Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board reviews wide-ranging zoning code amendments, digs into data‑center and farm-use language
Summary
Commissioners conducted a line-by-line review of proposed land-use code amendments affecting administrative review triggers, definitions for farm/forest uses, septic capacity thresholds, and data center references; staff will reconcile drafting inconsistencies and return with edits or a work session before final action.
The Morrow County Board of Commissioners spent substantial time reviewing a second-reading package of land-use code amendments intended to clarify when administrative review applies, to refine definitions across EFU (Exclusive Farm Use) and forest zones, and to address references to data centers.
Staff said the adopted first-reading changes made data-center uses eligible for administrative review rather than conditional-use permits and accepted language submitted by AWS related to traffic‑mitigation agreements; the current second-reading package added clarifications such as a DEQ septic-design threshold (greater than 2,500 gallons per day) that triggers administrative review. Commissioners raised numerous drafting questions and suggested edits: reconciling narrative and table language, striking brand names (one commissioner asked to remove specific Amazon branding), deleting examples that could be misleading (corrals/pens), and clarifying whether converting irrigation canals to pressurized delivery lines triggers administrative review.
The board flagged several substantive changes—such as increasing the building-permit threshold for accessory structures from 100 to 200 square feet—that staff recommended referring back to the planning commission as a substantive code change. Commissioners suggested staff bring a cleaned-up draft or hold a work session to go line-by-line and ensure the document reflects the county’s intent and state statutory requirements.
No final ordinance adoption occurred at the meeting. Staff will implement the requested edits, consult ORS citations where necessary, and return with a revised draft for December or schedule a focused work session.
