Steve Duin, writing in his blog for The Oregonian, recounts a tale involving Coos County hearings officer, Andrew Stamp, in a rather distasteful affair with the City of Portland and a real property developer, Eric Scheel.
When developer Eric Scheel decided to divide a one-fifth acre remnant into three buildable lots, several Hosford-Abernethy neighbors appealed the city of Portland’s approval to the Land Use Board of Appeals. In a marvelous display of chutzpah, the city asked LUBA and the petitioners to allow the Bureau of Development Services to address the neighbors’ concerns.
In Scheel, area residents already knew they were dealing with a guy who – in order to eliminate a tree-preservation issue – sent a contractor onto the lot to eliminate the trees, resulting in a $6,000 fine.
They realized these minor partitions fit perfectly with Portland’s desire to add density to its neighborhoods. But they needed an impartial referee to weigh the rights and obligations of everyone involved.
That’s not what they got.
Instead, Sean Williams, an associate planner at BDS, and Linly Rees, a deputy city attorney, allowed Scheel’s attorney, Andrew Stamp, to dictate the city’s response throughout the fact-finding and decision-making process.
Stamp, if you recall was the ‘impartial’ party invited to oversee land use matters for the Planning Department related to the conditional use permit for the Williams Pipeline matter. Not surprisingly, Stamp found in favor of the pipeline and his decision is now in front of the Land Use Board of Appeals. Amongst several points supporting the appeal is that Stamp ignored significant amounts of testimony submitted throughout the hearing process.
There is much more to the story and I encourage you to read Duin’s blog but it is interesting to note that Stamp blames the Portland affair on the fact the citizens opposing the land use didn’t have a lawyer. During the public hearings in Coos County, Stamp specifically asked if the pipeline opponents had a lawyer representing them. Possibly, Stamp ignored significant parts of the testimony enabling the appeal because it was not submitted by attorneys.
Happily, in the Portland affair, City Commissioner Randy Leonard is prepared to rehear the entire issue rather than leave the perception the decision process was stacked against the citizens.
Stamp’s willingness to do occasional pro bono work for 1000 Friends doesn’t make him a saint. The way I read Duin’s column the real villain is the city for requesting Stamp help them craft a decision that suited the developers needs over the opponents. Stamp’s willingness to help the city help his client may be legal but it isn’t necessarily moral.
I appreciate the information, and all the great work you do for us Coos Countians! Thank you for keeping us informed!!
There is no innuendo in this post, Stamps decision in Coos County ignored key testimony. Read it and the testimony before you embarrass yourself.
The County not the applicant or the opponents hired Stamp – as for the Portland issue, Duin’s piece and the emails obtained via FOIA speak for themselves
Perhaps you could add a little more innuendo to this heaping plate of smear? Rather than addressing the merits of a decision with which you disagree, you attack its author and embarrass yourself in the process.
An attorney’s role is to represent their clients’ interests. Mr. Stamp is an attorney, so this is his job, and he does it better than most. If you have an interest in a future land-use decision and you want to win the case (instead of losing and carping about it on your blog) maybe you should hire him next time.
Mr. Stamp has also represented Habitat For Humanity and 1,000 Friends Of Oregon. You don’t hear them carping, do you?
Gee, who knew??????
And, the two members of the local BOC elecetd by people sympathetic to the cause of Citizens Against LNG can revisit the local pipeline matter any time that they choose.