By RODGER NICHOLS
The Dalles Chronicle
February 19, 2008

After dozens of hours of testimony in meetings since April 2006, hundreds of pages of written comment and more than 1,000 e-mails on the subject, proponents and opponents of the proposed Broughton Landing resort project still managed some surprises Tuesday.

More than 130 people attended Tuesday’s meeting of the Columbia River Gorge Commission in Hood River.

More than 60 of them offered testimony in a public hearing that ran out of time before everyone who signed up could be heard.

Commissioners then extended the public hearing to the beginning of the April 11 meeting in Hood River.

Tuesday’s meeting offered the first chance to comment on a report issued last month by Gorge Commission Executive Director Jill Arens.

In the report, Arens offered potential modifications to a proposed amendment to the Gorge Management Plan.

The amendment would allow the redevelopment of the former Broughton Lumber Company mill site on Highway 14 about four miles west of Bingen.

Arens’ report would remove a restriction on the number of accommodations on the site, though limiting development to the current footprint of the buildings on the site. The report also suggests prohibiting any permanent residency and limiting stays to no more than 30 weeks a year.

The proposal is for 211 vacation units, including a mix of cabins, townhouses, and condominiums, a café-pub, general store, and restaurant, and possibly more windsurfing launch sites.
Proponents see it as an opportunity to replace the decaying mill site with an upscale destination resort to boost Skamania County’s economy with an increased tax base and employment.

Opponents see it as building a de facto city outside any of the current urban growth boundaries, and that the commission is only considering such a move due to the money and political muscle of developers.

One surprise was new political allies for both sides.

Multnomah County Commissioners sent a representative to report that Multnomah County Commissioners were opposed to the development.

Clark County Commissioner Mark Boldt, a former state legislator representing the Gorge, came himself to say Clark County Commissioners “give full support to the Director’s Report.”

Three RV park operators in the Gorge also spoke up on Tuesday.

Friends of the Gorge have touted an economic analysis by ECONorthwest which concluded that redevelopment under the current allowable uses — an RV park with 175 spaces, and up to 35 clustered cabins — is economically feasible.

“I have a problem with ECONorthwest misleading commissioners that there is a huge demand for RV sites in the Gorge,” said Robin Hale of Bridge RV Park in White Salmon. “In the past four years, I have averaged 43 and 3/4 percent occupancy. Seven of my RV spaces I’ve had to turn into permanent low-income housing because I couldn’t find enough customers. I’m down to one employee, myself.”

His message was echoed by LeRoy Anderson of Timberlake Campground.

“Last year, despite brand-new facilities, desirable location and a strong advertising campaign,” Anderson said, “we averaged only 14 percent occupancy.”

And Astrid Diek of Wind Mountain Resort RV campground said windsurfing RV campers have not been a big factor.

“We have had two or three RV windsurfers in our RV park in six years,” she said.

Members of three Native American tribes testified in favor of the development, while Katie Crafts, executive director of Columbia Gorge Windsurfers Association, read poll results that indicated the majority of the organization’s membership was against the proposal.

It was a busy day.

“We’ve had more testimony on this subject than any other in the 20 years I’ve been on the commission,” said Commissioner Joyce Reinig of Hood River.