Columbia County Board of Commissioners Approve Port Westward Rezone for the Third Time

COLUMBIA CITY, Ore. – Sept. 22, 2021 – The Columbia County Board of Commissioners today approved the Port of Columbia County’s application to rezone 837 acres at Port Westward from Primary Agriculture to Resource Industrial Planned Development. The Columbia County Board of Commissioners previously approved the rezone application in 2014 and 2018.

In their 2018 ruling, Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) remanded the application back to the County for additional information on one point, asking for further analysis that the five allowed uses for the rezone property can be reasonably compatible with neighboring farms.

“We are pleased that the Columbia County Commissioners continue to agree with the Port’s assessment that responsible industrial and agricultural uses can exist together as good neighbors as they have historically,” said Port Executive Director Doug Hayes. “The Port has effectively answered the question of compatibility and now looks forward to moving in a positive direction for economic development in north Columbia County.”

Port Westward is a deep-water port with existing dock facilities and direct access to the 43-foot federal navigation channel in the Columbia River. The 837-acre expansion area at Port Westward will address the need, both at the local and state level, for industrial land. Prior to the rezone, there was no developable acreage at Port Westward that was not encumbered with wetlands, conservation easements, existing rural industrial facilities, transmission lines, or long-term leases.

In their application the Port identified the deep-water port at Port Westward as the “unique resource” justifying the rezone, as specifically allowed in Oregon Administrative Rules. As a result, any business wanting to locate on the rezone property must be significantly dependent on the river port. The Port further limited the rezone property to five allowable uses:

• Forestry and Wood Products processing, production, storage, and transportation
• Dry Bulk Commodities transfer, storage, production, and processing
• Liquid Bulk Commodities processing, storage, and transportation
• Natural Gas and derivative products, processing, storage, and transportation
• Breakbulk storage, transportation, and processing

“It’s worth noting that LUBA has never denied the Port’s rezone application,” said Hayes. “The application was remanded by LUBA, which means they sent it back for additional information, analysis, and consideration at the local level. This is a common process for significant land use decisions.”

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About the Port of Columbia County
The Port of Columbia County is a special district located along the Columbia River in northwest Oregon. The Port’s mission is to foster local economic development opportunities to create and sustain jobs while maintaining the environmental assets of the port district. The Port offers a variety of sites for industrial lease and development in its 2,400-acre portfolio. More information at www.portofcolumbiacounty.org.