UPDATE: This Article was written in mid-2023 after the Herald determined what the State of Oregon, Senator Jean Sollman, Mayor Steve Callaway, and others were up to. In the story below, we warned the people of Hillsboro, Oregon, that their Government was advocating massive Industrial development adjacent to Hillsboro’s famous Jackson School and Evergreen neighborhoods, which contain three schools and some of the area’s finest neighborhoods. The Herald prepared graphics showing what an Industrial park would look like in that area using an actual overlay of the Industrial parks in the city.
A year has passed since I wrote this story, and tomorrow night, the Governor will hold a hearing at Hillsboro City Hall specifically regarding the acquisition of a 373-acre area to the North. But the Herald was contacted yesterday by a source inside the State indicating that the Governor will probably announce that she will take more land, and probably the entire 1,700 acres. If true, then this story I wrote is going to be our future reality. And if you live in the NW Hillsboro area, this is going to suck! We have suffered through 20 years of construction here in Old Orenco, and now we get to watch a 10,000-foot chemical and steam plume rise from Intel every night. You will not like that sort of reality – believe me.
As we reported, our mayor and his team were in Japan last week, but no information about that trip will be provided. Our communities are all ready for this big meeting regarding the 373 Acres at City Hall tomorrow night- from 6 to 9 PM with a rally by land use watchdog groups starting at 5 PM. Now the topic of discussion must be about something MUCH BIGGER happening after this meeting.
TRANSPARENCY – CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT – DISCLOSURE – NONE OF THAT HAS BEEN OFFERED, AND YET OUR MAYOR, OUR FUTURE MAYOR, OUR CITY MANAGER, AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN CARRYING OUT THIS PLAN IN PRIVATE!!! GET TO THE RALLY- THE HEARING – RAISE YOUR VOICES!!
Original Story, MARCH 14, 2023
Today I want to report on something that few, if any, of you are paying attention to, and damn it; you need to. If you are unaware of the deal being cut in Salem to bring hundreds, even thousands of acres into the Urban Growth Boundaries in Oregon, you need to be. Change is coming in a way that it never has before. Oregon is racing to pull a come-from-behind win as the Billions in free Federal CHIPS ACT money are being printed and handed out. Landing any of that money means doing drastic things. Things like taking away METROS powers, not telling land owners they are being rezoned, and fighting to write a bill that no one can challenge in court. Led by Hillsboro Senator Janeen Sollman and Hillsboro Representative Nathan Sosa, the newly named SENATE BILL 4 is moving ahead fast.
This is our 6th article on this topic in the last few weeks, so if you need more background, read our stories.
The City of Hillsboro, led by Mayor Callaway and Economic Development Director Dan Dias, showed up at the hearings big time in the past two weeks. They articulated an aggressive plan for massive and unprecedented expansions to the West and South of our existing boundary. As Dias explained the City plan for bringing new Ronler Acres size Fabs to Hillsboro, he showed a colored map. On that map are districts in various colors. Each area was articulated very well by Dias as to what its use will be, when it can happen, and how it can happen.
Here is the map he presented with some notes we added.
I want to personally warn all of you who are living in the greater Jackson School area and who live in old town. Dias and our City are promoting the idea of industries, manufacturers, and semi-conductor fabs like Jireh Semiconductor being placed in the Green Area. That is adjacent to all of you. That is adjacent to Evergreen Middle School, near Jackson School grade school, Glencoe, and thousands of homes. The environmental risks of living next to such things are well documented. The light, noise, traffic, and decades of constant construction are enough to run a person off- believe me, we have lived this life for 30 years at the Orenco Station and Ronler Acres Fab.
Here is what Dan Dias said to the Joint Semiconductor Committee in Salem.
“The Green area to the lower left is approximately 700 acres in size, immediately adjacent to our urban growth boundary with urban services on both the Southern and Eastern sides. This area has the potential to provide near-term developable sites for smaller and legacy technology Fab sites, like Jireh Semiconductor who you have heard testimony from, Qorvo, and others. And it also has the ability to provide immediate near term capacity for those proximity sensitive supply chains that are currently here needing to expand and support our existing cluster.”
Watch him present that to them here – you can watch the entire 22 minutes and see all that is happening.
So let me show you some Google Earth images with an overlay of actual buildings from North Hillsboro placed upon it. These are the sort of uses Dias is supporting (“smaller and legacy technology Fab sites, like Jireh Semiconductor who you have heard testimony from, Qorvo, and others”)
For those of you paying attention, you have obviously noted the yellow road we have drawn showing the northern expansion of Jackson School Road. So many of you wondered why Jackson Road was rebuilt the way it was, why trees were cut down, a rotary was installed, and why it was a priority before airport road (25th) or Glencoe was. I think this land use action is all you need to know. Jackson School can quickly become an expressway as a North-South job commuter route, and it can handle a LOT of trips. It may not happen this way, but this has been talked about for years now in small circles around Washington County.
A discussion will be happening soon, and probably a community meeting. But I want to ask all of you, especially you Jackson School and NW Hillsboro residents, if you are ready. Because unless something changes, it is happening. And it will happen because your city leaders are making it happen. Money, Jobs, Influence. And you are all caught in a massive crossfire.
