding on the Greenway. The past few months, the homeless population has totally taken over our Greenway. We no longer feel safe being anywhere on the Greenway. The population has doubled because they feel entitled to camp and throw garbage and needles everywhere. We want our beautiful Greenway back. The situation has become very toxic and not fair.
1478: We have lived in Medford for 16 years. We had hoped to retire here but we are looking elsewhere. We don’t feel safe here anymore!
1479: We have the Greenway yet most people don’t even feel safe using it. This needs to change
1480: We have to stop this, it’s destroying our beautiful green way and creating an unsafe environment for people who use the greenway
1481: We have to take back our community and stop wasting our tax dollars
1482: WE haven’t used the greenway for years due to being harassed by homeless campers on the greenway several times. The filth and trash is disgusting and we feel very unsafe. The greenway used to be an awesome family outing, a nice place to ride bikes, go for daily walks but now we avoid it and never use it. It’s just an unsafe place for everyone, including the homeless people. By not allowing camping on the greenway of any kind, it is a better way to have other forced options of getting help. You are enabling people who need help by allowing them to continue to camp, instead enforce no camping and make them move forward instead of just being stagnant and it’s really not living at all. It’s just existing and not in a kind way, it’s unkind to allow this to continue.
1483: we hope medford and jackson county can avoid what is happening in other larger cities with out of control
homeless camping and the mess they leave behind.
1484: We live a few blocks from Hawthorne Park and our neighborhood is a thorough fare for crime due to all the activity and camping along the Greenway. We live in the historic part of Medford in a beautiful neighborhood but it’s being spoiled by unsavory activity, people urinating in our yard, and crime. I have two small children and we like to walk down to Hawthorne Park but don’t always feel safe doing so. Something desperately needs to be done.
1485: We live by Railroad Park and there is always lots of noise from the group of transient, druggie, campers.
1486: We live near the Greenway and Scenic Middle School in Central Point. We want to move because we’re afraid of yearly fires that are started on the Greenway. Our lives and home are threatened annually. We’ve been evacuated three summers in a row.
The Greenway has more people than ever—how many times will my family of 5 have to evacuate this summer?
Also, my family of 5 could easily access the Greenway for walks and bike rides—but it’s not safe.
1487: We live not too far from the mall and we feel like we are being swallowed by crime and fear. We have a small child and used to love going to the park and walking the area. We have stopped all of that and spend all our vacations out and away from this area now. We watch people come up from the Greenway to stop traffic and deal drugs in the street then return to the Greenway. Its a matter of time before downtown is caught fire with all the illegal fires constantly. Please shut down the Greenway. For all of us
1488: We live right by the greenway and have businesses by the greenway. These folks are causing challenges for neighborhoods, businesses, shopping centers and the greenway. It’s unacceptable what is being allowed. We can’t use the Greenway as a walking path for our family because of these hooligans. We don’t allow our kids who are young teens to walk where they should be able to because of how unexpected theses these folks are. These are not homeless folks, these are drug addicts that have no respect for anyone. We need to bring Medford back to what it used to be; it was about communist and family. Our tax paying dollars should NOT be going to
support people who steal, do drugs and have no respect for anyone including themselves.
1489: We lost THOUSANDS of homes last year due to the illegal activities of the BUMS (that’s what they are!) ILLEGALLY living in the Greenway. IT’S AGAINST THE LAW! Do your DUTY and ENFORCE our laws! We PAY YOU to DO YOUR JOB. You’ve allowed this mess to grow. Stop it NOW!
1490: We love this area but we can not allow it to be a wasteland for the homeless.
1491: We moved into Central Point 6 years ago. I have yet been able to take my child on a bike ride through the greenway. 1, the homeless population is outrageous, and 2, after the fires, there may not be anything pretty to look at. I fully support what this group is attempting to do. Now, we could use the help of local law officials and county officials to prosecute and dismantle the ongoing activities.
1492: We moved to Medford in Aug 2020, to be close to our Grandchildren. Before we moved here, the kiddos told many stories of enjoying family bike rides along Bear Creek. Unfortunately, we are hesitant to take them now that weather is warming up. We can see all the camping sites from the freeway, and have been reading about the problems in the Mail Tribune. Please return this wonderful asset to the families of Medford & surrounding communities!
