Maletis Brothers & Klamath tribe development at Langdon Farms
Impact of Metro's decision regarding Rural and Urban Reserves
The recent approval by LCDC of Metro's Urban and Rural Reserves designation not only wraps up a multi-year undertaking that is commendable in intent, very large in scope and very relevant for French Prairie, but confirms the decision by Clackamas County Commission that the majority of the French Prairie lands which are in Clackamas County should be designated Rural Reserves. As pointed out in the Oregonian article (below), this decision is not locked in stone, as it can still be legally appealed, and will be periodically reviewed—giving developers the ability to try again to change the designation and consequent zoning. However, for now, the approval of Metro's 50-year growth plan gives some real relief against the non-stop development pressure in north French Prairie.
Senator Merkley takes stand against Langdon Farms becoming Trust Lands
On April 9, 2010, after a series of meetings with all parties involved, Senator Jeff Merkley sent a letter to the City of Wilsonville expressing his
opposition to the proposal by the Maletis Brothers to sell Langdon Farms and
their surrounding property to the Klamath Tribe so that it could be taken
into Trust Land status and allow development outside of state and local land
use oversight. After meeting with local municipalities, citizens groups,
the developers and the Klamath Tribe, Senator Merkley said the consequence
of such action would set "a terrible precedent and create a significant
loophole in the state's land use system." In stating his opposition, the
Senator went on to say that should such a proposal to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs move forward, "I am prepared to enter the discussion with the
Department of the Interior and explain my concerns."
[Download Senator Merkley's letter in PDF]
Public confirmation of development deal - September, 2009
In a series of articles by Patrick Johnson of the Wilsonville Spokesman and Dana Tims of The Oregonian, including interviews with Chris and Tom Maletis, the Matetis brothers and the chief of the Klamath Tribe have publicly confirmed they are far along in negotiations for the purchase of Langdon Farms and surrounding lands by the tribe.
The proposal is for the sale of 385 acres of EFU land, including Langdon Farms (a golf course on EFU land with a conditional use permit) to the Klamath Tribe. The Tribe would intend to take the land into trust, meaning it would become land in a sovereign Indian nation, and would not be subject to State, County or Municipal zoning or land use regulations. Implied in the public statements is the creation of a development company to actually do the commercial development. Different types of commercial development are being discussed, but as Dana Tims notes, a casino development can never be assumed to be ruled out.
This approach is clearly an end run attempt by rogue developers who have had all previous development attempts stymied and stopped by local residents and municipalities. Read full details in the most recent Media Articles posted at the bottom of this page, including the decision in September by the Clackamas County Commission to designate the Clackamas County portion of French Prairie (which includes the Maletis land holdings) as Rural Reserves in the Metro Urban/Rural Reserves UGB process.
Town Hall Meeting – August 28, 2008
On Thursday, August 28, Friends of French Prairie and Jim Gilbert for Oregon sponsored a Town Hall Meeting at the Hubbard Fire Dept., on the subject of “A Tribal Casino on French Prairie.” Presentations were made by Jim Gilbert, candidate for State Representative; Ben Williams, President of Friends of French Prairie; Brian Clem, State Representative and Vice-Chair of the Agriculture Committee; Charlotte Lehan, Mayor of Wilsonville and candidate for Clackamas County Commissioner. Mark Cushing, attorney for the Maletis brothers requested, and was granted, time to present the Maletis brother’s side of the proposed development. Over 130 people turned out to hear the full story about the implications of a large real estate development at Langdon Farms.
[Download the Minutes and a Summary in PDF]
Video of the Town Hall Meeting is also available:
| Jim Gilbert, candidate for State Representative,
and farmer/nurseryman from Molalla VIEW VIDEO |
| Ben Williams, President of Friends of French Prairie VIEW VIDEO |
| Mark Cushing, Attorney for the owners of Langdon Farms VIEW VIDEO |
| Brian Clem, State Representative and Vice-Chair of the Agriculture Committee VIEW VIDEO |
| Charlotte Lehan, Mayor of Wilsonville VIEW VIDEO |
| Q & A Part 1 VIEW VIDEO |
| Q & A Part 2 VIEW VIDEO |
| Q & A Part 3 w/ Closing statement by Jim Gilbert VIEW VIDEO |
Late Breaking News – June, 2008
The Mega Casino project detailed below is the worst of the development scenarios on the part of Maletis Brothers Development to develop Landgon Farms and the surrounding agricultural land they have acquired. While it seemed to die in 2007 and be replaced by the goal of developing a commercial/industrial transportation complex of tilt up concrete buildings, as detailed below, a new proposal to sell the land to the Klamath Tribe is back on the table.
- The Klamath Tribe has developed a formal “strategy” document for what they call their “Aurora Project,” namely to acquire all this land from the Maletis Brothers, and via a clause in the Tribal Lands Restitution law, to turn it into sovereign tribal lands. The stated intention is to pursue commercial development, but common sense says a casino must be in the long term plans (even if presently denied) given the desire to have this much land this close to metro Portland.
Download the Klamath Strategy for the Aurora Project in PDF - The regional office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has written the Klamath Tribe a letter providing guidance and support in this endeavor.
Download the BIA letter in PDF - The City of Wilsonville has written a formal letter of protest to the BIA in opposition to this proposed land acquisition and development, and detailing the legal shortcomings; i.e. the attempted mis-use of a loophole in the Tribal Lands Restitution Law to allow acquisition of lands outside of Klamath County.
Download a copy of the City of Wilsonville letter in PDF - Nigel Jaquiss of Willamette Week broke the story on Wednesday, June 25, providing overview of the project and detailing the goals and parties involved.
