Hillsboro City Council To Vote In Another 400+ Acres Of Growth Land

Tonight is another big night here in Hillsboro!  While the locals are out partying at Tuesday Night Market and Art Walk, the Council will be hard at work passing a wide myriad of spending and expansion ordinances.  Tonight the City boundaries will add almost 300 more acres of Industrial Land (Think more Data Centers) and another 129 acres of Residential Land!  Here we Grow, again!  In our ongoing Council watch, we offer an inside look at some of the biggest matters being dealt with tonight!  Have a look.

Work Session Before The Council Meeting

• Work Session – 6pm – Civic Center C113B&C/Zoom Teleconference

  • Climate Action Planning Update – presented by Robin Straughan, Sustainability Manager Staff Report
  • American Rescue Plan Act Update – presented by Rahim Harji, Deputy City Manager Staff Report

Council Meeting Items of Note – July 2nd, 2024

People ask the Herald how they can get involved.  So you can 1) Go to the City Hall at 7 PM and fill out a yellow card to speak when your turn comes.  Or you can use the Zoom link below and watch or give testimony.  Email City recorder Amber Ames if you wish to testify online by 3 PM – amber.ames@hillsboro-oregon.gov 

City Council Regular Session – 7 pm – Civic Center C113B&C/Zoom Teleconference

Zoom Teleconference

Phone: 1-253-215-8782 or 1-301-715-8592

Meeting ID: 851 4863 9488

Password: 932487

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85148639488?pwd=RzNHQ0ZzVFBNN3h5Q04xQnJjaGJsQT09

HERALD WATCH ITEMS Tonight 

• 1)   Zone Change 001-24: Glee PDX LLC ( Manager according to State of Oregon Corporate website is (THE MARK R MADDEN REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST DATED 10/29/02 MARK R MADDEN TRUSTEE)  – 9.74 Acres is being Annexed to the City of Hillsboro and zone changed from FD-20 to I-S.  The properties are located along NW West Union Road and NW Helvetia Road. This is the corner just East of the West Union school with some stream beds running through it
  • From the City Staff Report “City mapping does not indicate Significant Natural Resource overlay on the subject site. The site is designated IN Industrial in the Comprehensive Plan. The abutting property to the east is in the City and zoned Helvetia Special Industrial District or HSID; abutting properties on the south side are not within the City and are zoned Washington County FD-20 Future
    Development – 20 Acre District. For additional information pertaining to surrounding
    Comprehensive Plan designations, zoning and land use, see attached maps.”

Note that although the City of Hillsboro mapping does not show any Significant Natural Resource Areas, the Metro GIS Map does map sensitive habitats; see below.

Interestingly enough, the City has criteria for this zone change that says:

.Any potential impacts on any designated significant natural resources, cultural resources
or areas within the 100-year floodplain as a result of the proposed zone change are
minimal or can be reasonably mitigated at the time of development;

The planning staff has not shown the Council the significant floodplain areas on this property in the Staff Report.  It was in the draft Decision but should have been in the report for members of the public and for the Council to review.  We old timers have seen a significant portion of this property underwater multiple times.

Here is the Metro Map of this property:

Here is the site as documented by Hillsboro Maps-

Data Centers are going up Helvetia Road towards this location.  We won’t know what to expect on this site until a development application is submitted.

• 2)  Zone Change 005-24: Vanrose: Consider the recommendation from the Planning Commission to adopt an order for a City-initiated Zone Change from County FD-20 to City I-S Industrial Sanctuary, with Significant Natural Resource and Flood Plain Overlays, for a parcel of land approximately 129.7 acres in size being annexed into the City limits. Order No. *15 is available. Staff Report
  • Order No. 15
• Herald Notes:  This 130 acres of farmland has been rezoned to industrial for some time.  This annexation and zone change will add a huge area to Hillsboro’s already massive industrial lands in North Hillsboro.  This site does have SNRO and Floodplain, which is being conditioned and managed.  This will connect the Urban Growth Boundary from NE Sewell Road to Jackson School Road and the famous windmill tulip farm and, once developed, make the direct connection to the massive SB 4 1700 Acre expansion sought out so fervently by Mayor Callaway, Councilor Beach Pace, and State Senator Jeannie Solman.  It appears these lands are destined, at least in part, to become more Data Centers, although that is yet to be determined.

• 3)    Zone Change 006-24 – Farm Boys – City says “The 116.8-acre site is a fish-hooked property with two parts. The western portion fronts NE Jackson School Road and the eastern portion fronts NW 273rd Avenue. “Fish-hook” is a term used to describe one property that is bifurcated due to prior development activity (right-of-way dedication, etc.). City mapping shows CWS Sensitive Areas (Stream Corridor), Regulatory Floodplain Overlay (RFO), and Significant Natural Resource Overlay (SNRO) on the site.
  The site is designated IN Industrial in the Comprehensive Plan. Tax Lot 4501, which lies between
  the two portions of the property, is located in the City and is zoned I-S. All other abutting
  properties are in Washington County.”Order No. *16 is available.Staff ReportOrder No. 16
• Herald Notes: When added to the land being annexed and the Zone changed above, this land will create a 247-acre industrial land block that can be immediately developed. This is part of the process that has been discussed and expected for some time.

• 4)  Zone Change 007-24: Witch Hazel Village South: Consider the recommendation from the Planning Commission to adopt an order for a City-initiated Zone Change for 8 parcels approximately 127.27 acres in size being annexed into the City limits. Order No. *17 is available.Staff ReportOrder No. 17

  • The Planning Division requests that the City Council hold a public hearing at its July 2, 2024, meeting to receive testimony for a proposed Zone Change of eight parcels and adjacent right-ofway (ROW) from Washington County FD-20 Future Development – 20 Acre District to City R-6Residential, MR-1 and MR-2 Multi-Dwelling Residential. The Zone Change will also apply theRegulatory Floodplain Overlay as shown on the October 19, 2018 Federal EmergencyManagement Agency flood maps and the Significant Natural Resource Overlay (SNRO) as shownon the adopted inventory for the area

• Herald Notes: This is in South Hillsboro on the West edge of the Reserve Golf Course and is part of the expansion South down River Road. The Zone Change will open up as many as 1500 units, maybe more, of new homes. This is part of the reality—all the homes will be in South Hillsboro, all the jobs in North Hillsboro. The long-term issue is that we will live through a very Bay Area-like gridlock for decades to come.

There are many other items on the Agenda tonight, so have a look at the link right here and see for yourself!

The Council will end the night again with yet another Executive Session—another Private meeting that the public is not allowed to attend and that City Attorney Chris Crean is blocking the Herald from attending. Oh well, we can hope to become relevant someday. Maybe when we hit 5 million reads? Hmm…

https://hillsboro-oregon.civicweb.net/document/237962/?splitscreen=true&attachmenturl=%2Fdocument%2F237888

Have a great night, everyone!