Hearing brings out opponents of resorts

Last updated 2/17/2009 at Noon

Nearly 300 people crowded the commons at Sisters High School last Wednesday night for a public hearing on a proposal that would effectively ban destination resorts in the Metolius Basin.

The sentiment of the crowd was overwhelmingly in favor of keeping resorts out of the basin, but there were strong voices raised in favor of letting the land-use process move forward.

The state Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) called the hearing before a subcommittee of the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) to hear public testimony on a draft designation of the Metolius Basin area as an "Area of Critical State Concern" (ACSC).

That designation, requested by Governor Ted Kulongoski in December, would prohibit large-scale development in the basin itself and significantly restrict it in zones closely surrounding the basin.

Two projects are proposed in areas mapped by Jefferson County for siting destination resorts. One is "The Ponderosa," on more than 3,000 acres along Green Ridge, partly inside and partly outside the basin proper. It proposes 2,500 home sites, lodging facilities and at least one golf course.

"The Metolian" is proposed inside the basin on 628 acres with 180 lodging units and 450 home sites. Instead of the usual golf course and other destination resort amenities, The Metolian is conceived as an "eco-resort" offering educational and recreational activities in the natural environment of the area.

Opposition to destination resorts and comment in favor of a restrictive ACSC designation was polite but ardent. It can be summed up in testimony from Greg McClarren, president of the activist group Friends of the Metolius:

"There are places that should not be developed and the Metolius is one of those truly special places that should be preserved for all future generations."

Testimony came from all over the state, with many people recalling childhood trips to Camp Sherman and the Metolius. Several people testified that the impact of many more people living and recreating in the area would change the character of local communities and degrade the natural environment.

"The impacts on the communities of Sisters and Camp Sherman will be unbelievable," said Robb Reavill of Bend. "A concentration of population from 2,500 homes descending into these communities in the summer will destroy the peacefulness of Camp Sherman and exacerbate the traffic problems in Sisters."

But not all those at the hearing see negative impacts.

Jerry Bogart, a member of the Sisters City Council, said that "although located in Jefferson County, well-planned resorts in the Metolius Basin that mitigate or avoid adverse impacts will have positive economic impacts on the City of Sisters."

Bogart also expressed concern about the use of a state designation to overrule Jefferson County's comprehensive planning and mapping process.

"For LCDC and the governor to now step in and force this (ACSC) issue while Jefferson County is opposed reeks of undue state interference," Bogart said. "It sends a horrible message to local governments about their right and obligation to resolve local issues at the local level."

(The Sisters City Council has not taken a formal position on the ACSC designation; the previous council had supported Senate Bill 30, which would have banned resorts in the area).

Jefferson County expressed its opposition to the state designation in strongly worded testimony.

"If three years of land use process on one plan amendment can be ignored and trumped by the state, the stability of our land-use system, including citizen participation and local government authority, will have been catastrophically compromised.... we believe this subcommittee and the full commission should require a clear showing of likely damage to the region before taking action to suspend the rule of law in Jefferson County."

Shane Lundgren, developer of The Metolian echoed concerns about the integrity of the land-use process, then went on to defend his project:

"...Following the Oregon laws, we designed The Metolian based on the guidelines of the Destination Resort Statue. We have taken a minimalist approach to the density, and on-site recreational facilities, but again there are criteria that we had to meet in order to comply with the rules set forth to us."

Lundgren argues that The Metolian represents an innovative approach that has attracted attention from "green" investors all over the world and could act as a model of sustainable development in Oregon.

"The opportunity for The Metolian to enhance and restore the environment is real and it is now," he said. "My vision is that in 100 years there will be a well funded, well educated legacy of people who are part of this place. My nightmare is that there be a dilapidated, financially (distressed) community, mostly consisting of summer cabins on leased land."

Lundgren also noted that he and his family have lived in Camp Sherman for decades and care deeply about the future of the Metolius Basin.

"It is somewhat offensive when people who have had a summer cabin for a few decades, or recently moved to Metolius Meadows lecture as if we didn't have any understanding of how special this place really is," he said.

But most of those testifying are opposed to any large-scale development, arguing that it threatens a fragile hydrological system that supports vital fish and wildlife populations.

Tom Davis of Sisters, a retired hydrologist and engineer, noted that the Fly Creek sub-basin near Green Ridge "is one of two known locations where you have pure native redband DNA."

Davis argues that allowing developments to mitigate water use and impacts is gambling with irreplaceable natural treasures.

"They are very, very special and I would hope that we would not gamble them away," he said.

One local fisherman expressed his fears for the future of the legendary flyfishing waters of the Metolius Basin if destination resorts are allowed to go forward.

"I don't think it's the right thing to do for the environment and I don't think it's the right thing to tell our children," he said.

The hearing in Sisters was the first of a series, which continues in Madras on February 26 and March 11 at locations yet to be determined.

For more information, visit http://www.lcd.state.or.us; click on "Metolius Basin Project" in the menu on the right.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.