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Population: 3,243,000
Counties: 35
Governor
John A. Kitzhaber, M.D. (D)
Key Laws/Administrative
Actions/Court Decisions/Organizations/Regional/Readings/Calendar/Media
Click here
for the amount of protected land in Oregon, and click here
to review Oregon's federal transportation spending.
Source: Pew
Center on the States &
Changing Direction: Federal Transportation
Spending in the 1990s. Surface
Transportation Policy Project
AFFORDABLE HOUSING HIGHLIGHTS
Current Statewide Campaigns:
1000 Friends of Oregon spearheaded the creation
of the Coalition for
a Livable Future, an alliance of community groups in the Portland area
dedicated to addressing the links among a variety of issues, from housing
to water quality, food security to urban design, economic inequality to
transportation choices. The purpose of the Coalition for a Livable
Future is to protect, restore, and maintain healthy, equitable, and sustainable
communities, both human and natural, for the benefit of present and future
residents of the greater metropolitan region.
Land use planning, affordable housing strategies,
transportation reform, equitable distribution of government finances for
schools and social services, inner city revitalization, economic vitality,
enlightened urban design, preservation of open spaces, and economic and
social justice are all interconnected determinants of metropolitan livability.
The Coalition for a Livable Future represents an attempt to bring together
activists and experts from all of these areas to speak with a common voice
in their efforts to influence public policy on regional issues like tax
base sharing, the proposed South/North light rail, and the responsibility
of all communities in the region to provide their fair share of affordable
housing.
1000 Friends of Oregon also provides a useful
"Q&A" on affordable housing in Oregon.
http://www.friends.org/resources/ques2.html#Jobs%20and%20Housing
Contact Information:
Coalition for a Livable Future
1220 SW Morrison, Suite 535
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 294-2889
KEY LAWS
For an overview of Oregon's planning and zoning
statutes, see a summary provided by the American
Planning Association.
Land Use Planning Act of 1973 (Codified as
amended at OR. REV. STAT. §197.005-.860 (1991)) Oregon's
statewide planning program is widely considered this country's pre-eminent
growth management model. Adopted in 1973, the Act contains significant
features that other states have come to emulate.
The Act sets forth 19 planning goals to
guide cities and counties as they plan new growth and development:
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Goal 14 requires local governments to establish
an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), a legally established boundary that
separates an urban area from rural land. To determine the boundary,
local governments calculate the amount of land needed to accommodate
new housing, economic development, open space and other needs for 20 years.
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Goal 3, which requires that all land outside the
urban growth boundary be zoned exclusively for farm use if it is classified
as prime farmland by the Soil Conservation Service;.
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Goal 4, which requires protection of land for timber
production;
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Goal 10, which requires land-use patterns that allow
for adequate housing;
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Goal 11, which calls for an orderly and efficient
arrangement of public facilities to serve urban and rural development;
and
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Goal 12, which requires local transportation plans
to consider alternatives to the automobile and to avoid reliance upon any
single transportation mode.
The goals have the force of law and are not merely
advisory. (Source:
Smart States, Better Communities, see Readings
at end.)
The Department of Land Conservation and Development
(DLCD) is the state agency responsible for monitoring and implementing
the land use planning program. The department is overseen by a seven
member citizen commission called the Land Conservation and Development
Commission and supported by approximately sixty staff members. Contact:
Richard P. Benner, Director of DLCD, Dept. of Land Conservation &
Development, 635 Capitol Street, NE, Suite 150 Salem, OR 97301;
503-373-0050; Internet: http://www.lcd.state.or.us./
Planning disputes involving local governments,
state agencies, developers and property owners are heard before the
Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). LUBA was created by legislation in
1979 (ORS Chapter 197) and has exclusive jurisdiction to review all governmental
land use decisions, whether legislative or quasi-judicial in nature. Prior
to LUBA's creation, land use appeals were heard by the Land Conservation
and Development Commission (LCDC) and the circuit courts. LUBA was created
to simplify the appeal process, speed resolution of land use disputes and
provide consistent interpretation of state and local land use laws. The
tribunal is the first of its kind in the United States. The governor appoints
the three member board to serve four-year terms. The appointments are confirmed
by the Oregon Senate. The Administrative Law Judges serving on the Board
must be members of the Oregon State Bar. Contact: 550 Capitol Street
NE, Salem, Oregon 97310; Telephone: 503-373-1265; Fax: (503)
373-1580; Internet: http://luba.state.or.us/
Tax Incentives
Statewide Property Tax Abatement Program (1975).
This tax incentive program for owners of historic properties freezes assessments
at the pre-rehab value of the property for 15 years. In order to
qualify, the property (residential or commercial) must be listed on the
Historic Register and the owners must renovate the property. In 1994, the
program was terminated but was reactivated with changes in Sept. 1995.
