The adage goes "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." But here in Salem, it might be amended to read "if at first you don't succeed, try, try, LUBA."

For the uninitiated, that's the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. The state agency was created in 1979 to simplify the appeals process, speed the resolution of land-use disputes and provide consistent interpretation of state and local land-use laws.

The governor appoints the three-member board to serve 4-year terms.

Here in Salem, LUBA has become a default go-to when local government decisions don't satisfy. Oregon communities rely on this board of attorneys to make decisions that will shape them for years to come.

Current board members are Tod A. Bassham, Melissa M. Ryan (chairwoman), and H.M. Zamudio (pronoun she for Hilary).

The Oregon State Bar website doesn't list the three attorneys' hometowns, defaulting instead to their LUBA address.

This is troublesome because some of the neighbors opposed to the use of the former Morrow home in South Salem are themselves attorneys living in affluent neighborhoods (homes selling for more than $2 million). Whether they'll admit it they are raising the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) specter.

One case involves the former home of the Morrow Equipment founder Richard Morrow. Nicknamed the Morrow Mansion, the new owner of the 21,151-square-foot home wants to alter its use to that of a high-end bed and breakfast. But the county has twice rejected the applicant's request following neighbors' complaints that included a motion to stop it.

Because of the number of bedrooms in the home (nine), these neighbors fear the home will be run as a boutique hotel and not a neighborhood bed and breakfast limited to no more than five guests.

We assume it has nothing to do with the fact the new owner's wealth is tied to her owning a vegan strip club in Portland where the dancers don't wear animal products on stage.

As long as the new owner pays taxes on their property and abides by city or county policy for operating a legitimate bed and breakfast, the nature of her legal business wealth should have no bearing on the land-use board's decision.

It appears there are a lot of unanswered questions regarding this application. The Marion County Commissioners denial was speculative at best, stating that it was unclear if the owner lives at the mansion. Opposed neighbors should not be sources for answering these questions.

We expect the LUBA board to ask definitive questions and get definitive answers before making its decision.

Carol McAlice Currie is the opinions editor for the Statesman Journal. Reach her at ccurrie@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6746.