Sherwood Hearings Officer - September 10, 2026

The City of Sherwood held a hearings officer meeting on September 10, 2026, to review a conditional use permit and site plan review for Meadowlark Energy Storage LLC. The proposal involved installing three riser poles up to 55 feet tall, constructing an underground 230-kilovolt transmission line, and installing a driveway off Southwest Langar Farms Parkway. Staff recommended conditional approval of the transmission line and poles but recommended denial of the driveway installation. A key procurement-related issue discussed was a landscaping condition requiring a 20-foot-wide landscaping strip along the substation perimeter, which conflicted with Portland General Electric's (PGE) security requirements for visibility and operational safety. The applicant and PGE expressed concerns that the landscaping condition could not be met without violating federal security standards. The hearings officer agreed to hold the record open for three weeks to allow the applicant, PGE, and city staff to negotiate a mutually acceptable landscaping plan and address other conditions such as road paving. The city emphasized the need for detailed, possibly confidential, information to evaluate security concerns while maintaining public transparency. The hearings officer also agreed to extend the 120-day review clock to accommodate this process. No opposition testimony was received, and the hearing was closed with a plan for further written submissions and responses.