Phoenix planning commission reviews interim TSP update to bring PH5 into UGB and preserve future five‑lane North Phoenix Road

Phoenix — City staff and consultants presented an interim update to the city’s Transportation System Plan (TSP) at a Planning Commission study session, saying the narrow, targeted revision is intended to incorporate the PH5 area into the city’s planning documents and allow property owners to pursue master plans and zone changes.

"A transportation system plan is a long‑range planning document," said Matt Bell of Kittelson & Associates, the consultant team engaged for the update. Bell told commissioners TSPs typically carry a roughly 20‑year horizon and that the interim update is intended to be a focused bridge until a larger TSP update can be funded and completed.

The interim update would bring about 100 acres in the PH5 urban reserve area along North Phoenix Road into the TSP, add new conceptual street alignments and multimodal facilities, and update maps, tables and cost estimates. Consultants and staff stressed the update is not a full, major TSP amendment — which would extend the planning horizon and require an "enhanced review" under recent Transportation Planning Rule (TPR) changes — but a narrower step that preserves options for the future.

A central point of debate was the cross section for North Phoenix Road. Consultants proposed adopting a three‑lane section now while explicitly preserving right‑of‑way for a future five‑lane configuration. "We're really trying to preserve as much of the right‑of‑way as possible," a consultant said, explaining that including an actual capacity‑increasing project (for example widening to five lanes now) would trigger a major update and more extensive review.

Staff and several commissioners said the preservation approach lets developers and adjoining jurisdictions, notably the city of Medford, plan consistently while avoiding the time and cost of an immediate major TSP update. Commissioners also pressed consultants on project costs and priorities; the consultants identified one nearby intersection (Highway 99 and Bolts) as a higher‑priority item that should be listed at a higher tier in the project tables.

Speakers discussed funding and implementation: staff said many local streets in the PH5 area would be constructed by developers, funded in part by system development charges and possible SDC credits, while larger elements (for example regional interchange work) would likely require grant funding. Participants cited several figures during discussion: an interim update estimate was referenced at roughly $750,000 for a full future plan update, a $2.5 million grant was described for a Grove Road extension, a $7 million reservoir project was noted as recent local infrastructure investment, and regional interchange cost estimates cited in the discussion ranged from tens of millions up to several hundred million dollars.

Regional coordination also shaped the conversation. Consultants noted prior planning efforts by Medford and Jackson County and said the conceptual street network aligns with nearby planned facilities. Commissioners asked about the South Stage interchange/overpass; consultants said Medford had pursued a BUILD grant and that timing and scope for a regional interchange remain uncertain, which affects long‑term capacity assumptions for PH5.

No formal action or vote was taken — the meeting was a study session to receive information and offer early input. Staff said the draft redlines will be refined and noticed to the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD); state notice rules require a 35‑day posting, and staff proposed a Planning Commission public hearing around Aug. 10, with adoption hoped for this fall if external reviews and funding follow the anticipated schedule.

The Planning Commission will be the recommending body; final adoption would rest with City Council after the public hearing and required state reviews.