December 10, 2006

     Planning departments in Oregon’s 36 counties saw a flurry of Measure 37 claim filings in the weeks before Dec. 4. That was the last day for Oregon residents to file such a claim without restriction.
Wasco County was no exception. In the first 23 months after the measure became law, the planning department took in 17 claims. In the last month, 33 new claims were filed.
Oregonians approved Measure 37 two years ago. It said if any government agency enforces a new land use regulation that causes an owner’s property value to decrease, the property owner can file a claim for the lost value.
Under the measure, governments may either compensate the property owner for the lost value or allow them to apply to develop the property under the land use rules in effect at the time they purchased their property. Since governments around the state are strapped for cash, they’ve taken the second course.
After Dec. 4, property owners must apply for development under the current rules, and be turned down, before they can apply under Measure 37.
Wasco County Planning Director Todd Cornettsaid there were 31 claims on property larger than 100 acres, but none were from timber companies. Elsewhere, Stimson Lumber, a Portland company that owns 150,000 acres in eight Northwest Oregon counties, filed more than 125 claims.