Download this document at the bottom of this page
A Mega Casino on French Prairie The idea of siting a 'Mega Casino' on French Prairie first came to light in late 2005 with a proposal by Wayne Johnson, representing the Resource and Economic Development Company, to involve Maletis Brothers Development, and the Klamath Tribe in building a casino, big box stores and a destination resort on land owned, optioned and controlled (approx 400 acres is quoted) by Maletis Brothers Development.
It states that "We finally located a site that surpassed all our wishes, the famed Langdon Farms golf course only 15 miles from downtown Portland with I-5 frontage and access from a major interchange" and goes on to add that "this is the best location in the State of Oregon for a Destination Resort and Casino."
Current Langdon Farms Golf Course
Langdon Farms Golf Course at the I-5 and Charbonneau exit
The site plan showed the development of a 200,000 square foot casino, a convention center, a strip center, a 300-400 unit motel, 2 parking structures and larger areas of auto, RV and truck parking all located in the triangle enclosed by I-5, Arndt Road and Highway 51 (the Hubbard cut-off). Currently most of this area is being farmed. To the east, on the area enclosed by Miley, Airport and Arndt roads and by Highway 51, the plan was to locate big box stores and up to 1,000 apartment units in the area south of Langdon Farms golf course and north of the airport and to place condo units around an extended golf course. The proposal was convoluted, looked hastily prepared and nothing appeared to come of it.
Langdon Farms Casino Project
Rendition of proposed Casino & Convention Center/Hotel at Langdon Farms Golf Course
However, in May 2006 the Klamath Tribe applied to the federal government for the right to build an off-reservation casino on French Prairie. The site was unspecified. The tribe filed to beat the cut-off for pending federal legislation seeking to curtail off-reservation gaming. Chris Maletis confirmed that Maletis Brothers Development have an option to purchase the land where the casino would be located. Even though that land is designated 'Exclusive Farm Use' (EFU) and although his golf course is designated EFU with a conditional use permit specifically for a golf course only, he is quoted in the Wilsonville Spokesman as saying 'It is an urbanized area. We are in favor of development. This is an area that has been earmarked by arms of the state as an area for job creation". In an interview with KATU-TV News in the summer of 2006 he stated that the land in question is not being farmed, a statement that seems at odds with what the eye reveals when driving through the area.
An editorial in the Oregonian earlier this year stated "it is all but impossible to imagine the federal government or any Oregon governor approving, for example, the Klamath Tribe's out-of-nowhere request to build a casino near an existing golf course south of Wilsonville". Further they said "other than in the exceptional case where an overwhelming public interest exists, those applications (referring to off-reservation casinos) ought to be denied, and Congress should firmly shut the door on off-reservation casinos". However, subsequently the legislation to ban off-reservation casinos was defeated in the House of Representatives.
Vigilance is required, as the Maletis brothers seem determined to take their Exclusive Farm Use French Prairie land and add to their wealth by encouraging the development of warehouses, casinos or any other commercial or industrial project they can find.
Prepared by: Board of Charbonneau Country Club
FOFP Position on this Project.
Friends of French Prairie is opposed to the Langdon Farms Golf Course conversion to a casino and hotel development for three reasons:
- The property is zoned EFU and Langdon Farms received a Conditional Use Permit for a golf course on EFU land when it was founded-a possibility that no longer exists under current zoning regulations. Virtually all the land around it is EFU and being farmed-and should continue as such.
- While this property straddles I-5, the Boone Bridge over the Wilamette River, the Canby/Hubbard-Charbonneau interchange on I-5 and all the surface streets are almost at their maximum capacity now. The stretch of freeway between the south Wilsonville exit and Landgon Farms is among the busiest and most accident prone sections of freeway in the state at present. The infrastructure will not support this type of massive development.
- This property is at the "doorway" into French Prairie, being at the north end of Marion County and south of Charbonneau at Wilsonville (both within Clackamas County), and a development of this size would not only violate current zoning and be in flagrant opposition to the French Prairie Vision Statement, but could easily be the beginning of a non-stop development land rush along I-5 from metro Portland to Salem. Picture the I-5 corridor from Seattle to Olympia!
Recent media coverage of this Current Issue
Metro area's 50 year growth plan
August 20, 2011
[Download PDF here]
Senator Merkley opposed to Maletis land deal
May 4, 2010
[Download PDF here]
French Prairie is no place for intensive development
September 24, 2009
[Download PDF here]
Roll up the welcome mat
September 22, 2009
[Download PDF here]
Kalamath Tribes seek 285 acres near Wilsonville
September 22, 2009
[Download PDF here]
Klamath tribes send letter to membership about Aurora Property
September 16, 2009
[Download PDF here]
Grand Ronde Now Watching Maletis Land
August 13, 2009
[Download PDF here]
Maletis in New Negotiations with Klamath Tribe
August 9, 2009
[Download PDF here]
The Maletis Brothers: A Work in Progress
June 10, 2009
[Download PDF here]
The Maletis Brothers: A Work in Progress
June 7, 2009
[Download PDF here]
A Solar Panel Plant at Langdon Farms
February 12, 2009
[Download PDF here]
Bill could target golf course land
April 4, 2007
[Download PDF here]
SEEING GREEN: The Klamath Tribe and golf course owners seek a windfall from a loophole.
June 25, 2008
[Download PDF here]
Oregon Agriculture Alliance: Ag Informer
June 17, 2008
[Download PDF here]
Brothers mulling sale to Klamath
July 13, 2008
[Download PDF here]
Fight Brews Over Rich Farmland
August 15, 2008
[Download PDF here]
Is there a big casino in French Prairie's Future?
August 25, 2008
[Download PDF here]
Langdon Farms development rages on…
September 3, 2008
[Download PDF here]
