College of Built Environments at the University of Washington.
Study of housing built on Hood River farmland yields surprises: development did not harm farm operations and in some cases increased farm acreage
Wednesday May 2008CAUP's UDP graduate student, Clay Veka, was surprised by the results of her research. "I went into it with the expectation that the more dwellings you introduce into an area, the more change you see occurring," she said. But her study revealed that the county's application of land-use laws was doing what it was intended for: "channeling growth away from farm and forestland." Housing that was allowed on farm lands was of a type that didn't harm agriculture, specifically, "the laws permit a primary residence for the farmer, for example, or farm labor housing or a home for a family member whose assistance is needed on the farm -- typically a son or daughter returning to take over operations as their parents retire." Additionally, "housing unrelated to the farm operations is allowed in narrowly defined instances, but requires a showing that homes will be built on unproductive land and won't interfere with farming." Veka's research was gerenated from data compiled by the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, and from research on-the-ground in Hood River County.
CAUP's UDP Associate Professor Christine Bae was Veka's chair, and CAUP's UDP Assistant Professor Branden Born was also on her committee. Authored articles based on Vekas' research will be submitted jointly.
For the complete article, please visit The Oregonian online.