This is a bad decision- almost all of it is. We are off course. Money and corporate influences are doing this. This is NOT in the best interests of the people of Hillsboro. I hope some of you will wake up and speak up. If you are going to, now is the time.
You can track the hearings here at this link, and you can testify in writing or in person.
We will keep bringing you the story.
Testimony submitted. Cool that Dan Dias not only wants to park semiconductor factories (stop calling them “fabs”… it’s jargon, and it plays right into their hands) right across from schools and houses, but on my farm. Also super cool that he’s already running Jackson School Road through my garage. If you thought we were part of the “selling willingly” crowd, sorry Dan: We didn’t have plans to leave, and this will cost you.
I can not use enjoy emoticons to express how much I love this!
Jason –
I noted the photo with a disclosure that the road and the overlays of Semiconductor plants were our doing. But they are an exact reflection, including the buildings that exist in North Hillsboro. I am not sure if you saw, but Senator Sollman is using City Hall for a gathering this weekend. I think someone like you might have quite a lot to offer at a meeting like that. We tried to participate in the last two hearings and sat online for almost two hours only to be left hanging and cut off- when I objected Monday at the end by unmuting myself online, she said she was sorry but was just trying to be equitable. This is after she brought forth a land use lawyer from Miller-Nash who used his knowledge of defending appeals to instruct the Committee on how to write the Bill to make sure that no one could possibly appeal it. Then she pushed for the 1700 Acres and more or less refused to have a debate in an open way at the committee level after Representative Nguyen asked her to.
Anyone with any background of knowledge of land use knows that this is an unprecedented process – but the way the rules and proper procedures are being thrown aside has become reprehensible.
Your voice is a needed one.
Dirk
I don’t see an issue with bringing in companies that hire local residents and pay good salaries. These hay feilds are useless for hillsboro residents. Growing hay and spraying chemical year round does not produce a positive impact to the community or environmental. The environmental impact is not any worse than a factory, plus hay fever sucks jun june/july…. Atleast a factory can employ local residents and create prosperity. Especially for local people without college degrees.
Your hit peice of an article comes off personal. I believe hillsboro should grow and take advantage of the CHIPS money.
We welcome all responses! Thanks for weighing in. A hit piece, which reports facts, is not much of a hit piece. And these articles have opinions in them which is mentioned on the article. So what part of it was a hit piece? That I am worried about my friends and neighbors health and well being? I mean I provided video testimony from our City via its Staff. But hey… we are all entitled to our opinions. This same land has been looked at for housing for a longtime. That could be a much better use for our citizens. Plenty of room for jobs, which by the way we have a whole lot of. Thanks for your thoughts, truly!
As a Hillsboro resident who uses alfalfa to feed goats and hay to give them bedding, I’d argue that hay has more use to Hillsboro residents than you realize. Also, if you knew anything about the area, you’d know that was fescue grass planted in those fields. The seed from that grass helps plant pasture that feeds cows, goats and chickens that, in turn, feed you.
Meanwhile, “hay fever” isn’t caused by hay. It’s caused by any allergen you come in contact with: Cats and dogs cause “hay fever,” birds cause “hay fever”… any tree that produces pollen causes “hay fever.” The tall grasses in the fields of North Hillsboro contain none of the above.
I know you desperately want to sell grandma’s house because you have no bankable skills and are the kind of lowlife who’d come onto a community comments field and show people how little you know about your city. Has Hillsboro not grown? Are there not good jobs here? Are companies here hiring local residents… or just hiring?
You seem as if you’ve been here a while, so you should know that it’s difficult—if not impossible—to get on the floor of a semiconductor factory without a college degree. That may be changing, but not any time in the immediate future. In the meantime, you’d like to put a factory directly across Evergreen from schools, houses, pools, backyards and playfields… why? So you can cash in on grandma’s house.
Here’s my advice for you, “Dre,” go screw.
Hillsboro can have both more job and a vibrant rural community. It doesn’t have to plow everything under and will never have a factory on Evergreen as long as I’m here. It can get CHIPS funding without dancing for nickels… and without giving away what nobody’s asking for.
P.S. The next time you feel like interrupting a meeting, just go down to Wilson’s and feed the lottery machine instead. At least that dumb, hollow gesture helps fund my weekend at the park.
Thanks for the detailed article, with the links and pictures. Without this information I would not have had such a realistic picture of what this would look like in the neighborhood. Well done, and much appreciated!
Gerry-
After I wrote this some within City Hall pushed back a bit- when I challenged them as to why they promoted the idea and supported it, it was all crickets. Yes- this could 110% happen, and maybe sooner than we think. So thank you!
That is a horrible location for the factory’s. The traffic on Jackson school Taos is already horrible. The revamp only helped pedestrians and bike riders. So now all the funds will be completely wasted because there will be no option other than to tear it out and put in more lanes. Not to mention Evergreen. The traffic in from of the Middle school is out of control in the mornings and afternoons. This are us not built for factory’s. It’s not hard to move these factory’s a little farther out. That’s the best thing to do for all who live in this area. There’s plenty of land just not right in front of schools and neighborhoods. Industrial real estate should never be up next to residential. Sadly Oregon doesn’t get that. SMH
Evergreen Road is now a Highway with very fast and often heavy traffic. I agree.
