Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 197 § 197.719 — Industrial use of abandoned or diminished mill sites; amendment of
Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 197 ·
Oregon Code § 197.719·Enacted ·Last updated March 01, 2026
Statute Text
Industrial use of abandoned or diminished mill sites; amendment of
comprehensive plans and land use regulations; sewer facilities.
(1) As used in this section, abandoned
or diminished mill site means a mill, plant or other facility engaged in the
processing or manufacturing of wood products, including sawmills and facilities
for the production of plywood, veneer, hardboard, panel products, pulp and
paper, that:
(a) Is located
outside of urban growth boundaries;
(b) Was closed
after January 1, 1980, or has been operating at less than 25 percent of
capacity since January 1, 2003; and
(c) Contains or
contained permanent buildings used in the production or manufacturing of wood
products.
(2)
Notwithstanding statewide land use planning goals protecting agricultural lands
or forestlands or administrative rules implementing those goals, the governing
body of a county may amend the countys comprehensive plan and land use
regulations to allow an abandoned or diminished mill site to be zoned for
industrial use.
(3)
Notwithstanding a statewide land use planning goal relating to urbanization or
administrative rules implementing that goal, the governing body of a county may
amend the countys comprehensive plan and land use regulations to allow an
abandoned or diminished mill site to be zoned for any level of industrial use.
(4)
Notwithstanding a statewide land use planning goal relating to public
facilities and services or administrative rules implementing that goal, the
governing body of a county or its designee may approve:
(a) The extension
of sewer facilities to lands that on June 10, 2003, are zoned for industrial
use and that contain an abandoned or diminished mill site. The sewer facilities
may serve only industrial uses authorized for the mill site and contiguous lands
zoned for industrial use.
(b) The extension
of sewer facilities to an abandoned or diminished mill site that is rezoned for
industrial use under this section only as necessary to serve industrial uses
authorized for the mill site.
(c) The
establishment of on-site sewer facilities to serve an area that on June 10,
2003, is zoned for industrial use and that contains an abandoned or diminished
mill site or to serve an abandoned or diminished mill site that is rezoned for
industrial use under this section. The sewer facilities may serve only
industrial uses authorized for the mill site and contiguous lands zoned for
industrial use.
(5)(a) A local
government, as defined in ORS 174.116, may not authorize a connection to any
portion of a sewer facility located between an urban growth boundary or the
boundary of an unincorporated community and the boundary of the mill site or
the industrial zone containing the mill site, except as provided under a
statewide land use planning goal relating to public facilities and services or
under ORS 197.732.
(b) Sewer
facilities approved under subsection (4) of this section shall be limited in
size to meet the needs of authorized industrial uses and may not provide
service to retail, commercial or residential development, except as provided
under a statewide land use planning goal relating to public facilities and
services or under ORS 197.732. The presence of the sewer facilities may not be
used to justify an exception to statewide land use planning goals protecting
agricultural lands or forestlands or relating to urbanization.
(6)(a) The
governing body of a county or its designee shall determine the boundary of an
abandoned or diminished mill site. For an abandoned or diminished mill site
that is rezoned for industrial use under this section, land within the boundary
of the mill site may include only those areas that were improved for the
processing or manufacturing of wood products.
(b) For an
abandoned or diminished mill site subject to subsection (2), (3) or (4) of this
section, the governing body of a city or county or its designee may approve a
permit, as defined in ORS 215.402 or 227.160, only for industrial development
and accessory uses subordinate to such development on the mill site. The
governing body or its designee may not approve a permit for retail, commercial
or residential development on the mill site.
(7) For land that
on June 10, 2003, is zoned under statewide land use planning goals protecting
agricultural lands or forestlands and that is rezoned for industrial use under
subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the governing body of the county or its
designee may not later rezone the land for retail, commercial or other
nonresource use, except as provided under the statewide land use planning goals
or under ORS 197.732. [2003 c.252 §2; 2003 c.688 §3]
Plain English Explanation
This Oregon statute addresses Industrial use of abandoned or diminished mill sites; amendment of
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Key Points
01Part of Oregon statutory law
02Referenced as Oregon Code § 197.719
03Subject to legislative amendments
04Consult a licensed attorney for application to specific cases
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