|
Become a friend of the Klamath Bucket Brigade All donations are tax deductible |
|
This Website is Dedicated to Alvin Alexander Cheyne January 10, 1921 - June 17, 2005 |
Task force met with resistance
Many locals would prefer land-use be handled by local and county officials
Bob Flowers wants to know why state officials are afraid to let local officials determine how their communities grow.
The Klamath County farmer was one of several county residents to speak up at a public town hall meeting Tuesday night sponsored by the Big Look Task Force. The appointed group is examining the state’s land-use system before presenting recommendations to Gov. Ted Kulongoski.
Some residents aired personal grievances and some called for tighter restrictions on development, but most spoke in favor of putting land-use decisions under county and local governments instead of at the state level.
“I personally do not trust anything from the Willamette Valley,” said resident and former planning commissioner Ron Best.
The task force is hosting 10 town hall meetings throughout the state to hear the public’s thoughts on Oregon’s land-use system. Tuesday night’s meeting was in the community room of the Klamath County Courthouse. Four of the task force members attended, but they didn’t interact directly with those attending the meeting.
Real estate agent Randy Shaw and others pushed the issue that there needs to be local control, and the state doesn’t need to be heavily involved in land-use decisions in communities away from Salem.
Specific conditions
Others criticized the system for not properly addressing specific land conditions and properties. The heavily populated areas of the state easily fit into the state’s designations of farm, forest or urban, but Eastern Oregon and the Klamath Basin do not.
One resident said he supported control at the state level, citing he did not trust the judgment of county officials. Resident Catherine Cappel said she wanted better regulation of developments such as destination resorts.
The message of local control was strongest, though, and didn’t surprise Glen Bolen, a consultant working with the task force. Past meetings had general themes, but also differing opinions, which gives residents a chance to discuss and come up with solutions.
“Planning is a very passionate issue,” he said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted
material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit
research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml