Environmentalists and others are opposing an effort to designate more land for industrial purposes at Port Westward, even though plans for a coal terminal there have died.
About 50 people attended the hearing, the second the commission has held on a Port of St. Helens proposal to expand its Port Westward Industrial Park by 957 acres.
Following a 90-minute meeting, the planning commission put off a recommendation until at least June 17. Once the planning commission makes a recommendation, the Columbia County commissioners will vote on the rezone request, which the port says is key to creating jobs in the economically distressed western end of the county near Clatskanie.