A 1,400-acre field on Hillsboro's south side could one day feature 8,000 homes and at least 20,000 new residents.

The giant South Hillsboro development would provide housing for burgeoning nearby industries that city leaders have envisioned for more than a decade. That concept was brought into sharper focus the past four years with a series of agreements between a project developer and city planners.

And Hillsboro pushed a major chunk of the project - known as Reed's Crossing - to the forefront of its planning in January, signaling construction would be underway this summer. Reed's Crossing - at the northern tier of the planned community -- encompasses 463 acres and a projected 4,000 homes.

But the plan - or at least that timeline - appeared to be in jeopardy Wednesday night at a city planning commission meeting. Only an impromptu, closed-door session between city planners and developers' representatives appeared to have salvaged the timeline.

Before the closed-door session, a developer's representative said the conflict could jeopardize plans to start $40 million worth of road construction this year. If so, that would mark the second consecutive year the project would be delayed.

"Are we going to get out of the ground this summer and not miss another building season?" Jeff Bachrach, a land use attorney representing developer Newland Communities, asked commission members.

The disagreement focused on details of building four miles of road within Reed's Crossing, primarily a Cornelius Pass road extension south of Tualatin Valley Highway.

Tim Schauer of the Vancouver engineering firm MacKay Sposito, the lead project engineer, told the commission he was concerned about settling key items in the development agreement with city planners.

"There is not a negotiation at this point," Schauer told commissioners. "There is a stalemate. And we're looking to you for some guidance."

About two hours into the planning commission's meeting, however, city planning director Colin Cooper huddled with transportation planning engineer Don Odermott and assistant city manager Robert Dixon. Cooper then asked commission president Katie Eyre for a temporary recess while he and his staff conferred behind closed doors with the developer's representatives.

When the group emerged about 45 minutes later, at about 11 p.m., Odermott and senior planner Ruth Klein read a series of new agreements reached between the two sides during the break.

The commission then voted for tentative approval of a document listing a series of development conditions. Another vote is expected at the commission's next meeting, on March 29. Then, the city council is expected to vote on the conditions at a meeting in April, Cooper said.

The impromptu meeting between city planners and developer's representatives reflected the high stakes of the project.

When fully built by 2035, the city envisions the South Hillsboro development featuring a wide variety of homes and price ranges along with a town centers with shops, offices and services.

The area also would feature more than 300 acres of parks and open space with 15 miles of multi-use trails. The Hillsboro School District is expected to develop schools to serve the new community.

If road building on the site does indeed commence this summer, developers have said the first house could be under construction as early as late 2017.

--Allan Brettman

503-294-5900

@allanbrettman