Land Use

Big Resorts And The Impact On Central Oregon

March 16, 2009
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It’s hard to imagine Central Oregon without thinking of big destination resorts. Names like Sunriver and Black Butte Ranch are almost as iconic as Mt. Bachelor and the Three Sisters.

But an environmental group is raising questions about the impacts of destination resorts on taxpayers. Central Oregon LandWatch says newer resorts are a drain on local governments, despite the tax revenues they produce.

To make its point, Landwatch hired a consulting firm from Eugene to study the impact of the proposed Thornburgh Resort near Redmond. Thornburgh was chosen because it would have a mix of homes and overnight lodging that’s typical for newer destination resorts, and because the plans include golf courses.

The conclusion? If you add up the revenues from property taxes and room taxes, then subtract the costs of government services the resort would use, you end up with a small surplus of about $466,000 per year.

But that doesn’t include certain fixed costs such as the price of building extra police and fire stations, and adding more schools and roads. Once those costs are factored in, local taxpayers wind up with a bill of almost $46 million dollars.

LandWatch Executive Director Erik Kancler says there’s a big difference between the older and newer resorts. “I don’t have a beef with Sunriver and Black Butte,” he says. Those resorts have a heavy mix of overnight rooms, which brings in more money for the local economy.

But Kancler says newer resorts, like Eagle Crest near Redmond, have a higher percentage of permanent residents. He says they’re more like subdivisions. But by selling themselves as destination resorts they go through a “loophole” in the planning process and avoid the kind of public scrutiny they might normally receive.

“We’re trying to answer a very basic question,” says Kancler. “The resorts are to the benefit of developers rather than the general public.”

Read the report at:

Central Oregon LandWatch

Metolius Protection Plan Takes A Step Forward

March 13, 2009
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A plan to ban destination resorts in the Metolius River Basin took a small but important step forward Friday.

It happened when the Land Conservation and Development Commission decided that the Metolius Basin should be declared an Area Of Critical State Concern. That’s supposed to protect the Metolius from development. But the Commission isn’t quite yet finished the details of the plan. Some important issues are still being worked out.

For example, the Commission is trying to figure out the exact boundaries of the area, and what all this means for two proposed destination resorts. One of them, The Metolian, would be an eco-style resort near Suttle Lake. The other, called the Ponderosa, is a more traditional resort with a golf course. It would be located on about 10,000 acres that straddle the border of the Metolius Basin.

An earlier draft written by Commission staff would stop these resorts from being built.

A hint of where this plan may be headed can be found in the press release. It describes the Metolius as “unique” with “outstanding values” and that “those values are threatened by current and future plans for large-scale development.”

But we won’t know for sure until the Commission is done working on the plan. That could take a week to ten days. Then it’s forwarded to the Oregon Legislature which makes the final decision on the future of the Metolius.

Tuesday Read: Green Remodeling Comes To Clark County

March 10, 2009
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Green remodeling comes to Clark County. Habitat for Humanity has opened the area’s first ReStore. That’s where you can buy used and leftover building materials. The money goes to support Habitat’s operations in the Portland-Vancouver metro area, and for building homes in El Salvador. From The Columbian.

Wind energy is driving business at the Port Of Longview to record highs. The Port says it took in a record $23.5 million in revenue in 2008. Wind technology imports makes up about 40% of that. Port officials think 2009 will be off some, but hope that tax credits for renewable energy will give a boost to the wind business they do. From the Longview Daily News.

Are destination resorts good for Central Oregon? Local officials and others debate the pros and cons in a new article from the Bend Bulletin. Business owners talk about how the resorts have boosted the area’s economy, while others complain that they’re damaging the quality of life in Central Oregon.

Friday Read: Mt. St. Helens Still Making Headlines

March 6, 2009
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The Columbian weighs in on the debate over the future of Mt. St. Helens.  In an editorial, the paper avoids the Park Service vs. Forest Service debate.  But it does call for increased funding and shows some interest in the proposals of the Mt. St. Helens Advisory Committee.

