In his new Ear to the Ground blog post, the first in a three-part series, real estate attorney David Petersen discusses challenges facing the vacation rentals industry in Oregon. This first post focuses on who truly makes...more
This is the last of my three-part series on common misperceptions about the vacation rental industry in Oregon. In my first post, I explained why vacation rentals are important drivers of local economies. In my second, I...more
Over the past few years, my colleagues and I have been waging numerous battles on behalf of the vacation rental industry around Oregon. We have achieved some successes, like in Clatsop County and the City of Manzanita, and...more
On January 31, the Portland City Council passed its Housing Regulatory Relief package. This package, which had been approved by the City Planning Commission on a 7-1 vote in November, follows years of lobbying from the...more
Last week, after a multi-year battle, the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) unanimously approved a site certificate for the Nolin Hills renewable energy facility. This decision represents an important milestone in...more
Real estate attorney David Petersen talks housing solutions in this Ear to The Ground.
Across the nation, residential rents continue to outpace wage growth, making housing less affordable for many. In 2022, the national...more
Real estate attorney David Petersen talks housing solutions in this Ear to The Ground. Across the nation, residential rents continue to outpace wage growth, making housing less affordable for many. In 2022, the national...more
The idea of banning gas stoves has gained national traction lately, mainly as a Republican talking point to generate outrage. But is there any merit to the idea that reducing natural gas use in buildings will have beneficial...more
For years, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley has championed the SAFE Banking Act, a federal bill that would make banking services available to cannabis businesses in states where cannabis is legal. The bill has passed the House...more
In 2019, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2001 – the “middle housing” law. This new law will bring wide-ranging changes to construction of new housing in Oregon, but has received little press so far....more
Attorney David Petersen offers an update on the regulatory battle over short term rentals (STRs) in Oregon....more
In November 2021, voters in Lincoln County along the Oregon coast passed Ballot Measure 21-203 in an effort to control what proponents of the measure believe to be lack of regulation of short term rentals (STRs)....more
The Oregon Department of Forestry recently released a new interactive wildfire risk map for every tax lot in the state – over 1,800,000 parcels in all. The mapping effort is part of the comprehensive wildfire response...more
In 2015, the City of Portland approved a policy requiring commercial buildings 20,000 square feet or larger to track energy performance information using the Energy Star Portfolio Manager, and to report that information to...more
Last July we discussed the temporary adoption of remote online notarization (RON) in Oregon through June 30, 2021. On June 15, 2021, Governor Brown signed Senate Bill 765 making RON permanent. She also signed Senate Bill 220,...more
The long saga of the COVID-19 residential eviction moratorium in Oregon continues with the recent passage of Senate Bill 278, but there are indications that this may be the end of the road...more
Starting March 8, small business owners in Oregon with 100 or fewer employees and who are behind on their rent can apply for a grant from Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency. Grants are available for up...more
3/4/2021
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On November 19, 2020, the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department (OHCS) announced a $20 million fund called the Oregon Homeowner Stabilization Initiative (OHSI) to help homeowners who are behind on their mortgage...more
On October 15, 2020 at 11:56 a.m., Portland General Electric Company shut down the coal-fired Boardman electricity generating station for the last time. Boise-based Idaho Power, which serves customers in eastern Oregon, is a...more