Study: Umatilla may need more than 1,000 acres for data centers; commission backs major Chapter 9 rewrite

Consultants for the city told the Umatilla Planning Commission on Sept. 23, 2025, that the city’s 20-year employment forecast, adjusted for regional data-center growth, could nearly double local employment and create a large demand for data-center-sized parcels. After the presentation, the commission voted to recommend PA-120 to the city council, a package that would replace Chapter 9 (economic development) of the Umatilla Comprehensive Plan with new, EOA‑informed language.

Brendan Buckley of Johnson Economics presented the Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA) and said the adjusted 20-year forecast projects “almost 6,000 total jobs,” or roughly 3,000 new jobs by 2045, reflecting a regional data-center boom that has driven high growth in construction and information sectors. Buckley said the adjusted forecast equates to an annual growth rate of about “3.6%.”

The study translates job growth into land demand. Buckley described a typical hyperscale data center as taking “100 to 150 acres” with additional acreage for an electrical substation, and said the EOA identifies four known data-center projects within the current urban growth boundary (UGB) plus demand for roughly five additional hyperscale sites — a combined data-center land need that exceeds 1,000 acres over 20 years. The consultants estimated a 20-year demand of roughly 45 gross acres of commercial land and about 70.5 gross acres of non-data-center industrial land; most of the total acreage demand is attributable to large data-center parcels.

Andrew Parish of MIG reviewed the buildable land inventory inside the Umatilla UGB. After screening for wetlands, floodplain and other constraints, and accounting for developable status, the inventory shows about 77 developable commercial acres and about 468 developable industrial acres available today. Parish emphasized a site-size mismatch: although gross industrial acreage appears substantial, many remaining parcels are small and there are few medium-to-large sites suitable for new industrial employers or hyperscale campuses.

Consultants outlined options the city can consider to meet employment land needs: pursue UGB expansion or UGB swaps, identify and rezone misallocated parcels, promote infill and brownfield redevelopment, and use the comprehensive plan and code updates to improve site readiness. The consultants also recommended replacing Chapter 9 with new goals and policies that reflect the EOA’s findings and provide the evidentiary basis for future UGB actions and state review.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about utilities and annexation. Chair Kelly Nobles asked whether data centers can obtain water and sewer if sites are only within the UGB (rather than annexed into city limits), saying, “the data centers can't get water or sewer unless they are in the city limits, not the UGB.” Staff and consultants responded that utility service and annexation are practical constraints to be addressed in next steps; updating the comprehensive plan and documenting land need is a necessary step to support future UGB expansion and annexation requests to state agencies. Zach Rakai, the city’s community development director, said the EOA provides a stronger record when seeking state approval for UGB changes.

After discussion the commission closed the hearing and moved, seconded, and passed a recommendation to the city council to approve PA-120, the package to replace Chapter 9 with the EOA-informed language. The transcript records affirmative votes from Commissioner Gutierrez and Commissioner Cooper on the recommendation motion.

Next steps identified in the presentation include refining site readiness analyses, coordinating with county and state agencies on UGB expansion protocols, and advancing formal adoption hearings at the city council with transmittal to state review bodies as required by Oregon planning law.