Title 20, Counties and County officers

(1) Except as provided in subsections (3), (5) and (10) of this section, the governing body of a county or its designee shall take final action on an application, including resolution of all appeals under ORS 215.422, within the shortest applicable period of the following periods…

(1) If the governing body of the county or its designee does not take final action on an application within the period allowed under ORS 215.427, the applicant may file a petition for a writ of mandamus under ORS 34.130 in the circuit court of the county where the application was…

(1) A county governing body may authorize, by ordinance or order, the planning commission or hearings officer to conduct hearings on applications for plan amendments and to make decisions on such applications. (2) A decision of the planning commission or hearings officer on a pla…

(1) A person whose application for a permit is denied by the governing body of a county or its designee under ORS 215.427 may submit to the county a supplemental application for any or all other uses allowed under the county’s comprehensive plan and land use regulations in the zo…

(1) Pursuant to a final order of the Land Use Board of Appeals under ORS 197.830 remanding a decision to a county, the governing body of the county or its designee shall take final action on an application for a permit, limited land use decision or zone change within 120 days of …

(1) If the governing body of a county or its designee fails to take final action on an application for a permit, limited land use decision or zone change within 120 days as provided in ORS 215.435, the applicant may file a petition for a writ of mandamus as provided in ORS 34.105…

The governing body of a county or its designate may allow a transmission tower over 200 feet in height to be established in any zone subject to reasonable conditions imposed by the governing body or its designate. [1983 c.827 §23a]

(1) The installation and use on a residential structure of a solar photovoltaic energy system or a solar thermal energy system is an outright permitted use in any zone in which residential structures are an allowed use. (2) The installation and use on a commercial structure of a …

(1) If a church, synagogue, temple, mosque, chapel, meeting house or other nonresidential place of worship is allowed on real property under state law and rules and local zoning ordinances and regulations, a county shall allow the reasonable use of the real property for activitie…

(1) As used in this section: (a) “Health professional” means a person licensed or certified by the: (A) Oregon Medical Board; (B) Oregon Board of Dentistry; or (C) Oregon State Board of Nursing. (b) “Health services” means the services that a health professional is licensed or ce…

(1) As used in this section: (a) “Average electric generating capacity” has the meaning given that term in ORS 469.300. (b) “Energy generation area” has the meaning given that term in ORS 469.300. (c) “Renewable energy facility” means: (A) A solar photovoltaic power generation fa…

(1) As used in this section, “photovoltaic solar power generation facility” means an assembly of equipment and components that has the primary purpose of converting sunlight into electricity by photovoltaic effect and has the capability of storing or transferring the electricity.…

(1) The governing body of a county or its designate may allow, subject to the approval of the governing body or its designate, the establishment of a home occupation and the parking of vehicles in any zone. However, in an exclusive farm use zone, forest zone or a mixed farm and f…

(1) As used in this section: (a) “Agri-tourism or other commercial events” includes outdoor concerts for which admission is charged, educational, cultural, health or lifestyle events, facility rentals, celebratory gatherings and other events at which the promotion of malt beverag…

(1) As used in this section: (a) “Agri-tourism or other commercial events” includes outdoor concerts for which admission is charged, educational, cultural, health or lifestyle events, facility rentals, celebratory gatherings and other events at which the promotion of cider produc…

(1) A winery may be established as a permitted use on land zoned for exclusive farm use under ORS 215.213 (1)(p) and 215.283 (1)(n) or on land zoned for mixed farm and forest use if the winery produces wine with a maximum annual production of: (a) Less than 50,000 gallons and: (A…

(1) A winery may be established as a permitted use on land zoned for exclusive farm use under ORS 215.213 (1)(p) or 215.283 (1)(n) or on land zoned for mixed farm and forest use if: (a) The winery owns and is sited on a tract of 80 acres or more, at least 50 acres of which is a v…

(1)(a) A use or structure in an area zoned for exclusive farm use that exists on June 28, 2011, may be lawfully continued, altered, restored or replaced pursuant to ORS 215.130 if the use or structure is located on the same tract, as defined in ORS 215.010, as a winery establishe…

Any winery approved under ORS 215.213, 215.283, 215.284, 215.452 and 215.453 is not a basis for an exception under ORS 197.732 (2)(a) or (b). [1989 c.525 §5; 2007 c.71 §73; 2011 c.679 §9]

(1) A local government may authorize the siting of a winery, on land zoned for exclusive farm use, pursuant to the standards that apply to a commercial activity in conjunction with farm use under ORS 215.213 (2)(c) or 215.283 (2)(a) or other law if the winery: (a) Does not qualif…

A person may establish a youth camp: (1) On land zoned for forest use or mixed farm and forest use, consistent with rules adopted by the Land Conservation and Development Commission. (2) On land in eastern Oregon, as defined in ORS 321.805, that is zoned for exclusive farm use an…

(1)(a) Subject to the approval of the county governing body or its designee, a private campground may be established in an area zoned for forest use or mixed farm and forest use. Subject to the approval of the county governing body or its designee, the campground may provide yurt…

(1) As used in this section and ORS 215.462: (a) “Guest lodging unit” means a guest room in a lodge, bunkhouse, cottage or cabin used only for transient overnight lodging and not for a permanent residence. (b) “Guest ranch” means a facility for guest lodging units, passive recrea…

(1) Notwithstanding ORS 215.283, the governing body of a county or its designee may not allow a guest ranch in conjunction with: (a) A campground as described in ORS 215.283 (2). (b) A golf course as described in ORS 215.283 (2). (2) Notwithstanding ORS 215.263, the governing bod…

