SEPTEMBER 2007: AROUND THE STATE
Land use goes back to voters
STATEWIDE
Depending on whom you ask, Measure 49 on November’s
ballot will fix Measure 37 or outright repeal the measure
The Yes on 49 campaign launched in July with the support of
four Oregon governors and a few prominent business leaders such
as NW Natural’s Dick Reiten. It’s led by
broad-based coalition of Oregon leaders and organizations
including 1000 Friends of Oregon, the land-use watchdog group
founded in 1975.
A statewide telephone survey in March 2007 found that 49% of
registered voters felt Measure 37 had significant flaws and
should be fixed, while 19% thought it should be left alone and
another 20% thought it should be repealed. Just 12% had no
opinion.
Measure 37, passed by voters in 2004, allows property owners
to either proceed with development impeded by land-use
regulations or receive compensation for the loss.
Measure 49 sets out to modify Measure 37 by establishing a
“fast track” for claimants to build up to three
homes on their property, and promises four to 10 homes on
claims not on prime farm or forest land. It throws out all
industrial and commercial claims, as well as plans for
subdivisions.
David Hunnicutt, president of Oregonians in Action, the
property rights group that wrote Measure 37, says Measure 49
was drafted behind closed doors with no public review.
“They had their votes lined up and they just wanted to
get it out of the capitol building as fast as they
could.”
But Tom Kelly, president of Neil Kelly & Co., counters:
“It’s pretty well accepted by everybody that
Measure 37 was poorly written.” While he wishes the
Legislature had found a bipartisan solution, Kelly is firmly in
the pro-49
camp.
BRANDON SAWYER
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