November 6, 2007, Special Election

Measure 49

Ballot Summary
Modifies Measure 37 (2004) to give landowners with Measure 37 claims the right to build homes as compensation for land use restrictions imposed after they acquired their properties. Claimants may build up to three homes if previously allowed when they acquired their properties, four to 10 homes if they can document reductions in property values that justify additional homes, but may not build more than three homes on high-value farmlands, forestlands and groundwater-restricted lands. Allows claimants to transfer homebuilding rights upon sale or transfer of properties; extends rights to surviving spouses. Authorizes future claims based on regulations that restrict residential uses of property or farm, forest practices. Disallows claims for strip malls, mines, other commercial, industrial uses. See Explanatory Statement for more information.

Estimate of Financial Impact
The measure would require one-time state administrative expenditures of $8.7 to $12.5 million to evaluate claims received to date for adherence to measure requirements.

In the short term, the measure would require state administrative expenditures of $1 million to $2 million per biennium to evaluate future claims. In the long term, state administrative costs may be reduced as the measure limits the scope of potential future claims. The amount of those potential reductions cannot be determined.

Potential state litigation costs cannot be determined.

The measure authorizes compensation to landowners. The amount of state expenditures to pay claims for compensation cannot be determined.

The measure authorizes establishing a claims review fee for new claims not to exceed the actual and reasonable cost of reviewing a claim. The impact on state revenues cannot be determined.

The measure clarifies ongoing claims review processes and is expected to reduce local government claim processing costs from current levels. The amount of these potential reductions cannot be determined.

The measure authorizes compensation to landowners. The amount of local government expenditures to pay claims for compensation cannot be determined.

The effect of the measure on local government revenues cannot be determined.

Ballot Explanatory Statement
Ballot Measure 37 (2004) requires governments to pay landowners or forgo enforcement when certain land use regulations reduce their property values. This measure modifies Measure 37 to give landowners who have filed Measure 37 claims the right to build homes as compensation for land use regulations imposed after they acquired their properties.

Claimants may build up to three homes if allowed when they acquired their properties.

Claimants may build up to 10 homes if allowed when they acquired their properties and they have suffered reductions in property values that justify the additional home sites.

This measure protects farmlands, forestlands and lands with groundwater shortages in two ways.

First, subdivisions are not allowed on high-value farmlands, forestlands and groundwater-restricted lands. Claimants may not build more than three homes on such lands.

Second, claimants may not use this measure to override current zoning laws that prohibit commercial and industrial developments, such as strip malls and mines, on land reserved for homes, farms, forests and other uses.

Also, this measure expands homebuilding rights under Measure 37 in two ways.

First, it extends homebuilding rights to surviving spouses whose claims are not eligible for compensation under Measure 37.

Second, it allows claimants to transfer their homebuilding rights to new owners, a right not clearly provided by Measure 37. The new owners must exercise their homebuilding rights within 10 years.

Claimants will be notified of their options to build homes under this measure within 120 days after this measure takes effect.

Claimants who have received land use waivers under Measure 37 are entitled to complete developments under the provisions of Measure 37 if they have established vested rights to do so.

To streamline the approval process for small claims, this measure provides that those who choose to apply for up to three homes need only show they had the right to build the homes they are requesting when they acquired their property.

To validate larger claims, this measure requires those who choose to apply for four to 10 homes to show they had the right to develop the homes they are requesting when they acquired their property and that they have suffered a loss of value from prior regulations that justifies the number of homes requested. Appraisals are required to establish such reductions in value. The costs of appraisals and other costs of preparing claims may be added to the calculation of reduced values, up to $5,000 per claim.

This measure establishes an ombudsman to help landowners who request assistance with their claims.

This measure modifies Measure 37 for compensation claims that arise from land use regulations in the future. It authorizes such claims based on regulations that limit residential uses of property or farm and forest practices, requires documentation of reduced values and provides for proportionate compensation when such reductions in value occur. Property owners will have five years to file claims over regulations enacted after January 1, 2007.

This measure will be effective 30 days after approval by the voters.

Download the official ballot title and summary (PDF)
Download the official Measure 49 explanatory statement (PDF)

Full text of Measure 49
Read the full text of Measure 49 online or in PDF