SALEM — Gov. Ted Kulongoski's proposal Monday to expedite Measure 37 claims for single-family homes but delay all others drew harsh criticism from several quarters.
"A bunch of hooey," said Dave Hunnicutt, who heads Oregonians in Action, the property rights group that sponsored the initiative passed by 61 percent of voters in 2004.
Hunnicutt said the proposal to create an "express line" for single-family sites while suspending until June 30 requests for larger developments penalizes people who may want to do a little more. As an example, Hunnicutt said, a farmer might want to provide home sites for two or more children on his property.
Kulongoski's initiative is intended to help agencies fielding a backlog of thousands of claims, while at the same time working toward a larger fix of Measure 37.
Measure 37 requires government agencies to waive offending land-use regulations after six months of receiving a claim or pay the property owner compensation for lost value.
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Hunnicutt, who represented Jackson County commissioners in a lawsuit over transferability, said the governor's proposal "doesn't give anything to Measure 37 claimants."
Jackson County Commissioner Jack Walker, a strong supporter of Measure 37, said he hadn't heard about the governor's proposal, Senate Bill 505, but in a rhetorical question asked, "Did you or I or anyone think we were going to get a legislative solution?"
The real issues include transferability and deciding whether a local government or the state has Measure 37 enforcement authority, he said. A Jackson County Circuit Court judge ruled against commissioners on both counts.
Rep. Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, called the proposed bill political.
"They didn't want to do anything, but knew they had to come up with something," he said.
The proposal will be sent to a special joint committee on land-use reform.
Lane Shetterly, director of the Department of Land Conservation and Development, said about 15 percent of the 6,500 to 7,000 claims will be put on a fast track for processing.

