Albany's Planning Commission considers a quasi-judicial map amendment to rezone 3.37 acres of residential land to Light and Heavy Industrial for the Water Reclamation Facility composting expansion.
Source review completed July 20, 2026
Albany's Planning Commission meets on July 20, 2026, to hold a Type IV quasi-judicial public hearing on a major land use proposal for the City's municipal infrastructure.
The joint applications (Planning Files CP-01-26 and ZC-01-26) request a Comprehensive Plan Map amendment and concurrent Zoning Map amendment affecting 47.17 acres of municipal land surrounding the Albany-Millersburg Water Reclamation Facility.
Here is a plain-language summary of the proposal, the statutory findings, and the key records questions.
The primary goal of the application is to expand composting operations at the Albany-Millersburg Water Reclamation Facility located at 554 Columbus Street NE.
Currently, the facility processes raw sewage and converts approximately 25% of its biosolids into Exceptional Quality (Class A) compost available for local agricultural and residential use. The remaining 75% of raw biosolids are hauled as solid waste to the regional Coffin Butte Landfill.
Expanding the composting facility allows the City to process a significantly higher percentage of biosolids locally, reducing landfill transportation costs and conserving landfill capacity.
To accommodate the expansion, the City proposes to redesignate 3.37 acres across seven separate parcels from Low Density Residential (LDR) and Medium Density Residential (MDR) to Public and Semi-Public.
The concurrent Zoning Map amendment redistributes the site's base zones as follows:
Tax Lot 6600 (located on Linn Ave NE near Eades Park) is included in the map amendments for long-term planning consistency. However, staff findings confirm that Tax Lot 6600 was acquired using federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grants.
Under 36 CFR Part 56 Section 6(f)(3), land acquired with LWCF funds is protected in perpetuity for outdoor public recreation and cannot be converted to non-recreation uses without approval from the National Park Service and substitution of equivalent replacement parkland. The staff report clarifies that no physical facility expansion or utility construction is proposed on Tax Lot 6600.
The application balances two competing Statewide Planning Goals:
The Planning Commission will deliberate on July 20, 2026, and formulate a recommendation for the City Council.
The final decision rests with the Albany City Council, which is scheduled to hold a formal public hearing on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.
This article is supported by public records, source review, and neighbor-funded records work. Source gaps stay visible until the next record closes them.