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Marion County concurs with Woodburn to add 237 acres for industrial use
Summary
After a public hearing, the Marion County Board of Commissioners voted to concur with the City of Woodburn’s plan to expand its urban growth boundary by 237 acres for industrial development, following findings that the city lacked sufficient employment land.
Marion County commissioners voted Wednesday to concur with the City of Woodburn’s ordinance expanding its urban growth boundary (UGB) by 237 acres to add industrial land on the city’s southeast side.
Austin Barnes, planning staff with Marion County Public Works, told the board the City of Woodburn completed an economic opportunities analysis and buildable lands inventory showing a deficit of about 370 acres of employment land, and that the city identified the proposed Urban Reserve Area and Southwest Industrial Reserve as the priority location for added employment land.
The county’s urbanization policies and Marion County Code chapter 16.13 require that land coming into a UGB but not yet annexed apply the county’s urban transition (UT) zone. Barnes said the UT zone is “intended to retain and protect for future urban uses ... and allows the continuation of legally established uses and establishment of uses compatible with the plan designation.” The proposal applies a 20-acre density limitation while land awaits annexation and city utility extension.
Woodburn Mayor Frank Lonergan said the city exhausted its prior buildable supply faster than expected and that the added acreage is intended for industrial employment uses rather than housing. A market participant, real estate broker Clayton Matey, testified in support, saying the corridor has “an opportunity to create an economic driver for a behemoth user” and that additional industrial land is needed across the region.
No landowners testified in opposition; county staff said property owners and nearby landowners were notified and that the city posted signs and performed outreach as required by code. The city’s materials, including hearing minutes and notices, are in the public file.
The board’s action was procedural concurrence: because Woodburn amended a component of the county comprehensive plan (the city plan is a county plan component), state law and county rules require the county to review and decide whether to adopt the city’s amendment into the county plan. County staff recommended approval, finding the city addressed the applicable state statutes, statewide planning goals (including goals cited for UGB changes), and the county urbanization policies.
The board voted to amend the Marion County Comprehensive Plan by concurring with Woodburn’s urban growth boundary expansion. The ordinance and record presented by the City of Woodburn will guide future annexations and the application of the Southwest Industrial Reserve designation once parcels are annexed and served by city utilities.
Provenance: county staff’s presentation and legal criteria were presented on the record by Austin Barnes; the board motion and recorded concurrence occurred later in the hearing.
