In an act of pronounced hesitance, Governor Tina Kotek let the calendar flip to the new year without expanding Hillsboro's Urban Growth Boundary to incorporate lands for semiconductor and advanced manufacturing development. The legislative gavel that could have summoned such an economic shift—authorized briefly under the Oregon CHIPS Act (Senate Bill 4) which granted Kotek power to designate up to eight sites outside Urban Growth Boundaries—has fallen silent.
Amid the crosscurrents of opportunity and legislative constraints, the now-passed deadline has left certain lands near Highway 26 and east of Jackson School Road in a status quo ante—the prior state of undeveloped potential. Vince Porter, Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Kotek, in an earlier public meeting required by SB4, described the situation as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity," as reported by the City of Hillsboro. Nonetheless, action to seize this opportunity did not materialize within the pertinent timeframe granted to Kotek, leaving municipal leaders and potential industrial beneficiaries awaiting a cue that never came.
The rationale for potentially bringing these areas into the Urban Growth Boundary was not made in a vacuum. The locales in question were primed for this development, possessing proximity to an existing semiconductor cluster, a robust workforce, nearby suppliers, and a city—Hillsboro—with a history of fulfilling the demands of such industries. In this context, the ticking clock leading up to the December 31 deadline could be likened to a fuse on a substantial economic charge, which has now fizzled.
Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway, reflecting on the impelled inertia, remarked, "This is a missed opportunity — not only for the people of Hillsboro and Washington County, but for the State of Oregon — to secure our economic future." Callaway continued, reminding stakeholders of the city's dutiful preparedness, "We appreciate our partners who worked with us in taking proactive steps to plan, prepare and maximize the potential of eligible lands identified by Senate Bill 4 and the Semiconductor Task Force," he told the City of Hillsboro. His voice, echoing through the chambers of electronic announcement, hints at a common frustration among those awaiting state-level decisions.
