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The Oregon Court of Appeals last week rejected an urban growth boundary expansion bid by the city of Woodburn, saying the city failed to justify its need for more land.

After a long review process that started in March 2013, the court on Thursday reversed and remanded the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission‘s decision to approve Woodburn’s request to add 409 acres to its UGB. The court ruled that the city failed to adequately justify its expansion needs without ruling on the inclusion of high-value farmland west of Interstate 5.

The city, which was counting on a UGB expansion as part of a plan to lure private investment and create jobs inside city limits, has spent approximately $1 million in planning and legal fees over a decade, according to Jason Horton, a city spokesman.

Woodburn officials argued that opening up the land for development west of I-5 would attract targeted businesses and could potentially attract investment totaling hundreds of millions of dollars.

Several groups, including 1000 Friends of Oregon, Friends of Marion County, the Marion County Farm Bureau and local residents and farmers, opposed the expansion attempt.

Woodburn city officials aren’t certain what steps they will take in response to the decision, Horton said.