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Salem Adopts a Site Plan Review Ordinance By Alan M. Sorem Saalfeld Griggs PC Effective January 1, 2009, the City of Salem will implement its first site plan review ordinance. This article discusses the purpose and effect of the site plan review ordinance and address some common questions. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SITE PLAN …
Recent Legislative Changes to Land Use Law that May Affect Your Property The Oregon Legislature made few revisions to land use law during its 2001 session. However, there were some significant changes expanding the uses on land zoned Exclusive Farm Use (EFU), including granting more leniency in allowing the division of land within a farm …
Real Estate Development By Real Estate and Land Use Practice Group Saalfeld Griggs PC In the mid-1970’s, Oregon legislators made the significant and lasting policy decision to protect Oregon’s agricultural and forest resources by limiting urban sprawl. The enactment of Senate Bill 100, the foundation for Oregon’s land use system, required Oregon cities to draw …
Real Estate and Land Use Legislative Update By Alan M. Sorem Saalfeld Griggs PC In 2007, the Oregon Legislature was marked by a change from a Republican majority to a Democratic majority. This shift of power was especially evident in the arena of real estate and land use. This article summarizes some of the most …
Protect Your Property From Exactions: Act on the Local Level By Alan M. Sorem Saalfeld Griggs PC The Oregon Supreme Court has recently reduced protections from unlawful state and local exactions previously granted to Oregonians by the United States Supreme Court decision in Dolan v. City of Tigard. An exaction is a land use or …
Plan Ahead, New Land Use Rules Will Affect Development By Mark D. Shipman Saalfeld Griggs PC Two recent changes have imposed new challenges on our ability to divide and develop land. The first change was implemented by the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) and affects rural residential land; the second change was imposed through …
Oregon Legislature Revives Property Line Adjustments By Real Estate and Land Use Practice Group SAALFELD GRIGGS PC House Bill 3629 (“HB 3629”), which became law on March 3, 2008, revives the property line adjustment, a common land use tool which had been left for dead after a series of decisions rendered it effectively worthless. HB …
New Legislative Changes for Real Estate and Land Use By Mark D. Shipman Saalfeld Griggs PC The 2003 Oregon Legislature has recorded the longest session in the legislature’s history. Negotiations over the state’s budget are the main reason for the length of the session. But the legislature has also conducted other business in 2003, including …
The Shifting Cost of COBRA Coverage: What Should Employers Do? By Randall P. Sutton SAALFELD GRIGGS PC On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law an economic stimulus package known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“ARRA”). Among its numerous provisions, ARRA includes new COBRA notice and subsidy requirements that will …
Sweeping Changes to ADA – New Burdens for Employers By Randall P. Sutton SAALFELD GRIGGS PC Last month Congress passed into law what is perhaps the most dramatic change in federal employment law in the past ten years. The amendments will require employers to shift their focus from whether an employee is “disabled” to whether …