PBJ How Oregon Works: Navigating Oregon’s Land Use System Requires Awareness, Vigilance, and Flexibility

For the “Government & Regulations” installment of Portland Business Journal’s 2021 How Oregon Works series, Stoel Rives’ land use attorney Sarah Stauffer Curtiss contributed an article titled “Navigating Oregon’s land use system requires awareness, vigilance, and flexibility,” published September 1, 2021. Curtiss provides some suggestions for natural resource sector businesses to mitigate risks stemming from Oregon’s land use laws and increase their opportunities.

Stauffer notes that while Oregon’s extensive land use planning program has shown demonstrable success in curbing urban growth and conserving farm and forest land in the state, in comparison to states with fewer land use regulations, the program has also made it more expensive to own land and operate businesses.

To achieve success in Oregon, Stauffer suggests natural resource-related businesses familiarize themselves with applicable land use standards and permits and stay involved in and monitor closely public land use processes.

She also recommends that businesses be open to creative solutions: “Our land use system can place significant limitations on development, but there are often unexpected growth opportunities ‘hidden’ in the plain terms of a land use permit or the applicable land use code. Those familiar with the system can frequently gain a competitive advantage by identifying those creative opportunities for development.”