Oregon Statutes 227.179 – Petition for writ of mandamus authorized when city fails to take final action on land use application within 120 days; jurisdiction; notice of petition
(1) Except when an applicant requests an extension under ORS § 227.178 (5), if the governing body of a city or its designee does not take final action on an application for a permit, limited land use decision or zone change within 120 days after the application is deemed complete, 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 submitted to compel the governing body or its designee to issue the approval.
Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 227.179
- City: includes any incorporated village or town. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: includes individuals, corporations, associations, firms, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint stock companies. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
- Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
- Violate: includes failure to comply. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
- Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
(2) The governing body shall retain jurisdiction to make a land use decision on the application until a petition for a writ of mandamus is filed. Upon filing a petition under ORS § 34.130, jurisdiction for all decisions regarding the application, including settlement, shall be with the circuit court.
(3) A person who files a petition for a writ of mandamus under this section shall provide written notice of the filing to all persons who would be entitled to notice under ORS § 197.797 and to any person who participated orally or in writing in any evidentiary hearing on the application held prior to the filing of the petition. The notice shall be mailed or hand delivered on the same day the petition is filed.
(4) If the governing body does not take final action on an application within 120 days of the date the application is deemed complete, the applicant may elect to proceed with the application according to the applicable provisions of the local comprehensive plan and land use regulations or to file a petition for a writ of mandamus under this section. If the applicant elects to proceed according to the local plan and regulations, the applicant may not file a petition for a writ of mandamus within 14 days after the governing body makes a preliminary decision, provided a final written decision is issued within 14 days of the preliminary decision.
(5) The court shall issue a peremptory writ unless the governing body or any intervenor shows that the approval would violate a substantive provision of the local comprehensive plan or land use regulations as those terms are defined in ORS § 197.015. The writ may specify conditions of approval that would otherwise be allowed by the local comprehensive plan or land use regulations. [1999 c.533 § 10; 2003 c.150 § 2]