Barb and Bob Zaksek
273 Peebler Way
1493: We need a safer way for everyone. Especially with summer coming up and fire season. This is getting out of control with people trashing our town and more violence being held on the greenway.
1494: We need a solution for our homeless situation.
1495: We need the greenway to be the family friendly, safe area we taxpayers were promised. What we have is an area we paid for and can’t use. Drugs, rapes, crime and fires resulting from camping along the greenway is unacceptable and inhumane.
1496: We need to clean it up the bike path is a bike path not a camping area the solution for the homeless problem for me would be to find a large area that they can sit there and going camping where we provide trash cans for them to dump stuff in and Porta potty‘s to use but not long the Greenway The Greenway is no longer safe for people to walk their dogs let the kids ride their bikes looks like we’re living in downtown LA there are plenty of open spaces and land around the outskirts of Medford that could be contributing to tent camping which is close enough for them to get the support and help they need. By allowing them to camp wherever they want is turning into a nightmare you’ve already had 2 to 3 deaths two murders already buckets of needles trash being thrown in the bear creek you drive in a town and the first thing you see is a bunch of homeless tents is that what we really want to portray in our wonderful city. If they kept the areas around their sites clean it wouldn’t be so bad but we’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to pick up after them and they don’t even care they have no respect for the city they’re living in you have bike parts piled up yeah trash all over the place underpasses where you’re paying somebody go in there and deal with all the hazmat that’s been been placed on their there
1497: We need to clean the greenway before we end up with another Almeda fire in the Medford area.
1498: We need to figure out a way to help out with all of the homeless, all of the drug addicts, and all of the people who has mental problems. I have a daughter that I had to leave in California because Oregon does not have anything that could help her up here with her mental problems. There are people out there on drugs and there are people out there who just cannot afford to find a place to live. If I did not live with one of my kids, I would be out there with them.
1499: We need to find a solution snd ban any and all camping not in a designated campground eith ptooer facilities
1500: We need to find ways to support the homeless yet provide the community with something better. The homeless issue provides unsafe issues within the community.
1501: We need to get this place cleaned up and make it safe for families like it was made for. I will not take my grandkids there ever until it is cleaned up and make it illegal for camping.
1502: We need to move the homeless along. It’s time we cleaned our Community!
1503: We need to open our eyes to the filth and disgust that litters that greenway. Could be such a nice area for families to go Nike riding air even hang out by the creek. Instead we let it be taken over by trash and needles. Sympathy for the down and out is one thing but when does it cross that line to just druggies bailing out of society? So much talk of climate change and banning straws because of the harm they cause to sea turtles yet we are ok with this? Where do
You think all that trash that is flying around the greenway goes? All that.m crap(and literal crap as well) has the potential to make it to the ocean. Let’s be logical here. Open you eyes to what is happening.
1504: We need to protect our innocent citizens from this hazard!
1505: We need to remove the shelter in place and then we can clean our county up again. Jackson county use to be such a bueatiful place.
1506: We need to stop the illeagle camping on the Green Way last year was a warning and if you don’t take care of the problem now as bad as last years fires were the next time we might not be so lucky.
1507: We need to stop this over night camping this make our town look dumpy and trashy it needs to be cleaned up and we need to make this a town to be proud of.
1508: We need to take back our town before it gets any worse. I need a safe place for my children to grow up. Please
1509: We need to take our town back
1510: We need to take pride in the land. We need to work harder to create a town that will still be healthy and clean for our future. There is a huge difference between living in a tent and being homeless, and living in a tent and being lazy and disrespectful. The amount of garbage, human feces, and drug items is astonishing, sad, and disgusting. Something needs to be done. The people who can put a stop to this need to grow a back bone and stand up against this disrespect.
1511: We own a business close to the greenway, Forage Coffee. We have spent thousands of dollars renovating our building to make a beautiful spot for Medford residents to enjoy coffee and to improve the neighborhood. We have to deal with the transients on a daily basis and one of our customer’s children found a needle in the park close to our building. The greenway is an embarrassment and a danger to our community! I remember as a kid my family would ride our bikes to Bear Creek Park. We never had to worry about our safety. I would never use the greenway now. Please put a stop to the camping and drug use on the greenway! Thank you!
