Hermiston Council Moves Ahead Urban Growth Boundary Expansion
The Hermiston City Council on Monday approved the first reading of ordinances to expand the city’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) and annex about 810 acres to allow for future large-scale data center development.
The expansion area is on the south side of the city in the South Hermiston Industrial Park. A new Hyperscale Data Center Overlay zone will be applied to the land to reserve it for data center use.
“This UGB expansion sets the groundwork for significant long-term growth and economic diversification which helps add critical stability to Umatilla County, which is the economic heart of eastern Oregon,” said Mark Morgan, Assistant City Manager. “The jobs associated with this expansion will help counter-balance economic cycles in the region’s other foundational industry sectors like agriculture, transportation, forestry, and government services, and provide much needed financial security for households across the region.”
The Hermiston Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the expansion at its Aug. 13 hearing. With the council’s approval of the first reading of the UGB expansion & annexation, the proposal now moves to it’s second set of readings at the September 8th City Council meeting, followed by action by the Umatilla County Planning Commission and the Umatilla County Board of Commissioners.
The action follows the city’s 2024 Economic Opportunities Analysis and Council Goals, which identified a lack of large industrial parcels of 100 acres or more within the existing UGB needed to attract data centers. All affected landowners submitted letters of consent for annexation.
The full City Council Staff Report, along with all maps, exhibits, and consultant reports is available under Item 8.A. HERE. Video of the full Council meeting and UGB presentation will be available on the City of Hermiston’s YouTube channel.
