January 25, 2003
CFF UPDATE
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In this issue:

** Local
-- Anti-War Protest in Florence
** Oregon
-- Homebuilders: Land Use Good for Business
-- Oregon Building Fees (SDC) OK
-- Road Task Force Looks at Mileage Tax
-- Pay As You Drive Insurance
** National & International
-- Smart Growth Could Save $250 Billion
 -- Big Boxes Move Back to the City
-- Impact Fees Find Builders' Support
-- Sustainable Development Case Studies
-- Green Based Urban Growth - Next Wave
-- Senate Blocks Funding for Pentagon Snooping
** Links of Interest
-- Land Use Questions? - Here's The Answers
-- Surf Your Watershed
-- Green Hotel Association
** Upcoming Events
-- CFF Meetings
** Activism Via the Net
-- Anti-War Referrendum
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LOCAL
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-- ANTI-WAR PROTEST IN FLORENCE - More than 100 people marched in Florence in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and in protest of a possible war with Iraq. http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/arch-03012.html

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OREGON
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-- HOMEBUILDERS: LAND USE GOOD FOR BUSINESS -  “My clientele supports the system.  We believe in land use planning – we think it’s been good for business, we think it’s been good for our communities, we think it’s been good for the state.” Testimony of Jon Chandler, lobbyist for Oregon Building Industry Association (Homebuilders), Urban Developers Coalition, and International Council of Shopping Centers January 16, 2003 before the House Environment and Land Use Committee.

-- OREGON BUILDING FEES (SDC) OK - Oregon building fees OK. Oregon Court of Appeals ruled 1/15/03 that the government constitutionally may impose fees (Systems Development Charges, or SDC)on new developments to help pay for expanding public services.  Water, sewer and transportation systems are among other services for which the charges can be levied. State law does not allow charges for schools or police services. The builders association said the charges violate state and federal constitutional  protections against taking private property  “without just compensation.” But the court disagreed, saying they don’t deprive property owners of “all substantial beneficial or economically viable use of the property.” The court also said that the home builders didn’t provide any proof that the fees are “unreasonable or arbitrary.”
http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/arch-03012.html
http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=55038

-- ROAD TASK FORCE LOOKS AT MILEAGE TAX -- The Road User Fee Task Force set up by the 2001 Legislature plans to ask the 2003 Legislature to authorize  testing the feasibility of a vehicle mileage tax. Oregon relies on the gas tax to pay for its road system, and gas tax revenues are expected to flatten as gas mileage improves and more hybrid cars come on line. More (Eugene Register Guard):
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/12/31/3d.cr.mileagetax.1231.html

-- PAY AS YOU DRIVE INSURANCE -- In a related issue, 1000 Friends has endorsed the Oregon Environmental Council’s legislation to push Pay As You Drive (PAYD) insurance options. More:
http://www.orcouncil.org/Pollution/PAYD.htm
http://www.orcouncil.org/Laws/PAYDFactsheet.PDF
http://www.portlandtribune.com/archview.cgi?id=15889

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
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-- SMART GROWTH COULD SAVE $250 BILLION - "The application of smart-growth strategies over a twenty-five year period could save as much as $250 billion, mainly in the form of infrastructure investment," said Federal Reserve Governor Edward Gramlich at recent Cincinatti forum.  A recent non-partisan report found the general need "for market innovation and new products to finance new growth patterns and redevelopment" and "for tools and subsidies for affordable housing." Convinced that smart growth policies will "increasingly frame" many local real estate markets, the researchers showed that the ''growing demand for smart lending presents lenders with an unparalleled chance to chart their future business growth," while helping localities save up to $250 billion "in public and private costs'' by 2025.  The report, "Linking Vision With Capital: Challenges and Opportunities in Financing Smart Growth," can be found at:    http://www.housingamerica.org/pub.html

-- BIG BOXES MOVE BACK TO THE CITY -- According to the Urban Land Institute, the back-to-the-city movement is now a clear trend poised to continue well into the 21st century.  City housing permit activity increase from 1999 to 2000 exceeded the average annual increase in city housing permits from 1990 to 1998 by 35%. In contrast, suburban housing permit activity nationally was only 21% ahead of the average level of activity for the same periods. Recognizing the trend, big box stores are exploring new downtown venues. More from Shopping Center World:
http://www.mailcubed.com/click.asp?x=3d29.eb6.2301770

