Molalla's Urban Growth Boundary (UGB)

Thank you for your question.  

There has been no undue influence of any sort on any of the sub-areas being studied for UGB expansion from any person or entity.  The only influence on the selection of sub-area 12 is the City's economic opportunities analysis, state law, and the City's comprehensive plan; through these studies and documents, the City identified a lack of large format industrial lots in town. Large format industrial sites, like the proposed sub-area 12, are very important in the City's efforts to provide traded sector, living wage employment to the people of Molalla without forcing them to commute outside of the region. 

The city is not privy to communications of property owners, developers, utilities, economic development organizations, consultants, and prospective developers unless they are communications directed to the city.    

As far as communications with the city in that regard, the project team is not aware of any. However, the City receives many inquiries from prospectors looking at Molalla as a potential development site, so if you'd like more certainty in that regard you can submit a public records request at the link below.

With that said, the project team can tell you with absolute certainty that at present no one is engaged with the City regarding a data center in the current or future city limits.   

Link for Public Records Request: https://www.cityofmolalla.com/Departments/City-Recorders-Office 

Sincerely, 

The Molalla Current Project Team  

Thank you for your question!  The referenced land is not in the UGB and as such has not been master planned. Should it come into the UGB, it would be master planned and the City's governing body would express it's intent toward those parcels, if any, at that time. 

Jennifer - thanks for the follow up. There was a misstatement in response to your initial question that I will clear up here: 

The 177 acres are strictly the portion of the expansion that is allotted to residential based on the considerations outlined in your previous question. A portion of the land allotted to residential (25%) accounts for public infrastructure including open space and right-of-way planning.

Additionally:

6.8 Acres of the proposed expansion are proposed as Commercial

76.3 Acres of the proposed expansion are proposed as Industrial.

84.8 acres of land is proposed as Public/Semi Public 37.4 acres of which is Ivor Davies Park, which is currently owned and operated as a park by the City of Molalla. The remainder of this land is anticipated as wetland based on state wetland and inventories. If these estimates are short there is a chance some of this land could be site suitable as industrial. There are also planned trails facilities along Bear Creek through the proposed Public/Semi Public lands adjacent to Ivor Davies Park and the lands may be used for wetlands mitigation.  

The main consideration for buildability will be presence of wetlands. The City has applied for grant funding for a forthcoming study for a Local Wetlands Inventory in the expansion territories. While we can't yet provide a precise figure for buildable, the City doesn't expect that a substantial portion of the proposed expansion for residential, commercial, and industrial will be wetlands based on state wetland inventories and local knowledge of the area. Housing calculations are anticipated at 925 units less any portions that may be subtracted due to wetland designations.  

Apologies for the confusion from the initial response. 

Good afternoon, 

There is not currently a proposed development project on that site and the City has not received an application for development for that site. There is a remediation project underway on that site and that is the extent of current authorized activity. Our understanding is that the following notice is posted on the boundary of that site: 

ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP & WETLAND RESTORATION PROJECT 

As part of a DEQ cleanup and restoration project, some soils on this industrial site will be removed or capped. In addition, 17 acres of enhanced wetlands are being created to replace and improve valuable wetland habitat. These wetlands will: 

• Filter stormwater and improve water quality
• Provide habitat for birds and other wildlife
• Help reduce flooding by storing and slowly releasing water
• Support healthy native plants and ecosystems

Please help us protect this restoration area. 

Please stay off the property to avoid disturbing newly planted vegetation and wildlife habitat.  Trespassing in wetland areas is strictly prohibited. If you need additional information please call: 971-245-2228

Avison Lumber Co.

