Planning commission recommends Board adopt Clatsop County 2025 Economic Opportunities Analysis

The Clatsop County Planning Commission on Thursday voted 5-0 to recommend that the Board of Commissioners adopt Ordinance 25-07, an amendment that would incorporate the county's 2025 Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA) into the Goal 9 economic development chapter of the comprehensive plan.

Planner Jay Blake, representing county planning staff, presented a high-level overview of the EOA and said the document was intended as an action-oriented plan rather than a land-supply study. "We shifted it to an action plan where we are looking towards implementing steps to improve our economic health," Blake said during the public hearing.

The EOA, Blake told the commission, grew from a 2023 recommendation to dive deeper into the county’s economic needs and constraints. The planning staff convened a technical advisory committee, conducted outreach and reviewed state and regional economic projections before producing recommendations and implementation steps aimed at stabilizing and diversifying the county’s economy.

Blake said the county lacks large amounts of undeveloped industrial or commercial land with the infrastructure—sanitary sewer, water and storm drainage—needed for new industrial development in unincorporated areas. "We realized early on that our economic development situation isn't going to be solved by having more economic land or employment land in rural areas," he said. Instead, the EOA focuses on four growth areas the county already has or can expand: the marine (blue) economy, health care and related services, construction and timber-related businesses, and food and beverage production.

The EOA also identifies housing availability and affordability as a principal barrier to economic growth, Blake said, citing the county’s outreach and a community questionnaire answered by about 185 respondents. The plan includes advocacy actions, partnership-building, and a set of implementation steps that would require coordination with cities, state agencies and regional partners.

Commissioners praised the report’s thoroughness and its focus on actionable steps. Commissioner Johnson moved that the commission recommend the Board of Commissioners adopt Ordinance 25-07 as presented by staff; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll call vote of 5 to 0.

Commission discussion emphasized the need to pair the EOA recommendations with partnership and advocacy work at the state level. "We need to be public agencies that are cooperative with businesses to make it a business friendly environment," Commissioner Johnson said, urging coordinated advocacy to reduce barriers set by state-level land-use rules.

Blake told commissioners that if the Planning Commission forwards a recommendation, staff will present the ordinance at two Board of Commissioners public hearings scheduled for June 11 and June 25, with a target for Board adoption on June 25.

The Planning Commission record shows the county notified the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) in advance of the hearing and received no substantive comments. No members of the public testified in person or online during the Planning Commission hearing.

The EOA documents practices the county staff say are intended to reduce the effects of seasonal and cyclical downturns in the county economy and to leverage state-identified growth sectors for northwestern Oregon. The plan proposes advocacy, partnerships and some items that would require county or partner financial investment; staff noted future budgets will need to prioritize among recommendations.

Votes at a glance: Ordinance 25-07 (Economic Opportunities Analysis, 2025) — Motion: recommend that the Board of Commissioners adopt Ordinance 25-07 as presented by staff. Mover: Commissioner Johnson. Second: (recorded by a commissioner in attendance). Vote: 5 yes, 0 no. Outcome: recommendation forwarded to Board of Commissioners.

The EOA will next be considered at formal public hearings before the Board of Commissioners, where the county could adopt the ordinance and incorporate the EOA into the comprehensive plan if the Board approves.