Measure 37 Threatens Sauvie Island
As of March 2007, there are 13 Measure 37 claims that cover approximately 750 acres of Sauvie Island’s prime farmland. Of those claims, a handful are large-scale projects, which include a subdivision of 448 acres to be divided into 12 five-acre home lots, and a subdivision of 208 acres to be parceled into 31 residential lots. Other proposals include a 73-unit time-share resort with waterfront and recreational amenities in Linnton.
By May, the county had approved two claims for single family homes and denied three subdivision requests. Two subdivision claims remain pending, giving groups like 1000 Friends of Oregon, a non-profit land use and planning organization, and the Sauvie Island Conservancy, reason to be concerned that the addition of dozens of new homes and an expanded tourism infrastructure will damage wildlife populations, as well as destroy the rural, small-town feel which has characterized Sauvie Island for so many years.
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