C.O. LandWatch appeals Deschutes County’s approval of 710-acre rezoning near Terrebonne
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The land-use watchdog group Central Oregon LandWatch filed this week a notice of intent to appeal Deschutes County commissioners’ recent 2-1 decision to rezone 710 acres west of Terrebonne from exclusive farm use to rural residential zoning, allowing about 70 homes on 10-acre parcels.
The appeal filed Wednesday of the controversial decision will go to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA), the organization said in a news release Friday.
The application to rezone 710 acres in the Lower Bridge Valley was initially submitted to Deschutes County last spring. The group noted that it has been the subject of widespread public opposition and concerns over groundwater use, loss of farmland, infrastructure strain and impacts to wildlife.
LandWatch said it took a stand against the proposal alongside hundreds of concerned residents, including neighboring ranchers who told the Board of Commissioners they would be interested in leasing the land to expand their ranch.
Oregon’s land use laws protect agricultural land for farm use by strictly limiting housing on farmland. The laws are intended to keep prices low enough for farmers to buy land or expand their operations.
At a public hearing before the BOCC in August, Abby Kellner-Rode with Boundless Farmstead expressed her strong opposition to the development.
“Speculation in farm and ranch land has artificially increased the price of farmland, so much so that farmers and ranchers are getting priced out of the ability to buy land,” she testified.
Other people expressed fears over dropping groundwater levels and the impact seventy-one new wells will have on the aquifer and existing wells. The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) submitted a joint, three-agency letter opposing the development, in which they noted the risks to the aquifer, fish, and wildlife and recommended denial.
The opponents said development would threaten local wildlife habitat by fragmenting and developing currently intact habitat areas. Over a year ago, ODFW provided Deschutes County with new scientific data showing these 710 acres proposed are important mule deer and elk habitat, part of one of the largest blocks of big game habitat remaining in Deschutes County.
“With local mule deer herds declining rapidly, we need to protect the remaining habitat in Deschutes County. We believe the decision is contrary to applicable law protecting farmland for farm use and directing growth inside urban growth boundaries, and we will take the issue up with the Land Use Board of Appeals on behalf of Central Oregon and our supporters,” said Ben Gordon, executive director of LandWatch.
In December, the county commission adopted a decision to approve the application to rezone the area to allow 71 residential plots in a 2-1 vote. Both Commissioners Patti Adair and Tony DeBone voted to support the rezone, while Commissioner Phil Chang opposed.
The appeal will go before Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals. A decision is expected this spring.
"As a watchdog for Central Oregon, we will continue to defend against inappropriate development on rural lands, support agricultural economies, and protect open space, wildlife, and water. LandWatch will continue to oppose the county’s decision through the appeals process," the news release concluded.
