The Bosco-Milligan Foundation has expressed its support to the Land Conservation and Development Commission for the recommendations of the Goal 5 Rulemaking Advisory Committee in regard to administrative rule changes related to Oregon’s historic resources. Adopting these proposed rules will provide a uniform baseline of protection and review that is needed and will clarify state expectations for local government actions.

As proposed, the administrative rule changes will:

  1. mandate demolition review by local government, with the possibility of demolition denial, for National Register-listed properties;
  2. clarify the creation of historic districts by stipulating that a simple majority of property owners need to consent to that designation;
  3. make clear that creation of an inventory of historic buildings, while an extremely useful planning tool, is not a form of designation; and
  4. allow local jurisdictions to apply additional protections to National Register-listed properties or districts, but only after a public process, giving property owners and others a role in preparing design guidelines or other regulations for their district.

We applaud these changes as a great step forward toward clearing up the confusion and inaction that followed from the adoption of the owner consent law. However, additional measures will be needed to encourage rehabilitation, such as further incentives and state law changes so that historic resources are not the only state land use resource which a property owner can veto.

We congratulate the Commission on its willingness to take on this difficult issue and encourage adoption of the recommended revisions to the Administrative Rules.

 

The hearing is currently expected to be held on Friday, January 27 in 1070 Columbia Blvd., St. Helens, OR 97051 at 8:30 am. To read the entire report of the Commission and find out how to testify, go to http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/Pages/Goal5HistoricResourceRulemaking.aspx