People Against a Casino Town
News from PACT
Letter to City of Florence
 

November 1, 2003

Florence City Council   
250 Highway 101
Florence, Oregon    97439

Dear City Councilors:

It has come to our attention that the City Council's recent UGB expansion had some unintended consequences, and an apparent error has been made.  A review of the Lane County land records indicates that the 80 acres the Council included in the City's UGB also contains tribal land (Peterman Tract which borders the Hatch Tract).  Apparently, staff reports provided to the City Planning Commission and City Council during their deliberations erroneously indicated that the 80 acre parcel was "in one ownership."

We are aware that each Council member has repeatedly stated they did not want to include potential casino lands inside the City's UGB - and we wholeheartedly agree.  We are extremely concerned that the "right" to demand city services of any tribe-owned land inside the UGB can be manipulated in any manner which the casino developers choose - especially given the current unsettled area of law regarding sovereign nation status.    Absent a formal opinion from the City's legal counsel that the Peterman Tract could never be used to force the City to provide city services to the Hatch Tract, the City Council should not allow this 'error' to stand.

Now that this error has been brought to your attention, we suggest you rectify it in the most expeditious manner possible.  We understand that land use laws are very stringent about the types of actions which governmental agencies must take - in this instance a new public hearing must be held.

We will do all that we can to support your position of excluding potential casino properties from the City's UGB at the hearing.  Our organization has accumulated much more factual data to support your position, and we will be ready to submit that new data into testimony.  In addition, you now have the findings of the City's Task Force on Casino Impacts to further bolster your position - casino properties should not be inside the City's UGB.

Thank you,

Susie Dewberry
PACT President/

cc:  Florence Planning Commission
      Lane County Planning Commission
      Lane County Commissioners

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