1512: We pay taxes and it is scary the way the greenway has become. Was evacuated twice last year due to vagrancy on the Greenway.
Find out where they were born and buy them a bus ticket to return them! Let the place of birth deal with their needs.
It would be much cheaper than constantly cleaning up their trash and filth.
We used to take our kids and ride from Central Point to Medford on bike trips that is not an option anymore.
Please move forward with any plans to help and forget the bleeding hearts trying to stop this plan.
1513: We really need our Greenway back. It isn’t safe to walk on, which is a shame because it’s beautiful
1514: We really need to get this mess cleaned up it’s gone on to long
1515: We seem to focus a lot on everyone’s "rights" nowadays. I think it’s time we started to focus on the responsibilities that go with our rights. If we all have a right to use the Greenway, surely we also have a responsibility to take care of it, keep it clean and pick up after ourselves.
I can sympathize with and believe we should help people who are down and out, particularly those whose situation is not the result of their own doing. It is difficult however to have much sympathy for people who live in their own garbage and filth making no effort to care for the public facilities they are destroying.
Our poli9cies so far have failed; it’s time to try different.
1516: We should be able to feel safe in our hometown. This cannot go on!
1517: We should come together as a community to make more places like Hope Village, Kelly Shelter, and the Urban Campground. He gives the homeless a safe place to stay and helps them on a new path to being responsible, productive members of society. Let be apart of the solution♥️
1518: We support them with housing and free meals and this is what they give in return! All kinds of debris, used needles, feces, etc. is what Medford gets in return and is located with in two blocks from my residence! Please help save the Bear Creek Greenway!
1519: We sure would love to ride our bikes on the Greenway again some day!
1520: We trail skate and this has got to go!!!!
1521: We use the greenway a lot as we are avid cyclist, but in the last 9+ months it has gotten so bad it is actually uncomfortable to ride it. Also the trash and the unstable homeless people who shout things safety is a huge concern.
1522: We used to ride our bikes on the Greenway, enjoying the scenery, getting fresh air and exercise. It is no longer safe and the scenery is destroyed. This is sad and such a waste of our tax dollars.
1523: We used to ride our bikes on the greenway. No longer. Not only has it become a cesspool of trash that pollutes our waterways, it is no longer safe. Doing nothing is doing something. It is allowing those who trash our community to continue to do so without consequences, while the consequences of inaction are suffered by the community.
1524: We used to ride the bike path but my kids don’t want to anymore. They are scared and don’t feel safe through several sections.
1525: We used to ride the greenway with our kids- I would ride it alone or even with my husband anymore.
The reason people move to towns are to enjoy the outdoors- bike trails parks, its quality of life for families.
This is not a safe environment for the homeless or transient people either. This is not the answer for anyone.
1526: We wish to have this a beautiful family usable area. Not full of drugs and filth. So sad such a wonderful thing has been left to ruin.
1527: We, the citizens of this county are better than this and can do better in helping those people who are currently living in the unsanitary conditions along Bear Creek. We need to work as a community to clean up the greenway and return it to all citizens of Jackson County. Please, take action to right this wrong!
1528: We’re only as strong as our weakest link and the weakest link in the entire southern Oregon community unfortunately has become the Bear Creekbgreenway which should be an outstanding asset I wonderful connector I have communities that enhances both transportation and recreation instead of freight and avoidance and danger and fires
1529: We’ve got to get the Greenway under control! The continued fires even thru the winter just can’t be tolerated! It’s nasty & filthy. It’s too bad these people feel it’s ok to spread filth and trash all around the trails.
1530: West Medford, the Green Way, and downtown Medford, all matter. They are the gemstone of this city.
1531: We’ve extended our hand s and hearts to the "homeless", sadly, the druggies and bums have horned in on our generosity, and now keep us from enjoying out Greenway. I would suggest an organized patrol made up of volunteers with Police Officers from each of the towns the Greenway enters to patrol and not allow ANYONE to camp, EVER.
1532: What a mess and an embarrassment to our community. I am a law abiding responsible, tax paying citizen and I no longer use the Greenway due to safety issues and just the meer ugliness and filth that abounds there. Our inaction as a community on this matter is inexcusable.