Contact: State Parks & Recreation Department, State Historic Preservation
Office, 1115 Commercial St NE Suite 2; Salem, OR 97301; (503) 378-5019;
Fax: (503) 378-6447
For more detailed information about Oregon's growth
management program, check out the the Land Conservation and Development
Commission's site (www.lcdc.or.us)
or University of Oregon's land use webpage: http://utopia.uoregon.edu/projects/landuse/land_use.html
The Land Conservation and Development Commission
provides summaries of recently passed legislation athttp://www.lcd.state.or.us/backinfo/legispas.htm
ADMINISTRATIVE
ACTIONS
Executive Order 94-07, "Siting State Offices
in Oregon's Community Centers," issued June 7, 1994 by Governor Barbara
Roberts. In 1994, former Oregon Governor Barbara Roberts issued an
executive order directing state agencies to give preference to downtown
locations when leasing office space. By locating downtown, state
agencies can ensure that their rental payments support urban centers, public
transit, and communities. The executive order encourages livable cities
rather than sprawl.
Governor Robert's Executive Order
Oregon's Benchmarks for Livable Communities set
targets for reducing communities' reliance on the single-occupant automobile,
and encouraging the development of areas of mixed housing, employment and
retail in which walking is convenient and pleasant. The best examples
of this kind of mixed use are in Oregon's downtowns.
In addition to assisting local governments to
plan for mixed use development, the state should support existing mixed
use centers with its own business activity. The rental payments for
leased state office space, and the retail and service trade generated by
state workers, represent significant economic stimulus for the communities
in which they are located.
Siting state facilities in downtowns and other
central areas, particularly those well served by transit, assures that
state services and programs are accessible to more Oregonians, particularly
those who are dependent on transit. Enabling and encouraging both
state workers and clients of state offices to conduct business by transit,
walking and other methods in addition to the single-occupancy vehicle aids
communities in their efforts to reduce vehicle miles traveled, traffic
congestion and air pollution. Siting and retaining state facilities
in these central locations is in the long term best interest of the State
of Oregon...
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AND DIRECTED:
1. State facilities, and state agencies' use of
space, shall serve to strengthen Oregon's cities and their central districts
by conserving existing urban resources, using existing infrastructure and
services, and encouraging the development and redevelopment of central
business districts and other mixed-use centers.
2. The process for meeting state agency office
needs and, where practical, other facility needs shall give preferential
consideration to locations within the central business districts, but such
offices shall be located conveniently close to transit in communities that
have transit service. Other areas of mixed use development that are
highly accessible to the public, have a fully developed pedestrian circulation
system, have high quality transit service (in those communities with transit
service), and are designated as urban centers in the applicable comprehensive
plan may also be given priority consideration.
3. Site selection shall take into account the
need for co-location of agencies or activities in common or adjacent space
in order to improve public service and accessibility, effect economies
of operation...
4. The director of the Department of Administrative
Services shall develop policies to implement this order. The directors
of state agencies shall cooperate with the Department in implementing this
order and give the Department early notice of changes which affect space
requirements.
5. No office space shall be located outside the
areas described in paragraph 2 of this order without the direct approval
of the director of the Department of Administrative Services.
6. In assuring that office space is acquired in
the most cost-effective manner feasible...the director of the Department
of Administrative Services shall give due regard to the value of the accessibility
and central location of the areas described in this policy.
7. The director of the Department of Administrative
Services shall submit a written report to the Governor, the Speaker of
the House, and the President of the Senate on July 1, 1995 and annually
thereafter, detailing siting decisions and describing how those decisions
conform to the requirements of this order.
COURT DECISIONS
Oregon's
Measure 7 Declared Unconstitutional
An Oregon Circuit Court Judge has ruled that
Ballot Measure 7 violates Oregon's Constitution. The measure, passed by
a 53% to 47% margin last November, requires payments to landowners for
reductions in property values caused by state or local government regulations.
The ruling is expected to be appealed.
MEDIA
"Developers build up, not out, to create denser
neighborhoods," The
Oregonian. April 25, 2001.
ORGANIZATIONS
1000
Friends of Oregon
1000 Friends of Oregon is a statewide nonprofit,
non-partisan land use watchdog organization working to protect Oregon's
valuable farm and forest lands, the livability of its communities, and
the rights of citizens to play an active role in the land use planning
process. The group's Land Use, Transportation and Air Quality (LUTRAQ)
project offers a new approach to combating sprawl while reducing air pollution
and traffic congestion. 1000 Friends has served as a national model for
similar land-use planning advocacy organizations in FL, WA, WI and elsewhere.
Its reports and newsletters are an excellent source of information on the
OR programs.
