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Umatilla County co-adopts Hermiston plan map amendment, annexes 2.01-acre parcel
Summary
On Sept. 3, 2025, the Umatilla County Board of Commissioners voted to co-adopt a Hermiston ordinance that changes the comprehensive plan designation of a 2.01-acre parcel from 'urbanizable' to 'urban' and effects annexation into the City of Hermiston.
Umatilla County commissioners on Sept. 3 co-adopted a City of Hermiston ordinance that amends the city's comprehensive plan map and accepts annexation of a single 2.01-acre property near East Tamarack Avenue Southwest and Southeast 11th Street.
Tierney Cimiotti, a county land-use planner, told the board the City of Hermiston adopted Ordinances 2360 and 2361 in August 2024 to change a roughly 2.01-acre parcel from "urbanizable" to "urban" and to annex the property. Cimiotti said the joint management agreement between the county and the city (JMA, section e.10) requires plan map amendments in the urban growth area be processed by the city and adopted by ordinance, followed by county co-adoption. The Umatilla County Planning Commission held an evidentiary hearing Aug. 21, 2025, and recommended approval by a 6-0 vote.
At the hearing, commissioners examined maps and asked staff whether street improvements were included; Cimiotti said road improvements are addressed at the time of development and not changed by the co-adoption itself. Clint Spencer, a City of Hermiston planner who participated online, said the city's proposed R-3 zoning allows 5,000-square-foot single-family lots, two-family dwellings and a multifamily standard that starts at 7,500 square feet for three units and then approximately 2,000 square feet per additional unit. Spencer said the site's size and R-3 standards could theoretically allow substantially greater density than the county's existing FU-10 (future urban) designation.
After public testimony was closed, a commissioner moved to adopt the county ordinance (read in the meeting as number 2025-10). The motion was seconded and approved; commissioners indicated the motion passed by voice vote.
Why it matters: The co-adoption and annexation move the parcel from a county future-urban designation into the City of Hermiston, making it subject to city zoning and development standards upon annexation. The action is final at the county level unless appealed to the Land Use Board of Appeals.
Implementation and next steps: The co-adoption itself does not change existing roadway jurisdiction; Cimiotti said road standards and required improvements will be applied at the time a developer seeks to build. The parcel will be annexed into the City of Hermiston following the adopted ordinances, and city zoning (R-3) will control future land use and density.
