Gov. Tina Kotek plans to use new executive powers this year to literally pave the way for a major new research center near Hillsboro.
The governor on Wednesday began the process of expanding the urban growth boundary, which dictates where development can occur around the state’s fifth-largest city. With such a unilateral order, Kotek is circumventing land use law by using temporary and controversial powers that lawmakers gave her last year.
Intel has encouraged the expansion of Hillsboro’s urban growth boundary to ensure it has room to expand there, and the company spent $3 billion a few years ago to further expand its D1X facility, shown in this April 11, 2022 file photo provided by Intel.
Provided by Intel Corporation
Kotec has set its sights on about 373 acres north of Hillsboro for its proposed expansion, according to a proposal posted online by Business Oregon, the state’s economic development arm. The state has not released maps or detailed descriptions of the site the governor has in mind, saying it will release more details in October.
Farmland owners on the city’s north side have long been pushing to have their land contained within the growth boundary, and this change could make their land much more valuable.
But advocates of the state’s land-use laws have been critical of Kotek’s proposed expansion, arguing that there is a lot of undeveloped land within the existing boundaries. Soon after the state notified them of the possible expansion, a recently formed group called Friends of Smart Growth released a statement vowing to oppose the plan.
“While the Governor hopes this will be a quick and relatively painless way to reverse the planning and local community engagement that is the hallmark of Oregon’s land use system, local and statewide watchdog groups promise a long and hard fight to preserve the zoning protections that have enabled walkable cities, farmland close to cities, and the outdoor recreation Oregon is famous for,” the release said.
Wednesday’s move comes as pressure mounts for Kotek to act on rare powers lawmakers created as part of Senate Bill 4 of 2023, a major push toward growing the state’s semiconductor industry.
The bill would give Governor Kotek the authority to expand urban development boundaries in the state to make room for large semiconductor or advanced manufacturing projects if he determines that sufficient land does not exist.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reported earlier this month that Intel and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden had asked Kotec to transfer 1,700 acres of land within UGB in Hillsboro to make room for a massive new research center that the company hopes to win federal funding for.
Under a bill passed last year, Gov. Kotek must hold a public hearing on the proposed expansion, allowing supporters and critics 20 days to submit comments. Only after considering that testimony can the governor issue an executive order formally expanding the UGB. Gov. Kotek’s authority to reshape land-use boundaries in this way expires at the end of this year.
A public hearing on the proposed expansion is scheduled for Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. at the Hillsboro Civic Center, according to Business Oregon.
This story will be updated.
