| Update 5/28 .. please also read this response from the School District. There is some disagreement as to how the two entities got to where they were, but we need (for now) to focus on moving towards a sale to the city for use as ballfields and a park. 5/27 A quick update … The City Council released their Executive Session restraints with regard to their negotiations with the School District. The School District is asking $6.5M for Oppenlander. The City of West Linn asked for an option to buy the property contingent on the voters passing a Bond measure in November. The School District declined to accept the city’s offer based on the 5-month delay in closing the sale.* In another conversation with the School Board Chair, I was told the School District has a fiduciary responsibility to move quickly towards a sale. I replied to her essentially saying that is absurd since the District has owned this property for almost 40 years. Six more months will not affect the District one way or the other. WE MUST keep urgent immediate pressure on the School District. THREE THINGS TO KEEP DOING 1) Send an email asking WLWVSD to accept the City’s Option to purchase Oppenlander [email protected] 2) Keep asking people to sign the petition at SaveOppenlander.org WLWVSD is hearing us – citizen engagement is one key aspect of the pressure and will be needed for the bond. We are organizing other activities, too. Click to share on FaceBook 3) Send an email of thanks to the City Council for being transparent and in support of the Bond. [email protected] I’m working to try to keep key letters and conversations up on the SaveOppenlander.org website. There are dozens already very active from across the community – so please know this is not all me. We need to connect with each other and build a collaborative unified team. Please email me at [email protected] and I’ll help facilitate. Thanks! Dean p.s. I’m still looking for someone to help with the web page. The site is WordPress-based. * 5/27 11pm edit – corrected 4 month delay to 5 months … Jun -> Nov |
Email me about help with website. Not a website designer but tech savy.
Dean,
I’m not a property owner near or around the field so forgive me if the following questions have already been addressed.
What is the currant zoning of the property? If the zoning changed from open space to residential housing, how did that happen? If that is what happened, that was the public’s prime opportunity to preserve the field. The city and school district can negotiate the sale of real estate in the privacy of execution session, but they can’t change a zoning in private.
For the city to pay residential prices for a open space land use is problematic. Wouldn’t you agree?
Hi David. I’ll be putting up a FAQ page later today because there are many questions coming in. As you know this has been a whirlwind 72 hours. Oppenlander is in the city and is already zoned R-10. Price is another issue – our current public strategy is to get the City locked in as the buyer, pricing will come along. The School District wants to optimize their net, but this is a public entity we hope selling to a public entity – an IGA is best for the community. We must get the School District to not accept any other offers for 60 days so that can’t just say “done deal, too late, go away” to all of us.
https://www.wlwv.k12.or.us/cms/lib8/OR01001812/Centricity/Domain/1994/3%20Sunset%20Task%20Force%20Final%20Report%2012-2-09.pdf
https://www.wlwv.k12.or.us/domain/100
There was a taskforce that ran from 2007 to 2009 that decided not to place a new Sunset Primary at Oppenlander, but to keep it as a park.
I have also attached the emails for the Long Range Committee(see link). They need to hear from the people from West Linn.
Thank you for this, John.