Greetings:

Word has been received that the applicant, Paul Matveev, has WITHDRAWN his application to demolish the Historic Phil Oatfield house on Oatfield Rd. See the attached DECISION.

The hearing on this application, before hearings officer Fred Wilson, was held on April 20th. Clackamas County Planning, and the applicant Paul Matveev, testified in favor of demolishing the house. Opponents testifying were Mike Schmeer, representing the Oak Lodge History Detectives (OLHD) and the Oak Grove Community Council (OGCC), and Lisa Bentley and Pat Kennedy representing the Oak Lodge History Detectives.

This decision to withdraw the application follows the rather poor testimony on the part of Clackamas County and the applicant, and persuasive testimony in opposition by OLHD and OGCC. It is the opinion of OLHD that the application stood an excellent chance of being denied by the Hearings Officer, based on a number of omissions of the required steps in the review process by the applicant and Clackamas County, and the failure of the applicant to provide testimony in support of his own application. A denial by the Hearings Officer is final, and the only recourse the applicant would have had would be an appeal to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. Withdrawing the application allows the applicant to re-apply if he wishes to do so.

A newspaper article about the hearing from the Clackamas Review is attached in two parts. It came out Wednesday April 26th.

OLHD anticipates that the applicant will now submit a new application for demolition in the coming weeks, starting the process all over again, but likely satisfying the applicable zoning ordinance requirements better.

This all means that there is still time for a preservation minded individual to come forward and save this house! Please spread the word.

Mike Schmeer
Chairman, Oak Lodge History Detectives