Clackamas County hearing on O’Malley Brothers staging yard focuses on wetlands, fencing and Conex containers

Clackamas County held a quasi‑judicial hearing Jan. 15 on conditional use application Z0380‑25, seeking approval for a forestry staging yard and equipment/log storage yard on roughly 9.78 acres on Highway 212 in Boring. Hearing Officer Carl Cox opened the proceeding, said he had received no ex parte contacts and stated, “I do not have any bias or conflict of interest in this matter.”

County planner Joy Fields told the hearings officer that staff had reviewed the application and recommended approval with conditions, saying the proposal for log storage, sorting, air‑drying and on‑site equipment and truck storage could meet the conditional‑use criteria with conditions addressing design review, stormwater, setbacks and habitat protections. “Staff recommended approval with conditions,” Fields said.

A central point of contention at the hearing was environmental overlays. Fields and the applicant’s counsel discussed a habitat conservation area (HCA) and a water‑quality resource at the south of the property. County staff noted equipment is prohibited in the HCA unless a Habitat Conservation Area Development Permit is obtained and recommended a construction…