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Council approves purchase of 40.21-acre parcel adjacent to Prescott Park; Messer family donating adjacent lot
Summary
The Medford City Council approved an ordinance authorizing a real estate purchase agreement to acquire a 40.21-acre parcel adjacent to Prescott Park for $442,000. Parks staff said the Messer family will donate an adjacent tax lot, creating roughly 80 acres for park expansion and trail connections.
The Medford City Council voted to approve a real estate purchase agreement with the Messer family that will add a 40.21-acre parcel adjacent to Prescott Park to the city park system.
Rich Rosenthal, Medford’s parks, recreation and facilities director, told the council the Messer family will donate a second adjacent tax lot if the purchase is completed, creating about 80 acres the city can use to expand Prescott Park’s trail system and improve access to nearby neighborhoods. Rosenthal called the acquisition “the culmination of negotiation with the Messer family” and said the land would enlarge the community park and improve access to the Vista Point/Oregon Hills neighborhoods.
Why it matters: Parks staff said the parcel offers opportunities to expand trails and community-park features on a site the city has sought to secure for years.
The council approved the measure with an 7–0 roll call vote. Councilors praised the long-term value of preserving open space next to Prescott Park and noted potential future development opportunities the acquisition enables.
Ending: Parks staff said next steps will include integrating the parcel into park planning and trail development; Rosenthal noted the Messer family requested consideration of a trail named for the family as part of the transaction.
