Another Oregon Judge Backs Measure 37 Claims

MCMINNVILLE -- A judge says five landowners have the right to build subdivisions on farmland in Yamhill County.

The ruling could result in as many as 150 homes built outside Newberg and McMinnville.

Yamhill County Circuit Court Judge John Collins ruled Wednesday that the property owners had invested enough money in the developments to give them the right to proceed under the terms of Measure 37, which relaxed statewide land-use controls.

Collins says a later law that reigned in Measure 37 -- Measure 49 -- can't be used to stymie the property owners. His ruling is expected to be appealed. It is the second victory for Oregon property rights advocates in a week.

In a recent unrelated case, a federal judge in Medford sided with a couple dozen landowners who had Measure 37 waivers that the county ultimately denied after the passage of Measure 49.