Developer warns Wilsonville code modeled on Coffee Creek will deter industrial projects

Developers and their consultants told the council on Aug. 17 they are concerned that copying Coffee Creek overlay standards into Basalt Creek will make large‑format industrial development uneconomical.

Ryan Shera of Schnitzer Properties said his firm has owned Basalt Creek land since 2021 and that uncertainty created by the proposed standards has delayed a potential catalyst project. “Our project is a $200 million project,” Shera told the council, adding that overly prescriptive connectivity and parking rules would require repeated waivers and raise friction for prospective tenants.

Consultants who reviewed the draft code cited specific concerns with required small‑block connectivity and restrictions on parking along addressing streets that force employee and customer parking to the rear of sites — a layout they said creates pedestrian‑safety and wayfinding issues when combined with heavy truck maneuvering. Project engineers and planners urged the council to consider using the established PDI zone (planned development industrial) as an alternative path or to convene a stakeholder task force to revise standards before applying them to Basalt Creek.

Councilors acknowledged the points and debated whether to delay the zone‑map amendment. After extended discussion, council indicated it would proceed with the map amendment to enable development applications but asked staff to scope a potential code revision project for next year and to ensure more stakeholder dialogues before final legislative adoption.