In a recent Guest Editorial, a sitting Clackamas County Commissioner inferred that it was disingenuous to pursue benefits from property ownership and to attempt to increase the value of one’s property.
How can that be disingenuous?
Is it not the crux of the American Dream to strive to improve one’s standing?
To work to improve one’s finances?
To be successful and achieve property ownership and the benefits thereof?
Commissioner Jim Bernard has repeatedly stated his support and endorsement of the Urban and Rural Reserves established through the offices of Metro to meet state law.
Adoption of the Urban and Rural Reserves reduced the values of numerous properties throughout the Metro Region.
Commissioner Bernard wrote: “Thousands of citizens participated in Metro’s Urban/Rural Reserves process…” However, it must be stated that the process did not include a significant number of property owners that were negatively impacted.
It is our understanding that the greatest majority of these property owners were not properly notified of the process. With this understanding, one could pose the question: was the Urban and Rural Reserve development process conducted in violation of the state law that requires adequate notice of government action that will impact property values?
The Urban and Rural Reserves are to exist for fifty years from the date of adoption. The rules applied to the Reserves do not allow zoning changes within those boundaries.
It is no wonder that property owners are seeking adjustments to the Urban and Rural Reserves. They are merely attempting to benefit from property ownership.
Should not they be allowed to pursue their American Dream?
There are many benefits of property ownership. Yet, some of the traditional benefits are not experienced by many because of the establishment of the Urban and Rural Reserves and the rules applied thereto.
For example, the family that wishes to pass property on to their children equally.
In most circumstances, this is not permitted as the rules will not allow division of these properties. These families cannot apply for a change in zoning as zone changes are not allowed.
Or, the family that wishes to subdivide its property to allow family members to build a new home close by. This is not permitted for similar reasons.
Another example is many property owners within the Urban and Rural Reserves have multiple habitable structures on their property, but only one can be occupied. This is a stipulation of the zoning of their property. These property owners cannot seek a zoning change because the rules prohibit that action.
In the middle of a housing crisis in the Metro Region, we have vacant houses that cannot be occupied. Not because of safety or public health issues, only because the zoning cannot be changed due to the rules that apply to these Urban and Rural Reserves.
These property owners cannot reap the benefit of receiving revenue from renting these vacant houses. They cannot experience that benefit of property ownership.
Yet, Commissioner Jim Bernard received a payment from Tri-Met that amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars. This is not an indictment that an elected official received payment from another government agency. This is an acknowledgement that Jim Bernard experienced a benefit of property ownership.
Rather than working to make reasonable changes to the Urban and Rural Reserves and the rules applied thereto, Commissioner Bernard chooses to endorse and enforce the Urban and Rural Reserves. Commissioner Bernard and his friends at Metro are denying numerous citizens various benefits of property ownership.
He got his and too bad for the others.
In my opinion, that is disingenuous.
(Unless otherwise noted, the opinions expressed are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Northwest Connection.)
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