Oregon Land Use Update
October 31, 2006

In this issue:

1000 FRIENDS OF OREGON

• Envision Oregon event in Medford and La Grande draw capacity crowds
• New Development Director Hired
• 1000 Friends of Oregon looking for Legislative Director
• Envision Oregon town hall forum on Saturday, November 18 in Bend

OREGON NEWS

• Measure 37 claim for 640-house subdivision on 640-acres on side of Steens Mountain
• Prineville tries to protect rimrock vista, will Measure 37 let the city pay the landowner?
• Poll says opposition is mounting to Measure 37
• Clackamas County Simmers with Measure 37 Activity
• Small Town with Big Issues
• Larger Towns with Big Issues
• Newberry Crater Measure 37 Claim gets interesting—or confusing

NATIONAL NEWS

• Gov. Schwarzenegger Opposes Prop. 90
• Do property owners really win under Measure 37-type proposals?
• When commuting turns into living in your car
• It's commuting or is it running errands?
• Slow Food and now Slow Cities

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Envision Oregon event in Medford and La Grande draw capacity crowds

The fifth Envision Oregon town hall forum occurred in in Medford last week, as it was earlier in the month in La Grande. It was another no-room-for-more gathering of Oregonians who shared their values and their vision for Oregon's future. Read coverage.

New Development Director Hired

Lori Meadows has joined 1000 Friends as our new Development Director. Lori comes to us with extensive and successful development experience with nonprofits in the Northwest. She is homegrown as well: Lori grew up on a rye grass farm in the Willamette Valley. If you want to reach her, call our Portland office at 503-497-1000 or email her at lori@friends.org.

1000 Friends of Oregon looking for Legislative Director

We are looking for a Legislative Director to represent 1000 Friends of Oregon during the 2007 legislative session and beyond. We are looking for people to apply who can't get politics or land use out of their systems. It's an exciting job where you will be at the cutting edge of a national debate. Find out more about the position and how to apply.

Envision Oregon town hall forum on Saturday, November 18 in Bend

The sixth Envision Oregon town hall forum will take place Saturday morning in Bend on November 18 at the Summit High School Commons. A continental breakfast begins at 8:30 and the event ends at 12:15. Please register for this free event so that we have food and room for you.

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Measure 37 claim for 640-house subdivision on 640-acres on side of Steens Mountain

The latest in a string of large Measure 37 claims is to develop the west side of Steens Mountain in Harney County. The proposal is to develop up to 640 homes on 640 acres. Read more. How many Measure 37 claims are there? According to Portland State University, 3,450 demands have already been filed on over 223,00 acres—an area greater than Oregon's seven largest cities combined. The vast majority of these demands involve slicing up Oregon's farm and forest lands.

Prineville tries to protect rimrock vista, will Measure 37 let the city pay the landowner?

Prineville sits down by the river so that rimrock up above surrounds much of the town. Since 1978, Prineville has protected the edge of the rimrock from development, but a Measure 37 claim threatens this choice. The city offered to pay the landowners, as authorized under the law, but the landowners want the house, not the compensation. Read the story and an editorial.

Poll says opposition is mounting to Measure 37

Measure 37 won handily in 2004, but what do Oregonians think about it now? A recent survey concludes that 48% of voters would vote against the measure; 61% voted for it in 2004. Opposition increases to 66% among those who call themselves knowledgeable about it. We can't turn back the clock on what is now state law, yet the survey gives credence to the idea that once you get to know Measure 37, you are less likely to support it. Read more.

Clackamas County Simmers with Measure 37 Activity

Developers near Pete's Mountain Road in West Linn are hoping to start building the 41-lot subdivision on 63-acres by next summer. Read more. A couple near Mulino have filed a Measure 37 claim on their 350-acre farm, the highest claim submitted yet. The owners claim a loss of almost $70 million, making the county's total $1 billion in claims, the highest county total in the state. They plan to divide into 350-lots but claim they want only 100 homes. Not eveyrone in the family is thrilled with this option. Learn more.

Small Town with Big Issues

The current population of Tangent may not have topped 1,000 people, but growth is the big issue in this year's election for mayor and a ballot measure. Population projections are not technical details in Tangent: they are on the ballot. The ballot measure pits those who support the lower number adopted by the planning commission against the higher number (1,781) adopted by the city council. Some argue this is a choice between Tangent managing its future growth or being overwhelmed by change. Read news coverage. Visit an online discussion among community members about the differences in population projections.

Larger Towns with Big Issues

Tangent is not alone in facing the challenge of growth. Tualatin, like many other Oregon cities, is taking a look ahead and trying to create a community people will like 25 years from now. Transportation, downtown access, local businesses all are issues in making the future better. Read more.

Newberry Crater Measure 37 Claim gets interesting – or confusing

It is a simple question: how long has James Miller been the owner of the Newberry Crater property, for which he seeks a Measure 37 waiver to allow him to mine pumice, drill for geothermal energy and build 150 homes? The answer is not that simple, it turns out. Measure37 claims hinge on showing that the owner owned the land before land use restrictions went into place, so who owns the land is key to the future of this claim. There is no decision yet by Deschutes County commissioners. The record is open until November 17. Learn details.

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Gov. Schwarzenegger Opposes Prop. 90

California faces a Measure 37-type ballot measure this year in the form of Prop. 90. Gov. Schwarzenegger has just announced his opposition to the measure. The California Farm Bureau opposes it, unlike the Washington Farm Bureau which put the measure on the ballot there. Read more.

Do property owners really win under Measure 37-type proposals?

In Oregon, we are starting to see magnitude of the changes Measure 37 may bring to us. Similar measures are on the ballot in other states. This article considers what kind of values and money are behind these measures.

When commuting turns into living in your car

If you lived elsewhere, you may remember what bad commutes are like. This article from Virginia spells out in detail the high personal cost of letting unmanaged development control our lives.

It's commuting or is it running errands?

A new study by the Transportation Research Board has found that commuting is taking more time and we do it alone more than ever. Work travel is only 15% of all daily person trips, which is a 5% decline since 1990. But we are taking more trips to run errands, take the kids to or from school. This is an national statistical report on use of the automobiles we drive—or that drive our lives. For details and to order, go here.

Slow Food and now Slow Cities

A Spanish food writer started the slow food movement in response to a McDonald's announcing plans to open a store in Rome in 1986. Italians were again at the forefront of the "Slow City" movement, which began in 1999 when mayors of four Italian cities met to describe the characteristics of a slow city. Factors include, among others, supporting local crafts, aesthetic traditions, a more calm and cleaner environment. Over 65 cities have been certified so far. Could your community qualify as a Slow City? This article asks whether the US will be fertile ground for this burgeoning movement.

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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.

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