Our land use laws require that we stay within a tight urban form and have a 20 year supply of land for housing and jobs. Oregon does not have anywhere near a twenty year land supply of industrial land, and several studies by Portland Business Alliance, NAIOP, PSU and others clearly demonstrates this factual shortfall.

For full disclosure, while head of the Opus Northwest office, we had an option on 100 acres of the disputed 400 acres of industrial land expansion for Woodburn. This land is not high quality agricultural or forest land. It is flat land, located directly on I-5 surrounded by a Do it Best and Winco distribution centers.

We had a one million square foot client interested in constructing a distribution center that would have brought over 300 living wage jobs to Woodburn. There would have been an increase in real estate taxes in excess of $400,000 per year to pay for City services in addition to several million for system development charges and other infrastructure improvements that would benefit the region. Project never moved forward because of the decade plus delay by Thousand Friends of Oregon. With “friends” like that, unemployed Oregonians sure don’t need enemies.

Oregon is out of large (defined: 100+ acres) “shovel ready” land in a market accepted location for distribution and manufacturing facilities. We compete in a global economy. Speed of delivery is key to companies making multi-million dollar decisions to invest in plant, equipment and most importantly jobs in Oregon.

The saddest part is over the past decade millions of taxpayer and private sector money has been wasted with no improvement for people or pileated woodpeckers. The property could have been developed several time over creating several hundred jobs in a City with U-6 unemployment north of 15%.

We cannot continue to let our regional economy be hindered and artificially constrained through environmentalist assisted suicide. Employed Oregonians are better stewards to the environment than unemployed citizens. We can balance job creation with social equity and “sensible” sustainability.

Brian Owendoff
NW Portland