[Grovenet] Future of Downtown Forest Grove (WAS: Fwd: Land Use Update August 16th)

[David Morelli]

On Aug 27, 2007, at 7:54 PM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

>
> I can understand your frustration over the effect of the Portland  
> metro area on what has happened to Forest Grove. So I can  
> understand, too, your frustration over any changes that exacerbate  
> that effect, including M37.
>
> I saw an ethical conflict that trumped all other considerations, so  
> I didn't even look at things like that. I saw that some landowners,  
> big and small, were being what I felt was unfairly penalized at  
> random by the implementation of the land use laws.

If you are concerned about "random" implementation of land use laws,  
consider that those people who purchased land since the  
implementation did so with the reasonable expectation that the laws  
would be applied, as written, uniformly on all similarly situated  
parcels.  And that they could rely upon the protection of the law in  
protecting their investments.  Instead, it is a random event that  
determines whether their neighbor owned property before the land use  
law went into effect, and it is even more random if the neighboring  
land owner has decided to pursue a M37 claim at this time.

Raising livestock is tough enough without suddenly having a  
subdivision sprouting next door with owners who think that they can  
let their dogs run loose "out in the country".

In contrast the enactment of the land use laws were publicly debated,  
and publicly implemented with a known time for becoming effective.   
Those land owners who truly planned to develop their land had full  
notice and opportunity to follow their plans prior to the effective  
date of the land use laws.  Even if they did not intend to develop  
the land immediately, they could preserve their development  
opportunities through the "grandfather" clause of the law, and the  
courts supported them.  The people who lost their opportunity, were  
the people who ignored the law or perhaps people who didn't really  
have plans to develop the land.

> ...
>  A nice "neighborhood" shopping area doesn't happen by accident,  
> and it never competes with the "big boxes" in anything but  
> convenience. Now that a Wal*Mart will soon be open right on
> the edge of Forest Grove there's even more competition for the  
> locally spent dollars.
>
> Ron D'Eau Claire

So who has better prices, better variety and better advice, Home  
Depot or Ace Hardware?  Sears or Van Dykes?  Costco or Gratteri's?   
Be careful this is a trick question.  It isn't just convenience, you  
are purchasing more than a product, but who really wants to find out  
the truth when the advertising all runs the other direction.

David