Hillsboro's first zoning rules for data centers will go before the City Council on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The Planning Commission unanimously approved the code amendments at a Wednesday, Sept. 9, public hearing.

The vote sends Phase I of the city's two-part data center code overhaul to its first binding decision point. Council members will hold a public hearing and accept testimony at the Oct. 6 meeting, according to a city news release posted Friday, Sept. 11.

The approved amendments define data centers and energy storage facilities in city code for the first time. They spell out which zones allow, limit or prohibit the facilities. They establish a 1,000-foot buffer between data centers and schools and set rules for accessory uses and the transfer of development rights between affiliated properties.

The commission also stripped out proposed distance requirements for energy storage facilities, a change commissioners requested at their Aug. 26 hearing. That earlier session ran four hours and 36 minutes before adjourning without a vote, as the Hillsboro Herald reported. Commissioners sent staff back with four directives: tighter accessory-use limits, draft school-buffer language at multiple distances, confirmation of a Type III public hearing process for all use categories, and clarification of how the energy storage definition aligns with a Land Use Board of Appeals decision.

The 1,000-foot school buffer emerged from that work. The commission chose it over alternatives at 500 feet and a quarter mile.

What comes next

Phase I covers definitions, zone restrictions, school buffers, accessory-use rules and transfer rights. The full code language will be posted by Friday, Oct. 2, and linked in the Oct. 6 meeting agenda, city officials said.

Phase II, expected in winter or spring 2027, will tackle design standards. That could include building height limits, additional buffers, green building requirements and other environmental protections. The city said it needs to complete studies and gather local data before adopting those rules so the standards can withstand legal challenges.

The two-phase schedule is driven by the clock. City Council enacted a 120-day moratorium on new data center and battery energy storage applications on July 27. That moratorium expires Nov. 24. Finishing Phase I before then puts baseline protections in place even if the council does not extend the moratorium. Council has the option to add six months.

Planning Commission President Gabriel Jones-Gallardo led the commission through the code overhaul process. Rachel Marble, the city's code and policy project manager, led the staff work on the amendments.

The Oct. 6 City Council meeting is open to public testimony. Residents can also email comments to [email protected].