Meanwhile supporters of a Mt. St. Helens National Park say they’re not giving up.  One of them is Mark Smith, a member of the Advisory Committee and one of the persons Natural Oregon has interviewed several times.  In a story for the Longview Daily News,  Smith says he has regrets about not speaking up more forcefully for the National Park concept.  The paper also interviews Sean Smith the National Parks Conservation Association.  He says the goals of the committee are more likely to be reached if the Volcano is turned over to the National Park Service.

The Yurok Tribe of Northern California is thinking about reintroducing condors into the Klamath Basin.  The tribe is holding a two day conference about the idea with state and federal officials.  If they go ahead, it means the condor could be flying over Southern Oregon for the first time in over a century.  From the Medford Mail Tribune.

Water quality is one of the issues before Deschutes County voters in next week’s special election.  Ballot measure 9-70 requires residents in the southern part of the county to upgrade their septic systems.  Groundwater in the area is becoming increasingly contaminated by nitrates.  From the Bend Bulletin.

State officials got an earful from Jefferson County residents who are unhappy with draft legislation to ban destination resort development in the Metolius Basin.  At a public hearing, some residents complained that local land use decisions were being overturned by the state.  Another said that part of the plan could threaten farm land near Round Butte.  From the Madras Pioneer.

Resorts Near The Volcano? A Future Vision For Mt. St. Helens.

March 4, 2009
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A special committee studying the future of Mt. St. Helens is laying out an ambitious plan for the Monument that includes new resorts, new roads, more recreation and more science.

The Mt. St. Helens Advisory Committee may have rejected the idea of a National Park. But the vision it lays out for the Volcanic National Monument is just as dramatic of a change.

Among the recommendations:

  • Develop destination resorts “in and around the Monument” including lodging at Coldwater Ridge.
  • New roads to improve access. One would connect Coldwater Ridge to Highway 12 making it easier to get from Mt. St. Helens to Mt. Rainier. None of the new roads would be built inside the Monument area.
  • Broaden recreational activities, including more opportunities for fishing and camping.
  • Increase tourism through better marketing, more interpretive programs and other tourist friendly services.
  • Expand scientific work on the volcano with more money, involve universities and colleges, plus create a laboratory to conduct testing in harsh environments.

You can read the full list of recommendations at the Committee’s website.

Meanwhile, the Committee has scheduled two public hearings.

Monday, March 30
6:00pm to 9:00pm
Cowlitz County Commissioners Hearing Room, Kelso

Monday, April 13
Camas Police Department Community Room
2100 NE 3rd, Camas

Final recommendations will be drafted May 14.

Earlier Stories:

Did Apathy Kill Mt. St. Helens “National Park”?
Hopes Fade For Mt. St. Helens “National Park”

A Plan Emerges To Preserve The Metolius River Basin

February 25, 2009
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A draft plan to protect the Metolius River Basin in Central Oregon has just been released.

Some of the features will look familiar.  It declares the Basin a State Area of Critical State Concern and wrestles away any local control over large scale development in the area.  The idea was proposed by Governor Kulongoski in December.

Following two public hearings in Sisters and Madras, the department of Land Conservation and Development has drafted a plan to serve as a model for legislation.

It includes:

  • Banning all large scale resort development in the Metolius Basin.
  • Creates a buffer area around the basin where development will be “substantially limited”.
  • Sets aside areas where Jefferson County can proceed with the development of resorts.  This includes the vicinity of Round Butte, near the City of Madras and Cove Palisades State Park.   Other areas may be added.
  • Allows private property owners, who were planning to build resorts, the option of building small projects allowed under Measure 49.  They could also swap their land inside the basin for land near Round Butte, which could be developed as resorts.

The department is holding one more public hearing on the plan tomorrow in Madras starting at 5pm.  It’ll be at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds in the Maccie Conroy Room.

The full commission will meet on March 11 to take action on the plan, and possibly make a recommendation to the 2009 Legislature