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Nov 8 2010 -- Dec 31 2010 Curry Commissioners Weighing Crook Point Appeal |  Oregon Shores’ appeal of the Curry County Planning Commission’s tentative approval of the Crook Point Destination Resort is now under consideration by the county’s board of commissioners. The appeal was heard by the commissioners at their November 4 meeting at the county fairgrounds.
There is still time for the public to get involved. The commissioners didn’t make a decision, but left the written record open for testimony. Anyone can submit comments on the proposed resort through Thursday, November 18, at 5 p.m. (Comments can be sent to the Curry County Board of Commissioners, c/o David Pratt, Planning Director, Curry County Public Services, P.O. Box 746, Gold Beach, OR 97444, or via e-mail.)
Citizens interested in filing written comments by November 18 can contact Phillip Johnson, Oregon Shores’ executive director, to obtain a set of talking points reflecting our concerns about the proposed resort.
The commissioners will reconvene on Tuesday, December 7, at 11 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room in the Courthouse Annex in Gold Beach to deliberate and make a decision.
The proposal is for a 400-acre complex that would include a golf course, lodge, spa, 175 units of overnight housing and other forms of recreational development. The area is currently undeveloped, and is adjacent to the Crook Point Unit of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, the second most important seabird nesting site on the West Coast. It is also adjacent to what has been reported to be the most diverse intertidal seaweed community in Oregon, which would be highly vulnerable to herbicides and other toxics in run-off from the golf course. In general, the resort would pose high risks of multiple impacts to one of the most ecologically important areas on the Oregon coast.
The planning commission placed 25 conditions on their approval. Some of the conditions were in response to our earlier comments, and if met would reduce the project’s environmental impact somewhat. However, they don’t come nearly close enough to protecting the public interest.
Oregon Shores continues to have deep concerns about many aspects of the proposal. In our earlier comments (see below), we noted that the development as planned would threaten severe impacts to wildlife and to public recreation areas (the proposed resort also borders both Boardman and Pistol River state parks). As originally drafted, the resort proposal did not adequately address such matters as buffers between the golf course and protected areas, water quality in streams and impacts to wetlands, landslide potential, transportation effects and many other issues. Some improvements were made in response to the initial comments. Oregon Shores does not believe the applicants have met key requirements, such as adequate studies of geologic hazards, water availability and wildlife impacts, sufficient buffer areas, and fulfilling the conditions of Oregon’s Coastal Shorelands Goal (Goal 17 of the land use planning laws).
Most serious, in our view, is that the planning commission’s decision would allow the would-be developers to engage in grading and other highly impactful construction activities before receiving final approval. We consider this an egregious violation of the land use planning laws, and this alone should be grounds for nullifying the planning commission’s decision.
More information, documents, and other references:
November 3, 2010: Oregon Shores' Appeal of Approval of Tentative Plan
September 23, 2010: Curry County Approved Final Order, with Findings and Conditions
August 25, 2010: Oregon Shores additional arguments
August 12, 2010: Oregon Shores comments to Curry Planning Commission
July 8, 2010: Oregon Shores original comments to Curry Planning Commission
Curry Planning Commission website Crook Point reference page
Articles on topic 'Destination Resorts':
Nov 25 2012 Crook Point Golf Resort to be Considered Again
Nov 3 2012 Curry County Delays Review of Crook Point Resort
Mar 21 2011 Oregon Shores Files Appeal on Crook Point Golf Resort
Jan 30 2011 Crook Point Resort Proposal Heads to Appeals Panel
Jan 5 2011 Crook Point Resort Approved; Oregon Shores Ponders Next Step
Nov 8 2010 Curry Commissioners Weighing Crook Point Appeal
Oct 30 2010 Appeal of Crook Destination Resort Will Be Heard Thursday
Sep 23 2010 Appeal of Crook Point Destination Resort Moves to Next Stage
Sep 15 2010 Curry County Gives Resort Tentative Approval
Aug 26 2010 Last Chance to Comment on Destination Resort Proposal
Aug 12 2010 New Hearing Scheduled on Crook Ranch Resort
Jul 8 2010 Proposal for Major Resort at Pistol River Due for Hearing
Apr 29 2010 Curry Destination Resort Ordinance Hearing April 29
Dec 3 2009 Curry County Destination Resorts Hearing December 3
Oct 10 2009 Curry County Workshops on Destination Resorts Mapping
Oct 5 2009 Tillamook County Hearing 9/24 on Port's Resort, Golf Course Project
 Contact: Phillip Johnson, CoastWatch Director, (503) 238-4450, or EMAIL |
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