Posted inMeasure 37

Dems poised to fail on Measure 37 fix. I’m bummed.

This is serious. We're on a Hawaii vacation and Measure 37 is meddling with my Maui mellow. It looks like back home in Oregon the Land Use Fairness Committee (six Democrats, four Republicans) is about to bail out on fixing this environmental, social, and economic land use disaster. In fact, given the three hour time difference between Napili Bay and Salem, they may already have done the gutless deed. If not, I'm pleased to offer in advance an outrage retraction—but given all the signs to the contrary, I'm going to vent my current frustration so I can move my psyche…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Are Dems going to bail on Measure 37 fix?

Come on, Democrats in the Oregon legislature, this is the time to show you've got some big cojones. (Yes, you too, female legislators.) There are disturbing signs that the ten-member joint Committee on Land Use Fairness, which has six Democrats, may wuss out on the sort of Measure 37 fix that Oregonians are calling for. A recent poll found that more than two-thirds of voters either want to fix what they see as significant flaws in Measure 37 or believe that it should be repealed entirely. Today the state's largest newspaper, the Oregonian, ran a lead editorial titled "Find the…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Measure 37 claimants, read this

I hope some of those who've applied for waivers of Oregon's land use laws under Measure 37 will read this post. I've listened to many of you testify at the legislature's Land Use Fairness Committee hearings. We've passed each other in the hall, you with your white and red "I (heart) Measure 37" sticker, me with my green "Fix Measure 37." You probably feel misunderstood and put upon. Well, so do I. You can't understand why people like me don't want you to be able to develop your property in the way that was allowed when you acquired it. I…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Measure 37 die-hards lack sense of irony

Yesterday Laurel and I sat through the entire three hour Land Use Fairness Committee hearing at the capitol. Though we got there 70 minutes early, and dutifully wound our way through the airport-screening-like line to sign up to testify, about seventy people got there before us. Only the first 50 or so were granted entry to Hearing Room B, where the committee held forth. We found our way to one of the auxiliary rooms, where a large screen projected the proceedings in sort of a Big Brotherish fashion. No doubt most of the Measure 37 faithful, distinguished by "I (heart)…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Oregonians in Action wants to hijack “Fix Measure 37” rally

Geez, Oregonians in Action, can't you organize your own pro Measure 37 "Pave over Oregon!" rally? Not only do you want to trample on the rights of citizens to enjoy a sprawl-free, water-plentiful, farm-friendly state, you also want to disrupt the Rally for Oregon that's been organized by Jim Gilbert and his Fix Measure 37 crew. It'll be held on the steps of the capitol in Salem next Saturday, April 14, from 10-2. Here's a rally flyer: Download measure_37_rally_poster.pdf Oregonians in Action, which brought us the disaster of Measure 37, is calling on their supporters to hijack the rally. We…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Measure 37 reform proposal is looking shaky

It appears the "Framework for a Better Measure 37" prepared by a sub-group of the Oregon legislature's Land Use Fairness Committee is starting to fall apart. Over at Land Use Watch, Peter Bray says he's gotten confidential information that the framework is dead. Peter hates the reform proposal, so his reaction is "Thank God!" The Oregonian, though, is reporting that the committee members are clashing over details. A meeting was disbanded yesterday over what Sen. Floyd Prozankski called an "impasse." Well, death also is an impasse, so Bray might have it right after all. (As an aside, Laura Oppenheimer's Oregonian…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Holding ground with our Measure 37 land use activism

We didn't know what to expect when we walked into today's hearing before the Marion County Commissioners. On behalf of our neighborhood's Keep Our Water Safe Committee, we'd appealed a Planning Commission decision that granted Leroy Laack 27 lots for his proposed 137 acre Measure 37 subdivision near us. Laack also had appealed, since he wants 43 lots. So there we were at 9:30 in the morning, standing around in the hearing room lobby, waiting for a seemingly endless series of Measure 37 claims to be decided by the County Commissioners, not knowing whether we'd end the day as losers…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Draft of Measure 37 fix emerges

The AP is reporting the outline of a Measure 37 reform proposal, based on a confidential draft produced by the Oregon legislature's Land Use Fairness Committee (which obviously isn't confidential anymore). Measure 37 claimants who want to build up to three homes would qualify for "fast track" status. Others who consider that they lost more than three home sites due to land use regulations could build up to ten homes. Supposedly, though, there would be protections for valuable farmland. Transferability of Measure 37 waivers would be allowed—currently a legal gray area. A remaining sticky point is how to value Measure…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Getting down and dirty with Measure 37 fix

It looks like the Oregon legislature's Land Use Fairness Committee is close to revealing it's fix for Measure 37. So reported a story in the McMinnville News-Register last Thursday, "Measure 37 panel nears 'Camp David' compromise." That's great. I just hope the proposal does a better job at reconciling opposing views than the Camp David accord ended up doing. Like they say, once you get general agreement on how to resolve a problem, the devil is in the details. The folks at Loaded Orygun surmise that the consensus will be to limit Measure 37 subdivisions to a fairly small number…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Oregon groundwater threatened by Measure 37

This Oregonian used to take water for granted. That was when I lived within the city limits of Portland and Salem. I turned on the tap and water came out. Where it came from, who cares? Now my wife and I live in the country. Our water comes from a well. We've learned a lot about groundwater. We realize that wells can go dry when more water is taken out of an aquifer than is going in. That's why we're leading a fight to stop a Measure 37 subdivision near our home. Yesterday the Salem Statesman Journal ran a front-page…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Washington Post story shows flaws of Measure 37 (and we’re mentioned)

