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November 30, 2006

Money-Grubbing Palins Plan New Measure 37 Claim

The only people so far in Oregon to get money instead of a regulatory reprieve under Measure 37 are Grover and Edith Palin, who wanted to build a home in the rimrock surrounding Prineville. The City decided to pay the couple $47,000 instead of allowing them to destroy everyone else's view. But that wasn't enough for the Palins. A few weeks ago, they said they would not accept the money, but would hold out for the restrictions to be lifted; however, after eyeing their $47,000 check for awhile now, they've changed their minds. They have decided they want more money instead.

They plan to refile their Measure 37 claim, this time seeking millions of dollars, because instead of building their dream retirement home that they just couldn't live without, suddenly now they want to build a diner and either a motel or condos. But they can't help but reveal their true motives: Grover Palin's explanation for their change of plans was that "Edith and I wanted a retirement home; we didn't get it, so now if we don't get that we might as well see how much money we can get. I'm looking at pretty close to $5 million." Edith Palin described it this way: "If nothing else, we're going to give (the City Council members) a headache." Lovely people, aren't they?

The problem is, it really doesn't matter what the Palins want to build on their land – what matters is the market value of the land if it was still zoned and regulated as it was when they bought it. The Palins wouldn't charge a different price to one buyer than another for their land based on what the buyers' development plans were. The land is worth what it is worth. And Measure 37 doesn't compensate someone differently based on what they might have built on the land. Rather, compensation is based on the difference between the market value of the land, as currently developed (or not), with the regulations and without them. That has already been determined to be $47,000. End of story.

Posted by Becky at November 30, 2006 10:31 AM