Address: 1000 Friends of Oregon, 300 Willamette
Building, 534 Southwest Third Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97204
Telephone: (503) 497-1000, Email: info@friends.org
1000 Friends of Oregon encourages everyone in
Oregon to get involved. If you live in an area served by a local
or regional land use group, they suggest calling the following organizations:
Friends of Eugene (541) 344-2543
Hood River Valley Residents Committee (541) 387-3383
Friends of Yamhill County (503) 472-3631
Friends of Linn County (541) 258-8990
Friends of Polk County (503) 623-8079
Citizens for Orderly Development (Curry County)
(541) 765-2234
Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition (541) 765-2234
Alliance for Responsible Land Use in Deschutes
County (541) 548-6544
Jackson County Citizens League (541) 776-0443
Coalition for a Livable Future (Metro Portland)
(503) 497-1000
Livable
Oregon, Inc.
Livable Oregon, Inc. is a not-for-profit charitable
organization of concerned citizens, businesses, and public officials that
promotes vital community centers and other developments that will help
Oregon's economy grow without jeopardizing the unique qualities of its
communities and countryside.
Address: Livable Oregon, Inc.,
921 SW Morrison, Suite 508, Portland, Oregon 97205, Telephone: (503) 222-2182,
Fax: (503) 222-2359.
The
Historic Preservation League of Oregon(HPLO)
The HPLO is devoted to preserving and revitalizing
historic communities throughout the state. The HPLO has recently increased
its efforts to assist Oregon's rural communities, small towns and urban
neighborhoods with technical training in community planning and design
and historic rehabilitation.
Address: HPLO, P.O. Box 40053, 322
NW Fifth Avenue, Suite 301, Portland, OR 97240-0053, Telephone: (503) 243-1923.
Oregon Environmental Council
The Oregon Environmental Council advances equitable
and sustainable approaches to reducing human impacts on Oregon's air, land,
and water.
Address: OEC, 520 SW 6th Avenue, Portland, OR 97204,
Telephone: 503/222-1963, Fax: 503/222-1405, E-mail: oec@orednet.org.
Oregon
Community Protection Coalition (OCPC)
The OCPC was formed in response to the passage
of Measure 7 in the November 2000 general election. Recognizing the need
for the conservation community to create an organized and effective response,
a group of about 20 organizations chartered the coalition in December 2000.
Portland
Audubon Society
Our staff and volunteers work diligently to make
sure that local and statewide efforts to protect habitats, species and
our quality of life get the attention and action they deserve. Our conservation
work has been instrumental in the preservation of local and regional parks
and Greenspaces. We make it easy for you to get involve, too, through the
Audubon Conservation Team, our grassroots activist network.
Sensible Transportation Options for People
(STOP)
STOP is a grassroots organization formed in 1989
to halt a proposed freeway project in rural Washington County. STOP's
mission today is to promote transportation systems that foster livable
communities. Address: STOP, 15405 SW 116th Avenue #2028, Tigard,
OR 97224, Telephone: 503/624-6083, Fax: 503/620-5989.
REGIONAL MODEL
Portland Metro, the nation's only elected regional
government, is responsible for a broad range of services, including responsibility
for regional land-use and transportation planning, and is empowered to
address any other issue of "metropolitan concern." Metro covers approximately
460 square miles of the urban portions of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington
counties in northwestern Oregon. There are 24 cities in the Metro service
area, including Portland, Gresham, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Milwaukie, Lake
Oswego and Oregon City.
Metro was formed in 1979, when voters approved
the merger of a council of governments (Columbia Region Association of
Governments - CRAG) that had land-use and transportation planning responsibilities
with the Metropolitan Service District, which had been created to
provide regional services that included the solid waste management plan
and operation of a metropolitan zoo. The new Metropolitan Service District
(MSD) was governed by an elected council and an elected executive officer.
It had the combined authority of the two predecessor agencies and other
potential additional powers. During the years, additional responsibilities
were assigned to Metro by the state Legislature with concurrence of the
jurisdictions within Metro's boundaries.
Metro maintains an excellent, detailed website
at: http://www.metro.dst.or.us/
or contact: (503) 797-1700.
READINGS
John M. DeGrove, Land, Growth and Politics,
(Chicago: Planners Press/American Planning Assn., 1984), pp. 235-290.
An excellent case study on Oregon's program.
Portland
promotes ridesharing
Portland’s
new Transportation Options Division is developing a Web site that will
be one of the first in the nation to offer a fully automated system for
organizing local carpools and vanpools.
Tentatively
called CarpoolMatchNW.org,
the site will be beta tested during the summer with the participation of
about 20 government agencies and nonprofit organizations, before an expected
formal opening as a free site Sept. 1.
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