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Commissioners accept appeal of hearings officer denial for Creative Electric zone change
Summary
The board accepted an appeal of a hearings officer decision that denied a zone change request by Creative Electric LLC for a 5.02-acre parcel in the Woodburn UGB, sending the matter to the board for policy direction on a 2015 Woodburn–Marion County coordination agreement.
The Marion County Board of Commissioners voted to accept an appeal Wednesday of a hearings officer decision that denied zone change case 25-002, a request by Creative Electric LLC to rezone a 5.02-acre parcel from UT-5 (urban transition) to CG (commercial general) inside the Woodburn urban growth boundary.
John Speckenwood of Marion County Public Works presented the staff recommendation to accept the appeal so the board could provide policy direction on whether the 2015 City of Woodburn–Marion County urban growth coordination agreement should be treated as approval criteria for the zone change. The hearings officer had held an open-record hearing May 15, 2025, and issued a denial on July 8, 2025; the applicant appealed.
"I'm coming to ask you to consider accepting this appeal of hearings officer decision denying zone change 25 0 0 2 for Creative Electric Electric LLC," Speckenwood said, describing the location on South Pacific Highway near Woodburn and the staff recommendation to accept the appeal to allow the board to address policy-level questions.
Commissioners accepted the appeal on a motion and second; the board did not at this meeting resolve the merits of the zone-change request and instead sent the matter forward so it can consider policy direction and next steps, including possible remand or denial. Staff presented the appeal acceptance as the staff-recommended procedural action; options remaining to the board would include denying the appeal (upholding the hearings officer), accepting it for further consideration, or remanding it back to the hearings officer.
No final rezoning or remand decision was made at the meeting; acceptance of the appeal permits the board to schedule further consideration of the substantive zone-change request and related policy questions.
