Kulongoski on Wrong Side of Measure 37

Submitted by salvador on July 30, 2005 - 2:12am

As you may have seen in Saturday's Oregonian, Governor K has agreed to a "compromise" that will destroy Oregon's land-use laws, permitting, as 1000 friends Bob Stacey put it, "the wide-open transfer of waivers that will result in a land-grab by developers to run roughshod over Oregon's farmlands and scenery with strip malls and subdivisions."

If SB 1037 passes, as amended, it will pave the way for unrestrained sprawl and dramatically reduce the quality of life we enjoy here in Oregon.

Our land-use policies have encouraged the development of distinctive, high density urban communities surrounded by pastoral farmland for more than a quarter of a century.

Not only have these laws contributed to the high quality of life that we enjoy in Oregon, it has been a centerpiece in the preservation of local businesses and family farms. Family farms have been decreasing at a rate of 40,000 per year in the United States whereas in Oregon 2003, the number family farms grew by 15 percent.

I'm asking folks to respond to 1000 Friends call asking concerned citizens to contact their Senator and urge them not to concur with SB 1037 as amended in the House and to call Governor K at (503) 378-4582 and to urge him to reverse his position on this issue.

Senator Contacts - http://www.leg.state.or.us/senate/members.htm

salvador's blog

Why oh why?

Submitted by Peter Bray (not verified) on July 31, 2005 - 8:12pm.

Why is Kulongoski flip-flopping like this? He has even made Hunicutt "proud". The Oregonian article has his spokespeople saying that this was a "compromise" -- I don't see that at all. There are absolutely zero protections -- it's all giveaway to property speculators.

Wal-Mart

Submitted by sysadmin on August 1, 2005 - 12:23am.

As I was telling people this morning, if this goes into effect, it will become harder to keep big box stores like Wal-Mart from going into towns. Many areas have been working on land use laws that would help to keep these stores out. Now all they have to do is buy property from people who owned the land before the ordinance went into effect (as if that would be difficult).

They've been trying to use M37 to their benefit by leasing land from people who have owned the land for generations (such as in Sellwood and Beaverton). This is almost unheard of-- Wal-Mart almost always purchases its land. The owner in Sellwood has already stated he will sue under M37 if anything is done to try to keep the Wal-Mart from going in.

This bill would completely undo every land use law we have.

Jenni Simonis