Yet big boxes will continue to expand, with 140 of Wal-Mart’s new 200 or 210 stores  being expansions or relocations: http://www.mailcubed.com/click.asp?x=39a2.e26.2301770

-- IMPACT FEES IN ARKANSAS FIND BUILDERS’ SUPPORT - State real estate and construction associations regularly fight the adoption of government  fees on development projects. But  they’ve found a proposed  impact fee law they can support: one that would force the home or building owner to pay the fee instead of the developer.
http://www.nwanews.com/adg/story_arkansas.php?storyid=15953

-- SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDIES - From the Canadian International Institute for Sustainable Development comes a website dedicated to explaining strategies and tools that companies can draw on to translate an aspiration of sustainability into practical, effective solutions. Case studies from around the world are provided.
http://www.bsdglobal.com/

"Green-Based" Urban Growth: Next Wave of Environmentalism - A National Geographic Article describes how local environmental activism is getting a new lease on life, sparked by a public backlash against runaway and poorly planned development of cities and towns, widely known as  "sprawl."
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/04/0422_020422_landplan.html

-- SENATE BLOCKS FUNDING FOR PENTAGON SNOOPING - Saying they feared government snooping against ordinary Americans, U.S. senators voted on Thursday to block funding for a Pentagon computer project that would scour databases for terrorist threats.  http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/arch-03012.html

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LINKS OF INTEREST
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 -- LAND USE QUESTIONS?  HERE'S THE ANSWERS - "Connecting the Dots” Richard Benner’s fact-filled and compelling speech delivered at the 1000 Friends of Oregon citizens’ conference in December, is on the 1000 Friends of Oregon web site.  Fact sheets providing answers to common questions about Oregon’s land use program are also available. http://www.friends.org

-- SURF YOUR WATERSHED - Select from variety of options for sorting and viewing EPA database.  http://www.epa.gov/surf/

-- GREEN HOTELS ASSOCIATION - http://www.greenhotels.com

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ACTIVISM VIA THE NET
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CFF provides these links for your convenience only, and recommends you research any issue before participating.

-- Anti-war Referrendum    http://www.votenowar.org/

--New Tongass anti-wilderness provision in Senate - contact info to oppose:
http://www.votenowar.org/

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UPCOMING EVENTS
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-- CFF's UPDATE Calendar

** Local
    -- Peace Wave Spreading Along Coast
    -- CFF Update Now on CFF Web Page
** Oregon
    -- “Spawn of Measure 7” Morphs into Sprawl Bill
    -- Friends Demand City Change Annexation Practices
** National and International
    -- Builders Withdraw Award for Smart Growth Planning
    -- When Highways Shrink, Traffic Disappears
    -- British Government Rejects Big Box Sprawl
    -- Big Box Stores Drain City Revenues
    -- Local Stores Create Triple Economic Activity
** Links of Interest
    -- Race and Sprawl Resources
    -- Oregon Coastal Atlas - make your own map
** Activism Via the Net
    -- TrueMajority - "Leave No Millionaire Behind"
** CFF Calendar

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LOCAL
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-- PEACE WAVE SPREADING ALONG COAST -- The Oregon Coast Peace Wave continues this next Saturday, February 8th, with large events in Newport and in Bandon. Citizens Democracy Watch, a Florence-based action/discussion forum, is announcing support for both events and car-pooling north and south. Coos Bay/North Bend will host a growing Peace Wave Saturday, February 15th. The rolling peace event has received national radio mention on San Francisco’s KGO this week. Newport planner Lynn Jeffress says "We expect to move the Peace Wave into Washington and California, while keeping energy here in Oregon. Newport activities include music, food, peace poetry and an organized high school student contingent singing group. More traditional ways of expressing opinion against this unnecessary war will also occur, including signs and a silent vigil."  More details:  http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/arch-0302.html

-- CFF UPDATE NOW ON WEB PAGE - Now you can clean up your e-mail "hold" box and catch up on all that reading you've been putting off.  New on Citizens For Florence web page - CFF UPDATE ARCHIVES:
http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/n-cff-updateindex.html

