Governor Tina Kotek and her staff have announced their intentions to expand the North Hillsboro Industrial area by adding almost 400 acres to the Urban Growth Boundary. That authority is granted to her under Senate Bill 4, passed in 2023. The governor must first hold a community meeting with her super authority to add any land to the Urban Growth Boundary. That will happen on October 10th, 2024, at the Hillsboro City Hall (Civic Center) at 6 PM. See below for a full posting from Business Oregon.
The Hillsboro Herald has published several articles detailing what has been happening and the possible outcomes. On January 26, 2023, we released an in-depth look at all of the options that Senate Bill 4 was looking at for Hillsboro to grow and continue to be the leader in Oregon’s tech sector and job creation. 1,700 acres were made available for industrial land expansion. I have repeatedly stated that it was an overreach and too much. Removing farmland from production is never good, especially not rich, high-valued land like that we have here in the Tualatin Valley. In the article, we laid out every possible growth expansion scenario and what it would look like.
Hillsboro Readies For Next Big Land Expansion For Semiconductor Jobs
Now, some 20 months later, our analysis is coming to fruition. The land we felt made the most sense and was the only site that could be rationally considered seems to be the option being put forth. In that article, we called that area Meek Road-Scotch Church Sub Area A. It looks like this.
Meek Road-Scotch Church Sub Area A- From Jan 23rd, 2024 Article
This unit of land comprises about 400 acres on the East side of Jackson School Road, which was left out during the last Urban growth expansion. It should be a top priority to come in now as it was forced out of the last land expansion for a few reasons. The new Jackson Road rotary and the highly accessible Jackson Road off-ramp make this site a natural. The lands East (Jackson East) and South (VanRose property)are being readied for the next wave of industrial users. Having said that, the airport runway and flight paths seem to be eliminating VanRose from a major chip Fab, and the hotly contested Jackson East area rezoned dozens of lovely estates into Industrial, but that is too parcelized and hard to manage for a Fab. Area A on the above Map would easily be developable as a stand-alone location for a Fab. It would be perfectly suited from a site as it is level, served by roads, and could be reasonably served by water and sewer. This site should be at the very top of the pecking order.
Let me be clear. IF, and only IF, the expansion of land is warranted and proven to be needed, this is the site that must be brought in. That is a big IF. However, it appears that the Governor and her team, who have been pressured and lobbied by every top politician, including Intel, are ready to make that decision. It is the case that they need to prove this is not just a land grab or growth for the sake of growth. We understood that to add land to an Urban Growth Boundary for the Oregon CHIPS Act and Federal Funding, an end user with the qualifications to grow and the willingness to grow would have to be on board and ready. Let’s assume that Kotek and her team, led by Vince Porter, have what they need to close that loop.
Senator Ron Wyden, local landowners led by the NW Land Alliance, Mayor Steve Callaway, Jean Sollman, and others have all pushed to include the entire 1,700 acres the Governor could bring in. Like any land expansion, the land value will significantly increase for those who make it in—let’s say, at least $500,000 per acre. Anyone not brought in right now is watching hundreds of Millions float away. That is going to mean doubling down and a whole hell of a lot of frustration and anxiety.
While I can not be 100% sure this will happen, I am encouraged that this has not become a free-for-all, with every politician and influencer loading up the truck with cash. Good decisions take time. And this one, if it is this land or another area, will be hotly contested. We love our community and our State. Many people newer to Oregon do not understand the whole managed growth thing. But they know they like the public beaches, our protected mountains and rivers, and our strong obligation to protect our farmlands and wild areas. That stems from a very Oregon mindset best embodied by the great man and Governor, Tom McCall.
One of his best quotes on the matter of growth was this.
Gender references aside, which were part of that era, he is spot on. When you understand that and internalize that, you can say you get it. Jobs are needed. But when they come around, we must hold our values high and expect so much more than we get. AI and Robotics will replace many of these “high-paying jobs,” and Hillsboro and Oregon could be left holding the bag. If you’re coming, be prepared for a fight and debate and bring more than you take. When you do that, you are more than welcome. Otherwise, move along. That is the right frame of mind to have. That is an Oregon mindset- no politics. It is all about the love for one of the most unique and special places on this blue marble we call Earth.
From Business Oregon – https://www.oregon.gov/biz/programs/SB4-10/Pages/default.aspx
Never heard the Tom McCall quote before–Yes spot on–so descriptive of what we (some) are trying to preserve in our State and Town. I will come–and speak, sadly Oregon government at every level now (ie North Plains–also excellent article) will have public comment but unless they are forced will not respond to its residents. Money is the only focus—no thought of the fallout for residents. Plenty of breaks being given to Big Industry.
Intel is falling apart. I think at the very least we need to see how the chips fall there before we go rezoning land and pouring money into the tech industry that may fail us locally at least. We have already lost so much of the beautiful land in Oregon to business and industry. In my opinion, we shouldn’t be in any hurry to give up even more. Once it’s done, there’s no easy way to go back.
Monica- a nice relfective pause is needed in Oregon right now. But those in power have forgotten who we are, or they never knew. The Californication is in over-drive. The only thing I can hope is that Kotek won’t knukle under and bring even more land in.
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Dirk
This map is upside down. A bit confusing.