Assault on Land Protections Inspired by Measure 37 Rejected in California

(Napa County, CA) - Voters in Napa County rejected an extreme attempt by a small group of private property advocates to freeze land use controls and require the County to pay property owners for any changes in land use laws. Modeled on Oregon’s Measure 37, Napa County Measure A failed by a wide margin, 64% no to 36% yes.

“When we looked to what has happened in Oregon, Napa voters saw through this irresponsible attempt to dismantle community protections and voted it down,” said Nicole Arnold, Solano-Napa Field Representative for Greenbelt Alliance, the Bay Area land conservation and urban planning non-profit organization.

Under Measure A, if a landowner claimed that a decision made by County supervisors decreased his or her property value, the County would have had three options: either 1) pay the claim, 2) waive the law just for that landowner, or 3) get sued. Because no revenue was set aside for paying for administering the law or paying the claims, the estimated millions in annual costs would have come from taxpayer dollars that currently fund police, fire, and social services.

In Oregon, 2500 Measure 37 demands for land use waivers have been filed covering 120,000 acres. “Napa county voters recognized that Measure 37 is unfair to neighbors and ties the hands of our communities when planning for the future. The Oregon legislature needs to do the same and work to make the law fair for everyone,” said Bob Stacey, Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Oregon.

“Over the years, Napa County residents and their elected leaders have made good decisions about growth, making Napa nationally famous for its productive vineyards and high quality of life,” said Arnold. “Measure A would have destroyed the ability to do that thoughtful planning.”

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1000 Friends of Oregon works with Oregonians to enhance our quality of life by building livable urban and rural communities, protecting family farms and forests, and conserving natural and scenic areas.

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