Chapter 866 Oregon Laws 1999

Session Law

AN ACT

SB 99

Relating to land use; amending ORS 197.015 and 271.080.

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

SECTION 1. ORS 197.015 is amended to read:

197.015. As used in ORS chapters 195, 196 and 197, unless the context requires otherwise:

(1) "Acknowledgment" means a commission order that certifies that a comprehensive plan and land use regulations, land use regulation or plan or regulation amendment complies with the goals or certifies that Metro land use planning goals and objectives, Metro regional framework plan, amendments to Metro planning goals and objectives or amendments to the Metro regional framework plan comply with the statewide planning goals.

(2) "Board" means the Land Use Board of Appeals [or any member thereof].

(3) "Commission" means the Land Conservation and Development Commission.

(4) "Committee" means the Joint Legislative Committee on Land Use.

(5) "Comprehensive plan" means a generalized, coordinated land use map and policy statement of the governing body of a local government that interrelates all functional and natural systems and activities relating to the use of lands, including but not limited to sewer and water systems, transportation systems, educational facilities, recreational facilities, and natural resources and air and water quality management programs. "Comprehensive" means all-inclusive, both in terms of the geographic area covered and functional and natural activities and systems occurring in the area covered by the plan. "General nature" means a summary of policies and proposals in broad categories and does not necessarily indicate specific locations of any area, activity or use. A plan is "coordinated" when the needs of all levels of governments, semipublic and private agencies and the citizens of Oregon have been considered and accommodated as much as possible. "Land" includes water, both surface and subsurface, and the air.

(6) "Department" means the Department of Land Conservation and Development.

(7) "Director" means the Director of the Department of Land Conservation and Development.

(8) "Goals" means the mandatory statewide planning standards adopted by the commission pursuant to ORS chapters 195, 196 and 197.

(9) "Guidelines" means suggested approaches designed to aid cities and counties in preparation, adoption and implementation of comprehensive plans in compliance with goals and to aid state agencies and special districts in the preparation, adoption and implementation of plans, programs and regulations in compliance with goals. Guidelines shall be advisory and shall not limit state agencies, cities, counties and special districts to a single approach.

(10) "Land use decision":

(a) Includes:

(A) A final decision or determination made by a local government or special district that concerns the adoption, amendment or application of:

(i) The goals;

(ii) A comprehensive plan provision;

(iii) A land use regulation; or

(iv) A new land use regulation; [or]

(B) A final decision or determination of a state agency other than the commission with respect to which the agency is required to apply the goals; or

(C) A decision of a county planning commission made under ORS 433.763;

(b) Does not include a decision of a local government:

(A) Which is made under land use standards which do not require interpretation or the exercise of policy or legal judgment;

(B) Which approves or denies a building permit issued under clear and objective land use standards;

(D) Which determines final engineering design, construction, operation, maintenance, repair or preservation of a transportation facility which is otherwise authorized by and consistent with the comprehensive plan and land use regulations; or

(E) Which is an expedited land division as described in ORS 197.360;

(d) Does not include authorization of an outdoor mass gathering as defined in ORS 433.735, or other gathering of fewer than 3,000 persons that is not anticipated to continue for more than 120 hours in any three-month period; and

[(d)] (e) Does not include:

(A) A writ of mandamus issued by a circuit court in accordance with ORS 215.428 (7) or 227.178 (7); or

(B) A local land use approval in response to a writ of mandamus.

(11) "Land use regulation" means any local government zoning ordinance, land division ordinance adopted under ORS 92.044 or 92.046 or similar general ordinance establishing standards for implementing a comprehensive plan.

(12) "Limited land use decision" is a final decision or determination made by a local government pertaining to a site within an urban growth boundary which concerns:

(a) The approval or denial of a subdivision or partition, as described in ORS chapter 92.

(b) The approval or denial of an application based on discretionary standards designed to regulate the physical characteristics of a use permitted outright, including but not limited to site review and design review.

(13) "Local government" means any city, county or metropolitan service district formed under ORS chapter 268 or an association of local governments performing land use planning functions under ORS 195.025.

(14) "Metro" means a metropolitan service district organized under ORS chapter 268.

(15) "Metro planning goals and objectives" means the land use goals and objectives that a metropolitan service district may adopt under ORS 268.380 (1)(a). The goals and objectives do not constitute a comprehensive plan.

(16) "Metro regional framework plan" means the regional framework plan required by the 1992 Metro Charter or its separate components. Neither the regional framework plan nor its individual components constitute a comprehensive plan.

(17) "New land use regulation" means a land use regulation other than an amendment to an acknowledged land use regulation adopted by a local government that already has a comprehensive plan and land regulations acknowledged under ORS 197.251.

(18) "Person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental subdivision or agency or public or private organization of any kind. The Land Conservation and Development Commission or its designee is considered a person for purposes of appeal under ORS chapters 195 and 197.

(19) "Special district" means any unit of local government, other than a city, county, metropolitan service district formed under ORS chapter 268 or an association of local governments performing land use planning functions under ORS 195.025 authorized and regulated by statute and includes but is not limited to: Water control districts, domestic water associations and water cooperatives, irrigation districts, port districts, regional air quality control authorities, fire districts, school districts, hospital districts, mass transit districts and sanitary districts.

(20) "Voluntary association of local governments" means a regional planning agency in this state officially designated by the Governor pursuant to the federal Office of Management and Budget Circular A-95 as a regional clearinghouse.

(21) "Wetlands" means those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration that are sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions.

SECTION 2. ORS 271.080 is amended to read:

271.080. (1) Whenever any person interested in any real property in an incorporated city in this state desires to vacate all or part of any street, avenue, boulevard, alley, plat, public square or other public place, such person may file a petition therefor setting forth a description of the ground proposed to be vacated, the purpose for which the ground is proposed to be used and the reason for such vacation.

(2) There shall be appended to such petition, as a part thereof and as a basis for granting the same, the consent of the owners of all abutting property and of not less than two-thirds in area of the real property affected thereby. The real property affected thereby shall be deemed to be the land lying on either side of the street or portion thereof proposed to be vacated and extending laterally to the next street that serves as a parallel street, but in any case not to exceed 200 feet, and the land for a like lateral distance on either side of the street for 400 feet along its course beyond each terminus of the part proposed to be vacated. Where a street is proposed to be vacated to its termini, the land embraced in an extension of the street for a distance of 400 feet beyond each terminus shall also be counted. In the vacation of any plat or part thereof the consent of the owner or owners of two-thirds in area of the property embraced within such plat or part thereof proposed to be vacated shall be sufficient, except where such vacation embraces street area, when, as to such street area the above requirements shall also apply. The consent of the owners of the required amount of property shall be in writing [and duly acknowledged before an officer authorized to take acknowledgments of deeds].

Approved by the Governor July 26, 1999

Filed in the office of Secretary of State July 26, 1999

Effective date October 23, 1999

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