League of Oregon Cities opposes SB 974 dash‑1; developers back amended provisions on limited land‑use review and fee reimbursement

The Senate Committee on Housing and Development reopened the public hearing on Senate Bill 974 on March 19 to take testimony from three people who had signed up to speak at an earlier hearing but had not been able to testify.

Alexander Ring, housing and land‑use lobbyist for the League of Oregon Cities, testified in opposition to SB 974‑1 "as drafted," telling the committee the League's planners had identified technical provisions that would "result in a myriad of complications and challenges ultimately resulting in added cost and delay for developers and eventual residents." Ring said the League understood the sponsor and advocates intended to file a dash‑2 amendment and looked forward to technical discussions later that day.

Travis Snyder, a developer and home builder in Southern Oregon, testified in support of an amended version of SB 974‑1. Snyder focused on two areas he described as central to speeding housing production: treating residential projects in areas already planned for housing as limited land‑use decisions to narrow scope of review and reduce the potential for drawn‑out disputes, and a provision that would require reimbursement of legal and engineering fees for both permit applicants and local governments when a project is appealed but the project is ultimately upheld. Snyder said frivolous appeals had delayed multifamily projects he is involved with by more than a year and had cost tens of thousands of dollars.

The committee completed those three brief testimonies and then closed the public hearing on SB 974 and moved to other business. No committee vote on SB 974 was recorded during this session; the record shows advocates and the sponsor expected further amendment work.