Committee to review county land-use policies
From our weekly issue dated March 24, 2010
A few years ago, Gov. Kulongoski formed the Big Look Task Force, a group tasked with holding meetings all throughout Oregon and examining the state“s land-use laws.
Now, Josephine County“s Land Development Advisory Committee is looking to do the same thing at the local level.
The 12-member committee held its first meeting Monday, March 15 at Anne G. Basker Auditorium in Grants Pass.
Formation of the committee was made possible by passage of House Bill 2229 during the 2009 Legislative session. That bill enables counties to review their land-use policies and potentially rezone parcels that may have been misclassified.
A town hall meeting was held at the Basker Auditorium last year regarding land-use and planning issues, and many members of the committee were panelists for that presentation. They include Grants Pass-based homebuilder Gordon Longhurst, and former longtime Josephine County Commissioner Harold Haugen, who now handles governmental relations for area real estate organizations.
Planning Director Michael Snider told committee members that the goal is to see where the county“s Rural Land Development Code (RLDC) can be changed, and provide recommendations to the county commissioners.
Haugen, Longhurst and other committee members insisted that public participation be a crucial part of the process.
Some rules and restrictions at the county level are stricter than those of the state, Haugen said, adding that at least two other counties are examining their codes and using professional staff.
Longhurst suggested holding town hall meetings throughout the county to hear what members of the public have to say about the local land-use system.
“We need to define what the real issues are and work on them,“ Longhurst said.
Snider suggested that he and members of the county planning department make a presentation on the state“s land-use laws and the processes used at the local level. He said that the department carries most of the burden of having to deal with codes and regulations from Salem. Committee members were receptive to the idea.
HB 2229 is a “very complex piece of legislation,“ Snider said, and planners throughout the state “don“t understand how it can function.“
Committee members voted unanimously to select Haugen as chairman and Ron Wright as vice chairman.
The committee“s next meeting is set for Monday, April 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Basker Auditorium. Agenda items will include a presentation from the planning department, the scheduling of meetings throughout the county, and specific planning issues brought up by committee members.
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