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Oregon Land Use Update
March 15, 2007
In this issue:
1000 FRIENDS OF OREGON
OREGON NEWS
Measure 37:
Other News:
SAVE THE DATE!
NATIONAL NEWS
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1000 FRIENDS OF OREGON
Take action to fix Measure 37 and protect Oregon
People who support property rights recognize that Measure 37 is threatens Oregonians' quality of life, water supplies and our economic future. You can do something to change that today. Please contact your legislators and ask them to fix Measure 37 so it no longer harms Oregonians.
Have you watched our Measure 37 video?
Both the combined impacts of Measure 37 claims and the impacts to neighbors are important in this major public policy debate. We put together a video "And Fairness for None" to help neighbors' voices become loud enough to be heard. There is also a Sightline Institute report you can download. View their stories and get the report
Landmark is back with a new look and now on line
Some years ago we dropped Landmark and went to a print newsletter. Enough of you asked for Landmark to return that we did so. It is back in a new, more updated form. The information is easy to read, there are new features and information about Measure 37. You can download it Landmark, but a print copy is even better because of the color. To get a subscription to Landmark, you need to join 1000 Friends.
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OREGON NEWS
Measure 37 articles
"Red Flags for Farmland"
This was not our title, but it captures the key fact about Measure 37: it puts Oregon's family farms, agricultural economy and the choice to eat local food all at risk. The editorial busts some of the myths around Measure 37, including the one that 1973 lawmakers left out compensation when land use planning was adopted. The good news is that "we all benefited" from lower taxes on farmland, including landowners. Those benefits unravel under Measure 37.
New study: Rural Landowners Compensated $4.8 billion since 1974
A new research report from the American Land Institute shows that from 1974 to 2004, farm and forest landowners in Oregon received property tax reductions totaling $4.8 billion. The study, Oregon�s Public Investment in Conservation, Prosperity and Fairness, pokes some serious holes in the argument by Measure 37 proponents that landowners were never compensated for having their land re-zoned to farm or forest use in the 1970s. In fact, the report also shows that the value of those lands has steadily risen (in terms of real dollars) over that period. Recognizing the lower values in Measure 37 claims could protect farmland, one analysis concludes.
Measure 37 development threatens water supplies
Measure 37 development may over-burden water supplies, but it's not clear what authority governments have to protect against this problem under Measure 37. That was the testimony of Assistant Attorney General Richard Whitman before the Joint Special Committee on Land Use Fairness last Tuesday. The Washington POST reports that this is the experience of Brian and Laurel Hines who have spent $20,000 so far protecting their quality of life - and their water well - from a Measure 37 subdivision next door. These kinds of problems led Gov. Kulongoski to tell a reporter, "If we continue down this path, we will lose our quality of life and we will lose our ability to plan. It will end up hurting us economically by limiting Oregon as a place to do business. As every day goes by, more and more people are saying, 'This isn't what we thought we were voting for.'"
Clackamas billboards brought to you by Measure 37 - so is the litigation
There has been a moratorium on billboards in non-urban Oregon for 35 years, but Measure 37 punched holes in the moratorium. Clackamas County has approved the billboards, but concerns about lack of notice and impacts to the "green corridor" has prompted the city of Sandy to consider filing a lawsuit against the county. The billboards are not small: twin 76-feet high and 48-feet wide, according to reports.
Sauvie Island "flooded by Measure 37 claims"
Sauvie island is a jewel in the Metro area: it has over 12,000 acres of wildlife habitat, farms and a way of life that is threatened by Measure 37 claims. Fully 10% of the island could be developed under Measure 37, according to one resident in this story.
Cannon Beach: Changed by Measure 37?
Measure 37 has lots of impacts and Cannon Beach is not immune to them, according to this report in the Daily Astorian. Questions have been raised about exceeding height limits, wetlands protection, and more are part of the discussion in the murky world of Measure 37. Some neighbors asked for delay to give state legislators an opportunity to fix the problem before more claims are approved.
A Wasco County first: Measure 37 claim denied
Wasco County is reported to have spent thousands of dollars processing a Measure 37 claim that was clearly headed for denial due to a break in ownership, but the claimant would not withdraw the claim. The county court is likely to spend $30,000 to $40,000 considering 30 separate Measure 37 claims in the month of May alone - unless the legislature can act in time to forestall at least some of those expenses.
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Other News
SB366 (school impact fees): second hearing Tuesday
The second hearing of SB366 will take place Tuesday at 8:45 am in Hearing Room A. The bill authorizes school districts to create impact fees on new residential permits to help offset the cost to schools of new development. Before assessing a fee, the school must create a "growth impact statement" that connects their costs to the new residential development. The bill caps such fees at $6,500 per lot or parcel. One editorial argues that developers should pay their own way.
No local role for Coos Bay LNG terminal
The Federal government has the final say on a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Coos Bay. But local residents and officials have no say in the project. There have been public meetings held by the federal agency in charge and local opinion is divided, according to this OPB report.
CLF and the Regional Equity Atlas
The Coalition for a Livable Future has been looking for a long time to see what kind of community really existed in the greater Portland area. By creating a "regional equity atlas," CLF has given us a chance to see who is thriving and who is challenged in this community. A report by Rob Manning of OPB addresses the implications of the atlas.
Environmental handbook available
The OLCV Education Fund has released its 2007 Legislative Handbook that provides current information on 19 issues that draw legislative activity. You can download the entire handbook or individual chapters of interest. After you've looked at it, let people at OLCV-EF know what you think.
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SAVE THE DATE!
April 3: Environmental Lobby Day
In one day, you can make a difference in Oregon's future. Be part of the Environmental Lobby Day and you could help make it the biggest environmental lobby day in Oregon's history. Help the Oregon Conservation Network plan for the event by registering in advance and feel better that you were part of making Oregon a better, and safer, place to live.
April 19: 5th Annual Regional Livability Summit
Don't Miss this Year's Regional Livability Summit! It will be held from 8-4 pm at PSU Smith Center Ballroom. The featured speaker will be Denis Hayes, coordinator of the first Earth Day and current President of Bullitt Foundation. The program will also include a change for participants to develop collaborative "strategies for action" on key regional issues. You can find out more and register on line.
April 25-27: First Cascadia "Living Future" conference
Seattle this April will host the first conference of the Cascadia Region Green Building Council. The event will focus on sustainability and the built environment. You can register on line and find out more about the event.
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NATIONAL NEWS
Losing a house and finding community in Seattle
This is one story of a couple who downsized into a condominium and got rid of the cars. It's not the story of edgy asceticism, but of connecting differently to people in a world without a car. Is it really a different world without the car around us? Read and find out for yourself. In case you think "married with children" is still the norm, a report on new research finds that it is the realm of the affluent. Sightline blog on the topic.
Read recent issues of Oregon Land Use Update
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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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