I've been checking the online Washington Post daily ever since a reporter interviewed us about Measure 37. Today Blaine Harden's article, "Oregon Rethinks Easing Land-Use Limits," appeared. It points out how far this state has fallen. From being a leader in wise land use planning, Oregon now is used as an example of what not to do. Cities in Oregon have suburbs that come to a sudden and seemingly arbitrary stop. They slammed into an "urban growth boundary," which for decades prevented townhouses and strip malls from invading the state's farmland and forests. It was the nation's strictest statewide regime…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Oregon legislature finds common ground on Measure 37

Something remarkable happened in Hearing Room B of the Capitol tonight. Twenty eight supporters and opponents of Measure 37, including Laurel and me, testified on legislation proposed by the Land Use Fairness Committee. Every single person disliked Senate Bill 833. At one point a committee member observed, "Finally, we've brought everyone in the room together on Measure 37." As the Oregonian reported, SB 883 would give state and county agencies 540 days to process Measure 37 claims filed between October 15 and December 5 of last year, rather than the current 180 days. SB 833 also would fast-track claims for…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Is freeze on Measure 37 claims dead?

Gov. Kulongoski reportedly has pronounced SB 505 dead. Which means, subdivisions would be free to sprout on irreplaceable Oregon farmland while the legislature takes its time considering Measure 37 reforms. That'd be a disaster. I hope today's Statesman Journal story is a premature burial of SB 505. If I learn more about the fate of the bill, I'll post an update. If anyone can cast more light on the prospects for SB 505, comment away. Here's the brief piece by reporter Steve Law: In comments to reporters on Thursday, Gov. Ted Kulongoski said that his proposal to put a freeze…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Oregonians in Action spreads lies about Measure 37

An acquaintance of ours just got a phone call from someone who tried to get her hysterical about SB 505, the reasonable bill that would temporarily put Measure 37 subdivisions on hold while fast-tracking claims for single-family homes. She was told that SB 505 is going to stop all development under Measure 37, forever! You can bet that Oregonians in Action (OIA) is behind these lies, because the Land Use Watch blog has called them on their falsities. Which are still being spread. The SB 505 summary tells the bill like it is: Except for written demands for compensation for…
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Posted inMeasure 37

Measure 37 shouldn’t be a guarantee to get rich

It’s often said that Measure 37 pits neighbor against neighbor. True. But this ill-considered effort to trash Oregon’s land use laws also pits testifier against testifier. I learned that yesterday afternoon as I fought my way through a crowd of people trying to sign up to speak before the Joint Committee on Land Use Fairness. Fortunately, I found myself standing behind a diminutive friend, Frances Chapple, who makes up in assertiveness what she lacks in stature. She helped clear the way for me to the sign up sheet. I got on the first page and waited for my two minutes…
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Posted inMeasure 37 Neighborhood

Measure 37 fight gets us on the 11 o’clock news

Whew. After being relegated five times to the early KATU news programs, our fight against a Measure 37 subdivision finally made the prestigious 11 o’clock program last night. Thank you, Channel 2. Love you. (Though my “Local Portland news focused on fluff and crime” post still holds, notwithstanding the 1:45 devoted to our serious story). Here’s the YouTubed news clip of the Marion County Planning Commission decision on the 217 acre subdivision application. Note my concentrated focus on the camcorder with which I videoed the proceedings. It’s healthy for public officials to know that their deliberations and decisions might appear…
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Posted inMeasure 37 Neighborhood

How to fix Measure 37

Measure 37 has made a mess of Oregon’s land use laws. That’s undisputed. My state now has a crazily complex patchwork of land use time zones, each governed by a different set of rules based on when the owner acquired the property. This is no way to run a society. It’s unfair, inefficient, damaging, and divisive. The governor says that we need to fix Measure 37. Legislative leaders say that we need to fix Measure 37. So let’s get ‘er done. Or git-r-done. I don’t care which, so long as it’s done. My wife and I are fully acquainted with…
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Posted inMeasure 37 Neighborhood

Our Measure 37 fight makes TV news and Loaded Orygun

Kudos to KATU Channel 2 for devoting about four and a half minutes to coverage of Measure 37 in general, and our neighborhood’s battle against a M-37 subdivision in particular. Three versions of the story aired on KATU’s early evening news programs last Monday. I uploaded the clips to YouTube, even the ones that didn’t feature me saying anything (Laurel came up with the most quotable remarks, which is only fair, as I got more air time on the previous Channel 2 coverage). Here are links to the clips (Story #2 is the longest and most complete): Story #1, 4:30…
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Posted inMeasure 37 Neighborhood

Measure 37 subdivision battle hits front page again

If nothing else, we’re sure helping to publicize the danger Measure 37 poses to Oregon’s groundwater. Today’s Salem Statesman-Journal had another front page story, “Marion county decision may set precedent for farmland,” about the fight Laurel is leading against a 217 acre subdivision planned for nearby farmland. (Plus a related story about a similar situation in the Eola Hills). When I say “if nothing else,” I’m pointing toward the disturbing possibility that the Marion County Planning Commission might approve the subdivision application tomorrow night without requiring a study of how much groundwater actually is available in the area. Last Friday…
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Posted inMeasure 37 Neighborhood

We make the KATU Measure 37 subdivision news

Here’s two YouTubed videos of the Channel 2 news stories yesterday that featured our fight against a nearby subdivision. The first, aired at 4:30, was a brief one minute. The second was on the 5 o’clock news and ran 2:22. For the benefit of our broadband impaired rural south Salem neighbors, who mostly struggle by with internet dial-up, I reduced the size of the videos considerably (to about 1.2 MB and 2.7 MB). This had the pleasant effect of blurring the picture, thereby taking years off of my visage. Take a look. Our dog did indeed make it into a…
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