1533: What can be done about this? Our once beautiful city looks like a trash dump!!! Law enforcement says they are not allowed to do anything because of Covid and shelter in place!??
1534: What is being allowed to happen in this county is disgraceful! I understand that some people need assistance but they willingly choose not to take it. Allowing this to happen without address or discourse is complacency. I can’t believe what this county has allowed this to continue, just making the problem worse. Something needs to be done by the elected officials. Uphold the oath that you took to the people of this county and clean this mess up! If you don’t, the people of this county need to rise up against those who do not uphold their oath to serve and protect. We need true leadership in these times!
1535: What this is doing to the Fish and wildlife is completely unacceptable. This is breaking down the fabric of our society and as a law biting citizens this cannot go on. I’m disappointed in our city council members and our county members. This is an environmental disaster and I can’t believe it’s taken our local officials this long to do anything about it…
1536: What was designed for nature and family activity has become yet another site for drug and criminal activity as well as illegal fires.
Enough is enough
1537: What’s going on in the Greenway is disgusting. How officials can watch this and not want to make a change is mind boggling. I am in awe at out of control this has gotten. Living Jackson county my entire life its embarrassing. Not to mention the safety concerns. Come on people do the right thing. Shouldn’t even need a vote to do the right thing. Seems like common sense.
1538: What’s happening to our community is so disturbing! The Greenway needs to be cleaned up and the homeless relocated. It’s making the whole town more unsafe each passing day!
1539: When I go past the Greenway my stomach flip flops. First for the people who call it home but then for the state of devastation it has become. Safety. Crime. Filth. Drug use. Needles. Too much to discuss in a small text really. Help the people there – then the land.
1540: When I was scouting the area in Oregon I wanted to live, one of the biggest draw was the infomercial on my hotel tv about the beautiful Greenway that would one day wind through this beautiful valley from Ashland to Central Point and beyond. Now, 18 years later, I warn new people to the area to NEVER walk or ride the Greenway alone. I direct visitors from out of the area to bypass as much of Interstate 5 as I can as the tents and garbage seen from the freeway are so embarrassing. They have ruined and distract from the beauty of this valley. Please don’t let this continue to be acceptable here. Let’s clean it up FOR GOOD!
1541: When it gets to a point where my 10 year old son recognizes, is saddened, and angered by the damage, mess, and uncleanliness that is brought on by the homeless…It is a problem for me! I can’t take my son to certain parks, paths, or areas in the valley because of the horrible mess and unsafe atmosphere it now provides those around here. It is BEYOND wrong to allow this to continue, and for it to continue growing…is also wrong. The individuals causing it all, they should be required to clean up everything. There should be laws set up to avoid it starting all over again. We want the beauty of the rogue valley back!
1542: Where has our town gone. It is absolutely terrible looking at all the camps and tons of trash driving on the freeway and seeing the green way destroyed. I support the clean up and feel we need to address the homelessness.
1543: Wherever they go they need to respect the location , other people and our Mother Earth by cleaning up their own mess. I don’t understand their lack of respect for our land and the whole environment.
Which to me is a blatant disrespect for themselves‼️
1544: While I was growing up here in the Valley volunteers worked so hard to clean the trash from the banks and out of Bear Creek. All in the hopes that salmon and trout would be able to again spawn in the creek. There was also a slogan well known in the state, "Keep Oregon Green". There has been so much lack of respect for our area and environment. It disgusts me beyond belief that the Beautiful Rogue Valley has fallen into despair because of the inability to control the happenings and lawlessness of the Greenway.
Growing up, I watched the greenway begin. There was a time when it was designed for the enjoyment and use of families and people just wanting to enjoy the outdoors. It would be nice to be able to ride a bike or walk with my grandchildren on the Greenway. That is no longer safe to do. As a kid, friends and I were able to ride our bikes there. That is not safely an option for anyone’s kids anymore.
1545: While the homeless population needs to have a place to stay, the Greenway is not that location. After the deadly and destructive Almeda Fire, we can no longer afford to let the Greenway remain in the terrible condition it has been in for decades. In addition to the county’s new ordinances, I think the city should consider creating new homeless camping sites or shelters, as many of the people who camp at the Greenway have nowhere else to go.