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OREGON
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-- MEASURE 7 MORPHS INTO SPRAWL BILL - After hearing testimony about Measure 7 and the “Spawn of 7” Bill, HB 2137, for several days, House Environment and Land Use Committee Chair Bill Garrard has set up two work groups to tackle different parts of the issue. While additional bills are also expected, they may be worked into the efforts of the working groups, which include 1000 Friends lobbyist Randy Tucker.  The work groups may take months to craft potential legislation. According to 1000 Friends, the interests behind Measure 7 are now revealing their true agenda – not to pay a handful of property owners who may have suffered unfair and disproportionate harm, but to roll back land use laws that protect our farm and forestland.  Rep. Garrard argues the bill should going in that direction.  More from various media sources:
http://news.statesmanjournal.com/article.cfm?i=55376
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/10438462175254
0.xml
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/opb/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_I
D=447616
(these may have to be re-entered into your browser)

-- FRIENDS' DEMAND CITY CHANGE ANNEXATION PRACTICES -- Land Use group alleges city doesn't follow its own and other laws. The Friends of Linn County claims that the City of Lebanon's handling of annexations violates its own comprehensive plan, annexation policies and zoning ordinances as well as state land use laws and planning goals. The allegations were delivered to the city on Friday in a formal notice of intent to petition the Land Conservation and Development Commission for an enforcement order. City Attorney Tom McHill said Monday the city would study the document and respond within the required 60-day timeline. Each issue will be looked at individually, he said.   The notice to the city was accompanied by a document that outlined in more detail FOLC's objections to city land use procedures and its suggestions for how to make changes.
http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/arch-0302.html

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NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
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-- BUILDERS WITHDRAW AWARD FOR SMART GROWTH PLANNING - Bowing to pressure from its home builder subscribers, Professional Builder magazine withdrew its 2003 Professional Achievement Award that it had planned to present to the American Planning Association for its Growing Smart planning statute reform project. http://www.planetizen.com/news/item.php?id=8420

-- WHEN HIGHWAYS SHRINK, TRAFFIC DISAPPEARS - Just as expanding highway capacity generates more traffic, reducing capacity seems to eliminate some of it... (from the Seattle Times)  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134620379_lesstraffic23m.html

-- BRITISH GOVERNMENT REJECTS BIG BOX SPRAWL - In a move that could derail big box development projects throughout England, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has rejected a bid by the furniture chain Ikea to build a 300,000-square-foot store (seven times the size of a football field) outside the city of Stockport. Prescott said the proposed store violated several provisions of both national and local planning policy. Major factors included the store's impact on the vitality and viability of Stockport's downtown and other nearby town centers, and the fact that it would foster increased automobile usage. More of the story: http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/arch-0302.html

-- BIG BOX STORES DRAIN CITY REVENUE, STUDY FINDS - Big box retail, shopping centers, and fast-food restaurants cost taxpayers more than they produce in tax revenue, according to a fiscal impact analysis in Barnstable, Massachusetts.  http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/arch-0302.html

-- LOCAL STORES CREATE TRIPLE THE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY OF CHAINS - When you spend $100 at the chain Borders Books & Music, your purchase creates only $13 worth of local economic activity. That same $100 spent at locally owned book or record store generates $45, or more than three times as much local economic activity.
http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/arch-0302.html

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LINKS OF INTEREST
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-- RACE AND SPRAWL RESOURCES - Given a recent (discredited) report suggesting smart growth hurts minority populations, 1000 Friends of Oregon compiled a few resources on race and sprawl:
http://www.friends.org/resources/raceandsprawl.html

-- OREGON COASTAL ATLAS ON THE WEB - DLCD coastal staff recently unveiled a cool new product, the Oregon Coastal Atlas.  You can use the Atlas to look at several existing maps, or use the tool to make your own map in .pdf format. There's also a tutorial that uses the history of the coast as a narrative tool to teach lessons about cartography/GIS. http://www.coastalatlas.net

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ACTIVISM VIA THE NET
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CFF provides these links for your convenience only, and recommends you research any issue before participating.

TrueMajority - "Leave No Millionaire Behind" - send a fax to President Bush
http://www.truemajority.com/index.asp?action=2429&ms=SOTUCDF2

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CFF UPDATE CALENDAR
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http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/arch-cal.html

CFF UPDATE ARCHIVES: http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/n-cff-updateindex.html

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