In the two years since Oregon voters passed a law requiring governments to waive development restrictions or pay for lost value, claims have been filed covering more ground than the entire Portland metropolitan area.
The total number of claims could swell to at least 4,600 by the Monday deadline, according to The Oregonian. Seattle's Plum Creek Timber delivered proposals late last week, part of a plans that would allow houses on 32,000 acres of coastal timberland. Statewide, farms and forests will likely mingle with subdivisions, transforming growth hotspots like the Portland area, Medford, Hood River and Bend.
A similar measure failed last month at Washington's polls, partly out of concern over its implementation. The key point remains citizen frustration with inflexible land-use laws. One Oregon claim applicant is quoted as saying she voted for the measure because she wanted to send a message to lawmakers: fix planning rules that don't work. The issue won't be resolved unless leaders take action.
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