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Land Use:
Measure 37 Time Out

Our Position: support
Bill Number: SB 505
Sponsor: Governor Kulongoski
Legislative Session: 2007

SB 505 is dead. HB 3546 has passed in its place, which provides a 360 extension for local governments to process Measure 37 claims.

Status

SB 505 was an effort to ease the burden on local governments dealing with thousands of Measure 37 claims covering tens of thousands of acres of potential new subdivisions and poorly planned suburban-style developments across Oregon. This bill would have put large development claims on hold until the end of the legislative session, while property owners who plan to build only one house on their property would receive expedited consideration by county governments.

However, it was believed that SB 505 could not garner the 31 vote necessary to pass the House. Instead, HB 3546 passed, which put a 360 day extension on the timeline for local governments to approve or deny Measure 37 claims, which takes the pressure off local governerments to offer blanket approval of the thousands of claims filed in late 2006 that needed to be processed by mid-May.

Action Needed

Contact your state Senator and Representative TODAY to let them know you want a moratorium on development claims under Measure 37 while the Legislature works to develop a comprehensive solution to protect Oregon's farmland, forests, open space and system of land use planning. .

You can send a letter directly to your legislators online at http://www.leg.state.or.us/writelegsltr/

Contact

For more information, contact Ivan Maluski at 503-238-0442, x304 or ivan.maluski@sierraclub.org

Background

Ballot Measure 37 passed in November 2004, throwing into disarray over thirty years of land use planning that had shielded Oregon's farmland and forests from runaway development. Under the measure, county governments must approve Measure 37 claims for development or pay compensation to landowners. By the end of 2006, some 7000 claims had been filed, threatening development on tens of thousands of acres across the state. Many voters who once supported Measure 37 are now expressing dismay as out of state timber companies have proposed suburban style housing on thousands of acres of prime coastal forest land, and valuable farm land has been proposed for subdivisions and golf courses. Senate Bill 505 was an attempt to put such large scale developments on hold to allow time to craft a more comprehensive solution that reflects the public's changing attitudes towards Measure 37 and the value of restoring Oregon's land use planning system.

While HB 3546 would not put development claims on hold, it does provide an extension to allow local governments adequate time to deal with the thousands of claims filed at the end of 2006.