City Issues Oppenlander Update

We have been fairly quiet and patient while the City responds to a lawsuit brought by the School District to invalidate the Oppenlander Sales Agreement. However, the City issued an update a few minutes ago via the West Linn Tidings that is causing great concern for the Friends of Oppenlander leadership team.

Ed Trompke of West Linn’s city attorney office sent a letter Dec. 16 to the attorney for the school district, Jacob Zahniser, outlining a proposal that would see the 10-acre fields re-appraised by both the district and the city. The city would then put the purchase of the property — priced at the average of the two new appraisals — on a May 2023 bond measure.

Link to Dec. 2022 West Linn Tidings update We cannot past the entire article here due to copyright restrictions.

The School District’s attorney responded … “If the City was interested in a fair and transparent process, they would offer the strategy of a joint appraiser again, or accept the value of $6.5 million,” Zahniser wrote in the Dec. 21 counter offer. “The only reason this proposal is being made is to, once again, attempt to secure the property for less than fair market value and swindle the District’s constituents and shared taxpayers of this asset.”

It should be noted that as residents of West Linn, we are half of the constituents of the School District.

The Friends of Oppenlander leadership team will be meeting very soon to formulate our response, which will likely be to bring specific pressure on both the City and the School District to resolve the concerns and get this deal closed. We have already made our desires clear with a solid Yes vote on Measure 3-582 last May.

We will keep you updated via this email list, the Fiends of Oppenlander web page and social media.

Thank you for your support

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