Jury sides with West Linn-Wilsonville School District in trial over Oppenlander Field

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — A jury has sided with the West Linn-Wilsonville School District in a case concerning a previous agreement that established the city as the owner of a treasured local park.

On Friday, a Clackamas County Circuit Court jury determined that the City of West Linn’s purchase of the Oppenlander Field was invalid.

Although the school district had owned the property since the 1970s, administration decided that it was “surplus land” in 2021 and announced their intentions to sell it — much to the dismay of locals who considered the property as a community park for families and youth sports.

In response to public outcry over the potential of another party developing on the land, the district and West Linn agreed the city would buy the field in January 2022 so it would remain a park.

Afterwards, an appraisal determined the 10-acre field was worth just $120,000 due to its park-use restriction. WLWV rejected this new appraisal due to a 2021 assessment that valued the land at $6.5 million.

The district filed a complaint against the city in February 2022, later prompting the trial that began on Aug. 12.

Ahead of the trial, Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Susie Norby ruled West Linn residents could not serve on the jury because they would “instinctively lean toward” defending the city instead of being neutral.

The Oregon Supreme Court then reversed the judge’s decision , referring to it as a “categorical assumption.” West Linn jurors still found that the contract agreement was not legally binding.

“We did our best to uphold both the votes of the West Linn residents who clearly expressed a desire to preserve Oppenlander as a park and our contractual obligations under the Purchase and Sale Agreement,” Mayor Rory Bialostosky said in a statement. “While disappointing, I respect the decision of the jury and appreciate their attention to the case.”

KOIN 6 has reached out to WLWV for comment.

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