County rejects Aspen Lakes resort bid

The Deschutes County Commissioners turned down the Cyrus family's bid for a code change that would have given them a path toward converting their Aspen Lakes Golf Course subdivision into a destination resort.

Only outgoing Commissioner Mike Daly voted in favor of the code change.

Tammy Baney and Dennis Luke opposed the move. Baney believes Aspen Lakes should seek destination resort status in a conventional manner and Luke is opposed to granting an exception to destination resort rules for specific developments.

The Cyruses were seeking a simple avenue to convert the existing "cluster" subdivision into a destination resort. Destination resorts must include overnight lodging and amenities designed for visitors. As a destination resort, the developers would also be able to sell as many as 300 new lots for permanent housing.

County planning staff, the county planning commission and the state Department of Land Conservation and Development all recommended rejecting the Cyrus proposal.

They noted that destination resort rules require that 50 units of overnight accommodations be built before housing lots are sold. Aspen Lakes has sold more than 100 lots.

Neighbors of the subdivision expressed concern that a destination resort would degrade the rural character of the area and create more traffic.

The Cyrus family has argued that they always intended to be a destination resort and that more overnight accommodations would be an economic boon to the Sisters area.