1546: While visiting my son in Corpus Christi, TX we noticed no homeless people camps. My son says they have a plan so I thought you might like to see it. •A Strategic Plan to End Homelessness in 7 Years Corpus Christi • homelessshelterdirectory.org/CorpusChristi,TX • endhomelessness.org • Cincinnati.com/The Enquirer (How does cleaning tent cities fight the larger issue of homelessness? I feel if trash cans, porta- potties and showers where available somewhere away from the greenway it would help.
1547: Who is held accountable for the costs of clean up and repairing the fence on a monthly basis. It doesn’t make any sense. What you are letting happen is the definition of INSANITY. Please help me understand what you think will change this time.
1548: Why did we ever pay to build homeless highway? Such a waste and it continues to drain us. Please do something about this.
1549: Why should our tax dollars pay for something the tax payers cannot use? The entire area is not only an eyesore but it is very unsafe.
1550: Why should the tax payers front the bill for this? I have no problem with people who have fallen on hard time and are trying to fix the their situation.
1551: Why won’t anyone listen ?? Whoever is responsible for handing out needles – you may think your helping but you are part of the problem. We want our greenway back and to feel safe again…
1552: With people camping in the greenway and the severe drug use it makes me feel unsafe to live close by and to be anywhere near it. I will not bring my kids
1553: With that said , let’s have a program that can stop the cycle of homeless. Help fir jobs, training, food, showers cloths and of course housing . This will not get better unless State and Federal funding becomes into support thus. Mentoring these homeless to work with local businesses willing to give these people support, training to lean a skill and get back on your feet. If they refuse or continue with drugs after a set amount of time , they will be dropped from the program.
These are just my thoughts. Not easy I know.
1554: With the rising risks to human life, the greenway needs to be recovered and no longer allowing camping of any kind. It needs to be cleaned up as well. I don’t feel comfortable using the greenway at all, in this point in time, due to safety concerns.
1555: Would Love to be able to take my kids on the Greenway but too scared from all of the homelessness, trash, and drug use.
1556: Would be nice if parents couldntake their children bike riding on the path to have a safe place to ride away from vehicles.
1557: Would like to feel comfortable bringing my family on the greenway. I don’t right now.
1558: Would like to feel safe taking children on bike rides on the greenway. I used to love to ride from bear creek park to the expo.
1559: Would love for the greenway to be safe enough for me to take my children to.
1560: Would love to feel safe once again on the greenway. It would be nice to be able to use the greenway that my tax dollars helped build. With the current situation it is not safe for anyone to use it.
1561: Would love to feel safe with my daughter to ride bikes again.
1562: Would love to see the greenway cleaned up as it has become unsafe and a big eye sore with all the trash everywhere and drugs/needles everywhere. I don’t even feel safe walking on the greenway with my child due to the hazards all around it.
1563: Would love to someday ride my bike with my kids along the greenway. As of right now, would never step foot on it!
1564: Would really like to feel safe on the Greenway again!
1565: Yes they need a place to sleep, But when they leave this is what they leave, and there garbage. This needs to stop.
1566: Yes, please clean up this mess
1567: You can’t even drive on the highway without seeing the debris, damage and destruction caused by the segment of the population who are said to have fallen on tough times. Apparently, if you’re homeless you are excused from basic human decency, respect and even public health/safety/hygiene. Not sure why it’s condoned that some people are above reproach simply because of their current circumstance. Circumstances can change if and only if said person wants and strives to change them. It’s appalling that everyone has to live with and be surrounded by the disgusting environment created by these few.
What you permit, you promote. This is a saying a good friend of ours has used many a time over the years. Life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. But that’s no excuse for justifying idleness. No matter anyone’s circumstance, forcing a whole community to have to live in your muck is neither right nor deceit. We can’t continue to permit these lasting harmful actions, or we are silently promoting them.
1568: Your efforts to help clean up the greenway and the problems that come along with it are much appreciated. Not mentioned in the letter and that is also of extreme concern is the fires that have been started as a result of human activities. These and all the issues mentioned above are a threat to our valley.
1569: It is inhumain to allow them to camp there. Get them help and close camping.