The area north of Evergreen is the most logical place in Hillsboro to put industry. It is right next to Sunset Highway so industrial traffic does not need to drive through Hillsboro. Commuters can also come right off the highway without driving through Hillsboro.
. Jackson School Road’s expansion was fantastic. My wife drives it every day on her commute and we regularly use those great new sidewalks to walk from Jones Farm were we live to downtown. We did that last night to attend the public comment section on the UGB expansion.
Industrial land should always be next to residential so we don’t have to rely on cars to get everywhere. If we do get that new technology center people from those residential neighborhoods on the north side of Hillsboro can walk or bike to work. We need to get back to walkable mixed use development instead of putting people’s work miles away from their homes.
You make some good points- but having lived here in Orenco and been surrounded by Intel I can tell you that is not what the people who made NW Hillsboro so great deserve. Have you ever woke up to chemical odors filling your home? Had the sky turn into a grey mist cloud out off by Intel? Looked at the long list of Dangerous chemicals that they have dumped into the air? There are places for jobs and we have provided thousands of acres here in Hillsboro. Our City sat back and watched knowingly hundreds of acres turn into Data Centers- so they failed- they had the ball and dropped it. Gresham, Portland, Wilsonville, and many other Cities have land and walkable neighborhoods. walking to work, biking to work, taking light rail are all good ideas. Sticking chemical plants, which is what a chip plant is, next to children and people is a horrible idea. Again, if you come from a place that people don’t care, it doesn’t make it ok here!
Yes, I’ve woken up to chemical odors filling my home. I used to live near a rayon manufacturing facility. I’ve not only lived near factories, I’ve worked in them for decades. My first W2 job was in a rubber injection molder making auto parts at the age of 18. When the press opened it released a cloud of rubber off-gases and particles. The running joke was that people smoked at their press to filter the air. (Back in old days when smoking at work was still a thing). I’ve regularly worked jobs that need to leave my work clothes outside. Either because they smelled of things like CNC cutting fluid or when I worked in a brass green sand foundry they were contaminated with traces of lead.
Those acres of data farms provide far more jobs than the grass fields they replaced. They are also required to run the internet and power things like your blog. Where should be put them since you don’t want them in your town?
Funny that people want all the stuff that we make in factories that make modern life possible – they just don’t want those factories or workers in their neighborhood. It is the classic NIMBY mindset.
I figured you had – and that is good. But the fact that you worked those jobs and know what it is like, does not mean it is good for your health. You may well suffer, if you have not already, from the conditions you worked in. Non eof that makes it ok, and it is certainly a total NS move to come into a residential community and put in heavy industry. It’s BS in Michigan and it’s BS here. Industrial belongs away from people and there is a lot of land here for it already here. Portland is 10 milies away and has the room and needs the jobs. So does Gresham and Clackamas County and on down the State. It’s not really possible to call someone who has been here 60 years and always fought for a better Hillsboro a Nimby. That might best be reserved for folks like you that have not been here as long. So what would your desire to put heavy industry next to schools and neighborhoods make you? Maybe an Imby? I guess so – well, as I have always said, not a problem to speak your mind here. I have the only local place on the web for people to respond to the issues of the day!
I’ll start off the comments on this post by asking a few questions:
1: How many of you who object to this massive growth voted and contributed $$ for Steve Callaway?….THANKS!
2: How many of you helped Steve Callaway & had pictures taken as a SUPPORTER of Steve Callaway?…THANKS!
3. Same questions as 1 &2 above re: Janeen Sollman and YOUR Governor!….THANKS!
Nobody voted for Robby Hammond Or Dannyt Dias, but by voting for Callaway & Sollman and a very-very Liberal City Council, and State Government, what the hell did you think would happen? Now you have been hoodwinked, deceived, and lied to by these “good people”!
I’ve warned you about these folks and they keep getting elected and re-elected. My conscience is clear and as a resident of NW Hillsboro can only say “THANKS”!
God Bless Governor Tom McCall……….Oregon was so much better off then and without imports like Steve Callaway….
I’ll start off the comments on this post by asking a few questions:
1: How many of you who object to this massive growth voted and contributed $$ for Steve Callaway?….THANKS!
2: How many of you helped Steve Callaway & had pictures taken as a SUPPORTER of Steve Callaway?…THANKS!
3. Same questions as 1 &2 above re: Janeen Sollman and YOUR Governor!….THANKS!
Nobody voted for Robby Hammond Or Dannyt Dias, but by voting for Callaway & Sollman and a very-very Liberal City Council, and State Government, what the hell did you think would happen? Now you have been hoodwinked, deceived, and lied to by these “good people”!
I’ve warned you about these folks and they keep getting elected and re-elected. My conscience is clear and as a resident of NW Hillsboro can only say “THANKS”!
God Bless Governor Tom McCall……….Oregon was so much better off then and without imports like Steve Callaway….