August 20, 2007
By RAELYNN RICARTE
News staff writer

Attorneys for the Best Western Hood River Inn and City of Hood River have drafted a “compromise plan” to remove a riparian protection zone from the hotel lobby.

If the new ordinance, which has not yet been assigned a number, is approved the Inn has agreed to:

n Withdraw the first Measure 37 claim to be filed against the city. The Inn is seeking $2 million in compensation for devaluation of the property due to lost development rights.

n Drop its pending case before the state Land Use Board of Appeals. In that action, the Inn asks state officials to lift the 75-foot setback that begins at the Columbia River embankment and allows almost no ground-disturbing activities.

“It says a lot for the Hood River Inn that the attorney and management have been willing to talk through things and work toward this compromise,” said Bob Francis, city manager.

“I think when the Planning Commission and citizens look at this plan they will be satisfied with it.”

In return, the Inn will be allowed to relocate its swimming pool to the front of the east wing. Moving the pool was part of the businesses’ plan for a 64-room addition that was shown to city planners in 2003.

The Inn will allow the existing setback to remain in place with one major change. The existing buildings and decks are to be exempt from current prohibitions against modification. In addition, the Inn wants a 10-foot buffer to run along the length of the shoreline that would accommodate changes to the grounds for life-saving purposes or to meet the needs of people with disabilities.

“We’re encouraged that the city staff is working so closely and cooperatively with us to facilitate the changes we need to be able to expand and compete in the marketplace,” said Chuck Hinman, general manager of the Inn.

The planning commission will take public testimony on the new ordinance sometime in October. Last week the city council directed staffers to include language that:

n Ensured that no seepage or overflow from the pool would leak into the nearby Columbia.

n Prohibited the pool from being converted into a residential or rental structure.

n Disallowed decks from being enclosed and used for rooms or offices.

In January 2006, the city council imposed regulations that placed the Inn’s dining deck and the Riverside Grill within a wildlife habitat preservation zone. Also included were the north-facing rooms along the west wing and a section of CEBU Bamboo Lounge.

The existing buildings within the setback then became “non-conforming uses” which meant the structures could not be changed.

Tom Stevenson, managing partner of D.M. Stevenson Ranch, the company that owns the Inn, protested that move. He argued that the setback along a rip-rap bank of fill material was intended as a “no-build” zone and had nothing to do with protecting fish runs.

He questioned why the city had proceeded with the restrictions after gaining agreement from the Department of Land Conservation and Development that the Inn’s property did not qualify for riparian protection. He said DCLD recognized that the area had a high level of human activity, little natural vegetation, and brought economic gain to the community.

Stevenson said the Inn has existed next to the river for 40 years and currently provides continuous employment for 165 people. In addition, about $500,000 is paid into the city coffers every years through utility fees and both property and lodging taxes. He said the average guest also spends about $150 per day in town during his/her stay.

The holdings of D.M. Stevenson Ranch comprise 12 acres to the east of Highway 35 and the toll bridge and extend more than 100 feet into the river.

If approved, the ordinance would only apply to the section of waterfront that houses the Inn and Copper Salmon Pub. The remainder of the shoreline under the city’s jurisdiction, including the marina, would still have a 75-foot setback in place.