(Image courtesy of Prineville Planning Commission Staff Report December 8)
With recent data center successes, Prineville may very well be on the verge of bringing a new data center into the city.
Legacy Ranches, LLC submitted a request to the City of Prinevillein November seeking an amendment to the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) to include 160 of the 1,424 acres the company owns near the Prineville Airport. The land was purchased in January 2015.
The parcel is currently zoned for agricultural use and the proposal is seeking to make 160 acres near the Prineville Airport zoned for industrial use.
No development plans have been announced but on January 5 the Prineville Planning Commission recommended that City Council approve the proposed annexation of the property.
Prineville Planning Director, Phil Stenbeck said, “they have asked to have the 160 acres rezoned but we have not had any discussion of their intentions. Everything fits with the city plans for use of the land west of the airport. This all fits together with our planning for industrial development and bringing jobs to Prineville.”
Though not explicitly announced, the property has been described as ideal land for a data center. The land has drawn comparisons to the size and shape of the land which is now the Facebook data center campus.It is square which allows for a campus-type development and is generally flat which would help keep development costs low.
Craig Kilpatrick, a land-use consultant representing Legacy Ranches, has acknowledged that recent interest in the land has prompted the proposal but no announcement has been made regarding the interested party.
The property in consideration is located adjacent to the west boundary of the Prineville Crook County Airport between Houston Lake Road and Highway 126. The proposed UGB expansion would make the land available for industrial development.
“The City comprehensive plan acknowledges that more industrial land is needed. I do not anticipate any issue with this proposal. It is the vision of the community to bring more industrial jobs near the airport. Our goal is to bring more jobs to Prineville,” Stenbeck said.
The property is currently zoned for agricultural use but has no history of such use due to poor quality of soil. The land also does not have irrigation or water rights for agricultural use. There is driveway access from highway 126 which was intended for a farm parcel. An alternative access point for the land would need to be developed for adequate industrial use. The preferred access would be on the north end of the property via SW Airport Road which would require approval from the county, airport manager and Federal Aviation Administration.
According to Stenbeck only one issue remains to be determined from the Planning Commission’s perspective and it pertains to the road used for direct access in conjunction with the Crook County transportation system plan. Legacy Ranch’s traffic engineer anticipates two employees per acre which would be approximately 320 total employees. This estimation would likely generate enough traffic to necessitate a Transportation Impact Analysis for ODOT to review.
The City of Prineville’s Comprehensive Plan establishes the need for additional land to meet its industrial land needs and both the City and County Comprehensive Plan’s indicate that the land around the airport is ultimately intended for industrial development.
The Prineville Planning Commission Staff Report from December 8 acknowledges that Legacy Ranches proposal meets all the mandatory approval criteria and is ideal to provide future economic benefit to the Prineville community. The property is within the City’s Enterprise Zone which makes it eligible for participation in incentive programs.
The Crook County Planning Commission will hold a public meeting Wednesday, January 27 to discuss the recommendation to approve Legacy Ranches proposal and plans to meet with the Crook County Circuit Court February 3 for approval.
