Lynch Ranch From Exclusive Farm to Rural Residential?

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Hugo Neighborhood Association & Historical Society

Home Up Donation Land Claimers Walker Brothers Augustus L. Walker Applegate Trail & Lynch Ranch Agricultural Lands in Josephine County Agricultural Lands of Lynch Ranch Water Rights & Lynch Ranch Land Irrevocably Committed To Non-resource Uses Profit In Farm Use & Irrevocably Committed Assessment of Farm Land Lynch Ranch From Exclusive Farm to Rural Residential?

LYNCH RANCH FROM EXCLUSIVE FARM TO RURAL RESIDENTIAL?

Written by the Land Use Committee on 09/07/05

Exclusive Farm Of Lynch Ranch To Rural Residential?

Pre-Application Review On June 23, 2005 the Josephine County Planning Office received a request for a pre-application review (Article 21 of the Josephine County Rural Land Development Code) from Mr. Cliff Woodruff.¹ The request was for an assessment of the potential for a compre-hensive plan map amendment and zone change from Exclusive Farm (114.75 acres) to Rural Residential 5-Acre for the following property.

35-06-02 Tax Lot 1100 EF-80 109.81 ac
35-06-02A Tax Lot 1700 RR-2.5 5.26 ac
35-06-11B Tax Lots 290 EF- 80 4.94 ac
35-06-11B Tax Lots 900 RR-5 7.26 ac 127.27 ac

Most of this property is know locally as the Lynch Ranch (approximately 120-acres). The pre-application review request stated: "An application would be prepared based on the Non-Resource Criteria of the Josephine County Comprehensive Plan."

A July 11, 2005 assessment by the planning office was that the probability for a successful zone change was extremely low for the following reasons.²

1. 100 percent of the soils are farm soils.

2. Although the property is surrounded by residential zones on three sides, it is over 100 acres and has clearly been farmed.

3. "Reasons" exceptions to Oregon Statewide Goal 3 - Agricultural Lands rarely succeed.

How Do You Feel — Pro or Con?

The open spaces of the original 160-acre donation land claim by Wesley Walker, of which the Lynch Ranch is a large part, have been both irrigated and green, and dry land farming since the 1880s. The land has a long history of farming since its inception as a large pioneer farm in 1855.³

Potential Development In the long-term the potential development, if approved, could easily be 20 plus new homes on the ranch.

Pro or Con? How do you feel about this potential development at the Lynch Ranch, pro or con?

More Information? Want To Take Action?

Ways To Express Yourself There are many ways to express your opinions with this potential
development. The range of possible approaches is fully open to the visions and ideas of Hugo neighbors.

Would you like to help keep the land in a farm zone?

Some Ways To Express Opinions
Telephone Calls
Letters
Brochures
Talk To Neighbors
Investigative
Committee
Signs
The Daily Courier
Letters to Editor
Guest Opinions
What’s the Deal
Bulletin Inserts
Public Service
Announcements
Banners
Study Irrevocably
Committed Process
Door Hangers
Invitation Cards
Press Releases
Emails
Conferences
Web Sites
BCC Appeal Fee
Links to Web Sites
Debates
Contingency Fund
Forums
Meeting Attendance
BCC
Rural Planning
Commission
Petitions
Consulting Services
Calling JO CO
Planning Office
Labor Donations
Financial Donations
Appeal Decisions
LUBA $325 Appeal Fee
Court

Want To Take Action? Would you like to learn more about citizen involvement in this proposal to change the land use of the Lynch Ranch from "Exclusive Farm" to "RR-5"? Want to attend an investigative committee meeting? Contact an officer of the Hugo Neighborhood..

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1. June 23, 2005 letter from Paul Woerner, Consulting Planner, to Dave Kellenbeck, Josephine County Planning Office.
2. July 11, 2005 Planning Office Memorandum from Grace M. Zilverberg, Planner II, Josephine County Planning Office, to office files.