Answer: There are 98 legally platted lots in Staffordshire Subdivision.
Some of the documents that verify this truth are freely given below in the approximate order that I, Stephen Short, received them in response to this original inquiry. Notice that on Line 1 of this application, I stated there were 99 homes in our HOA. I was restating the myth that I was told when I bought my home in 2021, which is the same myth that probably everyone else in this community believed. One obvious “source” for this myth is in our CC&Rs, which refer to 99 lots in SHOA. If you study the documents provided below, you will discover for yourself another possible “source” for the myth of the 99 properties in SHOA. I will leave this discovery to the diligent members of this community. Someone recently stated that an undesired attribute of mine is “Steve always has to be right,” or words to this effect. I apologize to this person and to any others who agree that I gave this impression. In my defense (in addition to being left unsupervised!), I certainly have made every effort “to be right,” and for very good reason. The subject of the possible continued development of Staffordshire Subdivision is a very serious and perhaps controversial topic. I have made every effort to be certain of my facts before sharing this information. Why? This community has more than enough misinformation, and I will not knowingly contribute to the confusion that misinformation helps to cause. So, if anyone who reads through this material finds any mistakes of fact, please contact me.
One fact to keep in mind is that in precedence of authority, a subdivision plat “trumps” the language of HOA CC&Rs, Bylaws and Rules & Regulations. Above the subdivision plats in authority are Oregon statutes and federal law. (Just to be clear.)
Below is my Original Application to Lane County Land Management Division for a Zoning Determination.
The PDF below is some preliminary historical information I received from a Lane County planner.
Below is the official response I received from the Lane County Land Management Division. This document seemed very thorough and confusing at the time I received it. I asked one of my attorneys to “translate” this document into layman’s terms. If the Staffordshire Homeowners Association membership is truly interested in learning more about the possible development of Staffordshire, please let me know. The information I received from my attorney was costly, and it makes no sense for me to share his “translation” with anyone until I am certain there is genuine interest from the community. I am certainly willing to share more information, but I need to be sure that the governance of our HOA is truthful, transparent, and trustworthy. I still have hope!
There are two letters in the PDF below; pay particular attention to the dates of the two letters. For reasons unknown to me, Phase 2 was reduced from 99 lots total to a total of 98 lots total when Phase 2 was approved to be completed. The October 13, 1986, letter seems to me to be one source of the confusion that has apparently gone unnoticed since 1986. The 98-lot total mentioned in the (more recent) October 21, 1986 letter is consistent with the Phase 2 final plat that was recorded at Lane County. I would be very interested if anyone could shed light on this “mystery.”.
In order to make it easier for anyone interested in our Staffordshire subdivision, I went through both plats (Phase 1 and Phase 2) and matched the official lot numbers with the mailing address of each property. I arranged the same exact information in two ways: by property address and by official plat lot number. I did not bother with a third possible arrangement (by the artificial phone list “lot number”) because the phone list lot numbers are not official. These artificial phone list lot numbers were created sometime in the past, and nobody seems to have questioned their lack of authenticity until recently.
In order to be consistent with official Staffordshire Subdivision Plats, I am asking the membership of Staffordshire to insist that the SHOA/SWS Board stop using the “phone list lot numbers” and use the official lot numbers, as they should be. This seems like a trivial issue until you understand that by using the unofficial phone list lot numbers, SHOA appears to have 99 members on 99 “lots,” when, in fact, SHOA actually has 98 member-owned lots. I am asking the membership to insist we correct this anomaly. The “fix” is relatively easy, and it will take the assistance of a competent real estate attorney to ensure the “fix” is done correctly.
Below is a list of properties within Staffordshire, arranged by address:
Below is a list of properties within Staffordshire, arranged by the official Staffordshire Subdivision Plat Numbers (Lots 1 through 98):