News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The final draft of a state plan to protect the Metolius Basin would ban destination resorts, but would allow some smaller-scale development.
The final draft of a Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) plan recommending designation of the Metolius Basin as an Area of Critical State Concern (ACSC) was released May 24. The Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) was expected to approve the plan on Tuesday. The plan will not take effect until there is legislation to implement it.
The plan would ban destination resorts, but would allow some development in the area where The Metolian "eco-community" and the Ponderosa Land & Cattle Co. destination resort were proposed.
The plan would allow Dutch Pacific LLC to have 25 homes on 25 acres at The Metolian site near Highway 20 southwest of Camp Sherman. The plan also would allow 10 units of overnight accommodations and an "accessory" restaurant.
Ponderosa Land & Cattle Co. would be permitted "up to 100 residential units and up to 20 additional overnight accommodations... and accessory uses and activities including a small accessory restaurant and equestrian facilities or other recreation-oriented amenities (not including a golf course)."
The plan also restricts water usage.
Shane Lundgren of Camp Sherman, a principal developer in The Metolian, said the compromise, if enacted, would make development of an eco-community impossible because there is not sufficient scale to apply its principles.
"It's a lodge and some lots," he said. "It's not at all what we wanted. We feel it's a missed opportunity."
Lundgren told The Nugget that he's not yet prepared to say that it's the end of the road for The Metolian, since there can be many strange turns in the legislative process.
"Certainly we're not saying that this is the end," he said. "We're intrigued by the idea."
It's not clear whether there is room for negotiation in the legislative process.
"I don't know if this is a starting point," Lundgren said.
Opponents of development in the basin seem unlikely to support anything beyond the current plan. In fact, some think the DLCD plan gives too much to developers.
"The maps are OK," said H. Tom Davis, a Sisters activist and representative of the Native Fish Society. "I don't like the number of units."
Davis said that "DLCD did a really excellent job of putting all this information together. They're kind of between a rock and a hard place because they're trying to please both sides, but I think they kind of went overboard on (the developers') side."
Davis said the Native Fish Society would probably not oppose legislation to implement the plan as is, but "we would very strongly support revisions."
Rick Allen, spokesman for Ponderosa Land & Cattle Co., bridles at the idea that his clients are getting a better deal out of the DLCD plan than they ought.
He points out that under current forest zoning, the developer could build 129 houses scattered across 31,000 acres.
"In a sense, we're being down-zoned in this process," he said. "We have, for a long time, had the right to build over 100 units."
Allen told The Nugget that Ponderosa Land & Cattle Co. has been considering a smaller development for some time.
"We started working months ago internally on ... (the question) what concepts can we do there," he said.
He said a "Ponderosa Ranch" with stables and an arena could be the end result if the DLCD plan is finally approved. He thinks the new restrictions could be workable for such a facility.
"In concept... we think we can get on board with it," he said.
Lundgren said that legislation proposed to allow for the development of "eco-communities" outside destination resort rules has garnered support, but that may benefit landowners in other parts of the state.
For his part, he is doubtful that he would pursue his concept on another site after the experience of two years and more of administrative and legislative wrangling over his proposal.
"I don't think so; not now," he said. "Not in Oregon, anyway."
The DLCD plan may face a rocky road in the legislature. Some legislators are likely to oppose any concession to development in the basin, while others may resist the plan because of concerns about property rights and a perceived usurpation of local planning control.
"It's going to take some real effort from the Governor, LCDC and ourselves to keep this on track," Allen said. "There's still a lot ahead and there's three months left in the (legislative session)."
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.
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