Zoning Laws

In June 2021, the State of Oregon Employment Department published a report illustrating the growth of the state’s legal marijuana industry.  In April 2021, recreational marijuana sales hit a record high (at that time) of $110.5 million–a 23.5% increase as compared to the same month a year earlier.  Not surprisingly, harvest productions are also on […]

Owning a small business is hard work.  Not only do you have to manage the day-to-day operation, but you must also be proficient in everything from employment laws to community networking.  One area that many business people struggle with is navigating zoning laws.  Zoning laws or ordinances are rules within your city or county that […]

Every parcel of land has boundaries or “lot lines” defined by surveyors and recorded within the city or county records.  A property owner may want to adjust lot line boundaries for many reasons.  Sometimes an owner desires to combine properties into a single parcel or sell a portion of his land to a neighbor.  Lot […]

Mark Twain said, “Buy land; they’re not making it anymore.”  While thankfully, there is plenty of land in Oregon for us to enjoy, Twain is absolutely right.  Land is one thing there will never be more of, so owning a substantial parcel of property is valuable.  Yet, if you’re not planning to use the land […]

When you think of land-use planning, you probably don’t think of city ordinances that control issues like outside burning and backyard livestock.  Yet understanding the city ordinances that apply to these situations may be important to you when choosing a place to live.  They regulate what you can do with your property and, likewise, what […]

One of the many types of zoning policies is inclusionary zoning.  The purpose of inclusionary zoning is to encourage real estate developers to build more units appropriately priced for low and moderate-income people and families.  In most communities, this is known as “affordable housing.”  Throughout the United States, providing more affordable housing has become a […]

Communities throughout Oregon develop specific land use regulations to best meet the needs of their areas.  These plans and accompanying rules are created through a process that involves collecting data, community member feedback, long-range forecasting, and decision-making.  By developing a strategic vision for a community, planning commission members can set goals that inform proper rules […]