Everything about land use is controversial

Just in from the Lake Oswego Review:

Legislator: Court land-use ruling means we must act

Created on Thursday, 20 February 2014 11:08 | Written by Jim Redden | 

Oregon's land-use planning system was thrown into chaos Thursday morning when the Oregon Court of Appeals remanded Metro's designation of urban and rural reserves for additional work.

The reserves were intended to designate where new development can and cannot occur during the next 50 years. Because the court upheld some of the designations but rejected others, none of them can take effect at this time.

The ruling was applauded by 1000 Friends of Oregon, one of the parties that had appealed some of the designations. Mary Kyle McCurdy, policy director for the land use watchdog organization, said the court agreed Metro erred by designating putting farmland into urban reserves in Washington County.

“The court clearly understood the law and that Metro and Washington County did not apply it correctly. The substance of the law was to protect the best of the best farmland. Washington County overreached in claiming land for future development, undermining certainty for both industrial land and farmers,” said McCurdy, who argued the case on behalf of her organization and the Washington County farmers. “Washington County knew it was going outside of the law, and could not justify it. As a result, they put the entire reserves map in jeopardy.”

Hillsboro Mayor Jerry Willey says city officials are discouraged by the ruling because it halts plans that have been underway to develop a new residential area south of the city and a new industrial area to the north.

"As I undertand it, everything's off the table," says Willey.

At the same time, Willey is not sure the Legislature can find enough consensus to pass a meaningful reform bill before it adjourns.

"Everything about land-use planning is controversial," says Willey.