(1) As used in this section: (a) “Recreational vehicle” means a recreational vehicle that has not been rendered structurally immobile and is titled with the Department of Transportation. (b) “Rural area” means an area zoned for rural residential use as defined in ORS 215.501 or l…

(1) As used in this section: (a) “Accessory dwelling unit” has the meaning given that term in ORS 215.501. (b) “Area zoned for rural residential use” has the meaning given that term in ORS 215.501. (c) “Single-unit dwelling” has the meaning given that term in ORS 215.501. (2) Con…

(1) As used in this section: (a) “Accessory dwelling unit” means a residential structure that is used in connection with or that is auxiliary to a single-unit dwelling. (b) “Area zoned for rural residential use” means land that is not located inside an urban growth boundary as de…

(1) As used in this section, “owner” means the owner of the title to real property or the contract purchaser of real property, of record as shown on the last available complete tax assessment roll. (2) All legislative acts relating to comprehensive plans, land use planning or zon…

(1) A mortgagee, lienholder, vendor or seller of real property who receives a mailed notice required by this chapter shall promptly forward the notice to the purchaser of the property. Each mailed notice required by this chapter shall contain the following statement: “NOTICE TO M…

For the protection of the public health, welfare and safety, the governing body of a county may adopt ordinances establishing housing codes for the county, or any portion thereof, except where housing code ordinances are in effect on August 22, 1969, or where such ordinances are …

Each county in this state shall adopt standards and specifications for clustered mailboxes within the boundaries of county roads and rights-of-way that conform to the standards and specifications for such mailboxes contained in the State of Oregon Structural Specialty Code. [2011…

The provisions of housing code ordinances authorized by ORS 215.605 and this section shall apply to all buildings or portions thereof used, or designed or intended to be used for human habitation, and shall include, but not be limited to: (1) Standards for space, occupancy, light…

The Legislative Assembly declares that land use regulations limit residential development on some less productive resource land acquired before the owners could reasonably be expected to know of the regulations. In order to assist these owners while protecting the state’s more pr…

(1) A governing body of a county or its designate may allow the establishment of a single-unit dwelling on a lot or parcel located within a farm or forest zone as set forth in this section and ORS 215.710, 215.720, 215.740 and 215.750 after notifying the county assessor that the …

(1) For purposes of ORS 215.705, high-value farmland is land in a tract composed predominantly of soils that, at the time the siting of a dwelling is approved for the tract, are: (a) Irrigated and classified prime, unique, Class I or Class II; or (b) Not irrigated and classified …

(1) A dwelling authorized under ORS 215.705 may be allowed on land zoned for forest use under a goal protecting forestland only if: (a) The tract on which the dwelling will be sited is in western Oregon, as defined in ORS 321.257, and is composed of soils not capable of producing…

(1) A local government shall require as a condition of approval of a single-unit dwelling allowed under ORS 215.705 on lands zoned forestland that: (a)(A) If the lot or parcel is more than 30 acres in eastern Oregon as defined in ORS 321.805, the property owner submits a stocking…

(1) If a dwelling is not allowed under ORS 215.720 (1), a dwelling may be allowed on land zoned for forest use under a goal protecting forestland if it complies with other provisions of law and is sited on a tract: (a) In eastern Oregon of at least 240 contiguous acres except as …

(1) As used in this section, “center of the subject tract” means the mathematical centroid of the tract. (2) In western Oregon, a governing body of a county or its designate may allow the establishment of a single-unit dwelling on a lot or parcel located within a forest zone if t…

Subject to the approval of the governing body or its designee, the following dwellings may be established in any area zoned for forest use under a land use planning goal protecting forestland, provided that the requirements of the acknowledged comprehensive plan, land use regulat…

(1) As used in this section, “owner or a relative” means the owner of the lot or parcel, or a relative of the owner or the owner’s spouse, including a child, parent, stepparent, grandchild, grandparent, stepgrandparent, sibling, stepsibling, niece, nephew or first cousin of eithe…

(1) An agricultural building, as defined in ORS 455.315, customarily provided in conjunction with farm use or forest use is an authorized use on land zoned for forest use or for mixed farm and forest use. (2) A person may not convert an agricultural building authorized by this se…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the following minimum lot or parcel sizes apply to all counties: (a) For land zoned for exclusive farm use and not designated rangeland, at least 80 acres; (b) For land zoned for exclusive farm use and designated rangeland…

(1) The governing body of a county or its designee may approve a proposed division by partition of land in a forest zone or a mixed farm and forest zone to create one new parcel if the proposed division of land is for the purpose of allowing a provider of public parks or open spa…

(1) As used in this section, notwithstanding ORS 215.010, “parcel” has the meaning given that term in ORS 92.010. (2) Notwithstanding the minimum lot or parcel size established under ORS 215.780 (1), when a portion of a lawfully established unit of land has been included within a…

(1) For the purposes of correcting mapping errors made in the acknowledgment process and updating the designation of farmlands and forestlands for land use planning, a county may conduct a legislative review of lands in the county to determine whether the lands planned and zoned …

(1) If a county amends its comprehensive plan or a land use regulation mapping zoning designations under ORS 215.788 to 215.794, the county shall review lands that are planned or rezoned as nonresource lands to determine whether the lands contain ecologically significant natural …

(1) A county shall submit decisions on planning and rezoning designations under ORS 215.788 to 215.794 to the Department of Land Conservation and Development for review pursuant to the procedures set forth in this section and ORS 197.659. (2) The department shall coordinate with:…

(1) New and existing dwellings may be allowed on a lot or parcel subject to wildlife habitat special assessment under ORS 308A.403 to 308A.430 as follows: (a) Lawfully existing dwellings, pursuant to ORS 215.130 (5) to (11), may remain. (b) For a lot or parcel without an existing…