Lane County holds public hearing on Sierra Pacific Industries $253 million SIP proposal; commissioners signal support

Lane County commissioners held a public hearing May 20 on Sierra Pacific Industries’ application for a Strategic Investment Program agreement that would abate some property tax on roughly $253 million in new investment at the company’s Eugene sawmill site.

The SIP application would tax the first $100 million of the investment while abating taxes on the remainder; the county’s assessment staff estimated the site would still generate about $46.4 million in total tax and fee payments over a 15‑year SIP term and that the county’s share of existing and SIP taxes would be roughly $2.4 million to $2.9 million depending on the line item. Jason Harris, Lane County community and economic development manager, told the board the project meets the urban SIP investment threshold and observed the company also proposed voluntary community benefit payments, including a one‑time $525,000 payment for rural public safety or $35,000…