Deschutes County Commissioner Patti Adair reversed a decision to amend the county’s code to ban new destination resorts in most of Deschutes County. Central Oregon LandWatch presented the code changes to the county, which would opt the county into a state statute that bars the development of resorts that include residential housing within 24 miles of cities with a population exceeding 100,000.
The proposed code change would have banned traditional destination resorts in most of the county, save about 30 acres in the southwest. Destination resorts that didn’t offer permanent housing would’ve still been allowed anywhere resorts can be zoned now.
On Aug. 2, Adair voted with Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang, who argued that resorts were intended to revitalize distressed rural economies, and that Deschutes County no longer fits that description. Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone voted against the code, citing potential impacts to development, and saying that the board could conduct due diligence on any proposed resort in the future. At the Board of County Commissioners meeting on Aug. 9, Adair reconsidered her position.
“After spending a considerable amount of time re-reviewing the extensive record including over 570 public comments, and upon further reflection, I wish to make a motion to reconsider the motion and the vote that was previously taken,” Adair said.
COLW, which proposed the code change, has fought in court against developing resorts in Deschutes County. Earlier this year it appealed the county’s approval of Thornburgh Resort’s Fish and Wildlife Mitigation in the latest legal challenge for the much-debated resort. The code changes don’t work retroactively and wouldn’t have impacted Thornburgh or the eight other destination resorts in the county — the highest number in the state, according to LandWatch.
“This reversal disregards the prevailing opinion of Deschutes County residents that further development of this kind is not compatible with a sustainable future for our region. The BOCC’s failure to follow through on their initial decision endangers wildlife, water, and agricultural livelihoods on rural lands,” Alex Hardison, communications manager at Central Oregon LandWatch, said in a statement.
This article appears in Best of Central Oregon 2023.
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Would someone please get Patty Adair, of Adair Homes, out of there? You’re looking at a person who is 100% under the thumb of development interests. Her family depends on her passing laws to suit their industry. It’s disgusting and ought to be illegal.
If you don’t like Adair, then vote her out. That is the American way….
“On Aug. 2, Adair voted with Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang, who argued that resorts were intended to revitalize distressed rural economies, and that Deschutes County no longer fits that description.” Huh..what does that mean? Intended to revitalize….DC no longer fits…
Do you think the people who live in Terrebonne, or LA Pine need or want a resort to help them? Where are the distressed rural economies in DC ? Sisters, Redmond?
It’s always about the money and carrot of more jobs. The developers, promise of tax revenue and county planning to use the tax revenue.
Can’t find people now to work in excavation or other hard jobs required to build infrastructure. Oh thats right….these developers are going to build affordable housing for their workers. Right……