Oregon Land Use Update
October 14, 2004

In this issue:

1000 FRIENDS OF OREGON

• Ballots are on their way: How You Can Help Defeat Measure 37
• 1000 Friends’ job opening: Legislative Affairs Director

OREGON

• Committees and Workgroups Meeting to Change Land Use Program
• Protect farmland and stop our cities from unnecessary sprawl by attending LCDC rulemaking hearings on Goal 14 (Urbanization)
• Stayton City Council adopts “big box” ordinance
• Oregon exports up almost 10% thus far in 2004
  

NATIONAL (and INTERNATIONAL)

• Congress passes TEA-21 authorization extension for 8 months
• Study shows likely surge in demand for compact housing near transit
• New Jersey township finds out that a downtown makes a difference

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1000 FRIENDS OF OREGON

Vote “NO” on Measure 37! Your Ballots Are in the Mail!!

Now is the time to do all we can to support land use planning in Oregon and defeat Measure 37.

As taxpayers we cannot afford administrative costs of up to $344 million each year. We cannot let arbitrary decisions determine who receives waivers to the laws to which the rest of us abide. We cannot afford subdivisions and strip malls sprouting amongst our most productive farms. We cannot throw away the assurance that our property values will be protected from incompatible development down the road.

The No on 37 coalition (Take A Closer Look Committee) needs contributions and volunteers now. Please consider how you can help:

• Contribute online or mail it to P.O. Box 3113, Portland, OR 97208.
• Write letters to the editor. Download a guide or for additional help writing or submitting a letter, contact Dan Eisenbeis of 1000 Friends at (503) 497-1000 or Audrey Van Buskirk of No on 37 at (503) 222-2734.
• Phone bank. Call from home or organize a local phone bank! If you live in the Portland area, join others who are making calls 6:00-9:00 PM on October 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28 and November 1. Contact Morgan Allen of No on 37 at (503) 222-2734.
• Table at public events. Know of public events--like markets, fairs, or festivals--where you can reach people or want to talk with your neighbors? We can help you get organized! If you are interested in tabling at farmers' markets in the Willamette Valley or Portland, please contact Aaron Abrams at (503) 475-1174. Otherwise, please contact Morgan Allen at (503) 222-2734.
• Canvas door-to-door. Contact Morgan Allen of No on 37 at (503) 222-2734.
• Send postcards to people your friends. Want to remind people about the importance of voting no on 37? Send them a postcard! The campaign has printed postcards just waiting to be addressed, stamped and mailed. Contact Debbie Dorris of No on 37 at (503) 222-2734.

  Debbie can also provide you with No on 37 window signs, bumper stickers, and lapel stickers.

With our combined efforts, we can defeat this measure and reaffirm Oregonians' commitment to protecting our quality of life!

Have general questions or not sure who to call? Contact Dan Eisenbeis at (503) 497-1000.

Read more on Measure 37’s pitfalls.

1000 Friends’ Job Opening: Legislative Affairs Director

We are looking for a Legislative Affairs Director with experience as an advocate or lobbyist to start on December 1, 2004 or as soon thereafter as possible and to work at least through the 2007 legislative session. Learn more.

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OREGON

Committees and Workgroups Meeting to Change Land Use Program
The non-legislature legislature? Land use committee meetings abound! The legislature is not in session yet, so you probably thought you did not have to pay attention to changes in statewide land use planning policy. Not so! There is a flurry of activity now underway in anticipation of the legislative session so everyone can race to Salem to lay out their ideas. DLCD has compiled a list of all the committees meeting on a wide range of land use topics. For contact information, you can download the DLCD document.

Protect farm land and compact cities with strong neighborhoods!
LCDC rulemaking hearings on Goals 11 (Public Facilities and Services) and 14 (Urbanization) will be held in ten locations around the states. The purpose of the hearings is to prepare for administrative rulemaking in November or December 2004. The locations include:

• Bandon (11/9, 6-8 pm)
• Bend (11/8, 6-8 pm),
• Corvallis (11/9, 7-9 pm)
• Gresham (11/11, 7-9 pm)
• Hillsboro (11/8, 7-9 pm)
• LaGrande (11/9, 7-9 pm)
• Portland (11/5, 9:00 am start)
• Roseburg (11/9, 10 am-3 pm)
• Salem (11/8), 6-9 pm), and
• Warrenton (11/9, 10 am –12 noon)

Please attend the meeting in your community and make sure land inside UGBs is being used more efficiently before UGB’s can expand. For more information, download the DLCD document or contact Cliff Voliva at (503) 373-0050 x268.

Stayton City Council adopts “big box” ordinance
On October 4th, the Stayton City Council voted to limit store sizes to 30,000 square feet and malls to 80,000 square feet. According to Gloria Gardiner of the Department of Land Conservation and Development, Stayton’s ordinance is the most protective in the state. We’re told that one of the questions raised during the discussion originated from the 1000 Friends Citizens Conference last month in the big box session. The only opposition was expressed in one letter sent to the Council. Read a local news story.

Oregon exports up almost 10% thus far in 2004
The value of Oregon exports has increased 9.8% in the first half of 2004 according to data released by the US Department of Commerce. Agricultural exports are up nearly 25% from a year ago. This is good news to Oregon’s agricultural producers, who export 40% of their goods. Agriculture also was the chief export from Oregon to China, where total exports increased 68.9% in the first six months of 2004. Read more.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Congress passes TEA-21 authorization extension for 8 months
Five extensions and still no substantive reauthorization of America’s surface transportation law. Congress passed a funding authorization (H.R. 5183) through May 31, 2005 at the House-approved levels for FY2005 with no new programs. This leaves transit funding flat unless more money is appropriated. To read the bill, click here and search for the enrolled version of H.R. 5183. See how Oregon and other states will fare.

Study shows likely surge in demand for compact housing near transit
Study shows that demand for housing near transit is likely to double by 2025. Read more.

New Jersey township finds out that a downtown makes a difference
Suburbia is maybe not the first place to create a walkable community, but towns in Mercer County, New Jersey are finding out they can make positive changes in their communities by pushing for something other than the off-the-shelf designs. Read more.

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Credits/Subscription Info

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Land Use Update is edited by Kate Kimball and brought to you by 1000 Friends of Oregon, a statewide organization dedicated to protecting Oregon's quality of life.

To help support this work, including the distribution of Land Use Update, please consider making a tax-deductible donation online at http://www.friends.org/support

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