In estimating capacity, 27.88 acres of R3 land can accommodate 558 units based on R3 having an average density of 20 units per acre. The 287 pipeline units are also R3. Since the HNA calls for a need of 399 R3 units, this capacity creates a surplus of R3 (446 units) and we can assume that while those units would be allowed under zoning, the market wouldn't actually build them at maximum capacity and instead would result in that land at a density closer to R2 (10 units per acre). Thus, the need was adjusted to account for some of that 558 being allocated to R2 and that the rezoning met the full need for R3 and 223 of the R2 land as well. Leaving 34 R2 and 894 R1, which gets us to the 929. The switch in density to keep the totals in line with the housing mix in the HNA is why the numbers shift.  

Important caveat to this is that the updated Goal 14 Analysis will be switching from the average density approach (R1 as 5 units per acre, R2 as 10 units per acre, and R3 as 20 units per acre) that was used in 2025 to comply with the Safe Harbor rules required by the state to be an average of 7 dwelling units per acre across all residential land, which was mentioned in the HNA and we have learned was made binding when it was adopted. While the 7-unit/acre density assumption brings the remaining units up from 929 to 1,114 units, it brings the total number of acres down from 223 to 198. The goal of the expansion is then to accommodate as much of that need as is practical without going over. 

The suggested amendment is for approximately 177 acres of land being added to the UGB. 

Thank you for your question!  

City water and sewer service is required when: 

1. The property is inside the City limits (not the Urban Growth Boundary); and   

2. The service is available within 300 feet of the property.

So, to answer your question directly the determination on connection to City services is not based on whether growth extends out and around a property.  It's determined by the property coming into the City limits and the distance to a given service connection from the property lines.  

Note that if your property is included in a UGB expansion it does not come into the City limits, it comes into the Urban Growth Boundary.

Sincerely, 

The Molalla Current Project Team    

I'm not quite sure what you're looking for but If you're looking for a zoning map, you can find it here. If you're looking for what can be built in the zones you can expand the allowed uses table from this section of the code. If you're looking for lot standards for each zone, expand the tables from this section of the code. 

If you're looking for something else, please contact the Molalla Planning Department at communityplanner@cityofmolalla.com. 

Hi, 

Sorry for the late response. We have not yet determined which lands we will be expanding into but have done some background studies that prioritize potential expansion lands. Per state laws on urban growth boundary expansion, your property is located in one of the 7 subareas that is highest priority for expansion due its current zoning. With that said, I think it's fairly unlikely that your property would be selected due to the relatively small amount of residential land that we're looking to annex (roughly 200 acres) and your fairly distant proximity to the city. There are a lot of other areas of greater interest but it's not impossible. 

The City will be completing additional Goal 14 analysis this spring and summer and then re-engaging the public in another summit in late summer so keep your eye on the mail and this site for updates in that regard. Or feel free to reach out to communityplanner@cityofmolalla.com for updates or if you want to send info about your property specifically and why you may or may not want it included.  

Good morning,

City Council recently passed a zoning ordinance and the details can be found in the documents tab to the right on this page under "Step 5. Efficiency Measures." For further details, please contact the Community Development Department at communityplanner@cityofmolalla.com and provide property information for our reference as some of the details from here will be property specific.

Thank you for your question!  I'm going to start with the last one and work backward, I think the response will make more sense that way. 

1. Is there a map?  No map has been developed, proposed, or approved for UGB modification. 

2. Is that true (that there is a proposal to incorporate areas south of town)?  No, the UGB expansion process will ultimately lead to a proposal to add land of some sort, but we are quite a way off from that point in the project.  If you go to the Molalla Current page for the UGB, it runs you through the steps of the process.  One of those steps that has not been reached yet is to conduct land studies.  These studies typically occur on all of the land within 1-mile of the current UGB in all directions.  One of the outcomes of that land study is identification of the land that would be proposed to come into the UGB to meet the 20-year housing and employment demand.  The land is assessed based on several factors to determine what the most appropriate land to expand the UGB would be under state law.  At that time, a proposed expansion area will be identified.  

Our best guess as to when that proposed expansion area will be identified is likely late 2025 or early 2026.  

Sincerely, 

The Molalla Current Project Team