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Medford joins lawsuit against state climate rules By Damian Mann Updated: Nov 27, 2022 06:43 AM A A Medford City Hall Medford and a coalition of cities filed a lawsuit Monday to block new climate rules they claim will backfire and fuel more greenhouse emissions. The coalition of 13 cities and Marion County wants to delay implementation of Gov. Kate Brown’s 2020 executive order known as “Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities” that aims to reduce greenhouse gases in the state. The suit filed in the Oregon Court of Appeals seeks to put the rules on hold to devise better regulations that would accomplish the goal of creating more climate-friendly communities. Medford Planning Director Matt Brinkley, in a declaration to the Court of Appeals, stated, “Implementation of the rules will actually increase vehicle miles traveled and increase associated greenhouse gas emissions.” Medford City Council voted 4-2 in September to join the suit against the Land Conservation Development Commission, which has crafted rules that attempt to create more concentrated housing developments, more bike routes and limit automobile parking in new developments. Other cities that have joined the suit include Cornelius, Forest Grove, Grants Pass, Happy Valley, Hillsboro, Keizer, Oregon City, Sherwood, Springfield, Troutdale, Tualatin and Wood Village. The coalition believes the state rules exceed the scope of the executive order. Even though the rules seek to concentrate development in cities with populations greater than 5,000, Medford officials believe the effect will be to stifle development in the city’s recently expanded urban growth boundary and encourage more development in surrounding smaller cities. This would create longer commutes for workers who drive to Medford. Medford officials think it also will add more red tape for developers working inside the city. Brinkley stated in his declaration that he had expressed concerns about the rules before the Land Conservation Development Commission. For instance, the city would have to undertake a major update of its Transportation System Plan, which Brinkley said would be a costly step to undertake. The new rules would discourage development, and Medford would need to add an additional staff person to administer them. Public Works also would need to hire an additional staff person. “In my experience, these additional delays, costs and uncertainties will lead housing developers to look for different locations to develop housing without those additional hurdles,” Brinkley stated. The shift in housing to smaller communities not subject to the new rules also would prove detrimental to encouraging more biking to work within Medford, he stated. Developers would instead develop housing projects in other cities, such as Gold Hill or Shady Cove, rather than deal with the more complex rules in Medford, Brinkley said. Medford would have a more difficult time encouraging much-needed lower-income housing because of the rules, Brinkley stated. “Meanwhile, Medford will be forced to focus development in these wealthy areas,” Brinkley stated. “Focusing development on wealthy ‘climate oases’ is not equitable.” Reach freelance writer Damian Mann at [email protected].