Brasada Ranch is the exception. Jeld Wen has sold the resort to another company and they are focusing on more of the overnight lodging units and cabins, and not single-family homes. They are also adding more "resort-style" amenities, similar to what Sunriver has; and they are working to amend their Master Plan.

Brasada Ranch is also the highest taxpayer in Crook County by a long shot. According to the Crook County Assessor's office, Brasada Ranch paid $480,359.68 in taxes in 2010. Les Schwab, which was second, paid $273,977.02.

While I won't comment on the Cyrus case because I don't know enough about it, some destination resorts provide a huge financial benefit, especially to rural communities. In a county of 25,000 residents, I can't imagine what budget and service cuts would look like in Crook County if Brasada Ranch didn't exist.

While I don't believe we should throw all destination resorts under the bus, I do agree that they have become over saturated in Central Oregon. And I agree that they need to focus more on the "resort" aspect of development, and not create island subdivisions.

These resorts also play an important aspect in economic development, because many business owners and investors visit Central Oregon via these resorts. Black Butte Ranch and Sunriver Resort have played an important role in attracting new visitors over the decades, which has further spurred business growth in our region.

Don’t forget HB3347. Rep. Whisnant and co-sponsors Conger, Huffman, McClane & Atkinson introduced a bill so arrogant that one wonders if Hosni Murbarak didn’t vet the final copy! Look at the broad aspects of this bill:

• Conceived in secrecy, I don’t believe this bill was intended for review until it hit the House floor for its first reading. Instead, someone leaked a copy about 10 days before.
• The result, people on the entire spectrum of political views are outraged at the arrogant provisions.
• Mandates a sanitary authority, without voter referendum, including selecting the board members.
• A sanitary authority can tax, issue bonds, force compliance and even foreclose on property.
• Deschutes County paid over $60,000 to Sunriver Environmental, LLC (the owner of the sewer for the Sunriver Resort ) to do a study about hooking up existing homes outside the Resort (hookup fees about $18,000).
• DEQ requires that Sunriver Environmental, LLC fix and upgrade their sewer.
• That’s a little like walking into a repair shop and demanding that the owner pay you for the privilege of fixing your car, what arrogance!
• Virtually eliminates all Oregon land use law, County planning and zoning. It also appears to exempt Pine Forest Development from wildlife considerations and transportation issues.
• Now that’s arrogant! It looks like the developers of Pine Forest Development(appears to be Lowe Enterprises) decided that what they want is more important than the people of Oregon.
• Gives money to the County to remove restrictive covenants on destination resort Caldera Springs(next door). Requires additional fees from Pine Forest Development (925 new homes) to help South County landowners hook to the sewer. Estimates of the total amount this bill would require the developers to give are about $3 million for these privileges. HB3347 doesn’t mandate payment of the $3 million upon passage. The bulk of that money might not come in for years, so where does that leave the homeowner assessed the $18,000 hook up fee?
• First, $3 million is a drop in the bucket to set up a sanitary authority. Second, the money wouldn’t be there for years to help those who needed it most. Third, $3 million is a small price to pay for the huge returns the developers expect to get. Again, arrogance at work!
• Rep. Whisnant stated in his Whisnant Weekly (February 11, 2011) that they sought input from South County residents about the provisions of HB3347; that was not true. After the local uproar over the sanitary authority provision, Whisnant stated in a press release dated February 18, 2011, that he was amending the bill to “send” the $3 million directly to DEQ and the sanitary authority could be formed later.
• First, where the amendment, it’s been almost a month - Second, arrogance shows through. Shouldn’t it be up to the citizens to decide?
• I almost feel sorry for Whisnant’s co-sponsors; did they even read the bill?

All signs point to this being bill conceived by a Whisnant constituent. Many legislators have a policy of "sponsoring" any piece of legislation their constituents want drafted. That doesn't mean they will actively support it.

And because we still are still clinging to the last vestiges of our "citizen legislature," I think that policy is actually a good one. It should not be a barrier to participation in the legislative process that one's representative won't allow a bill to be drafted.

From here, it appears Whisnant has adopted the same posture as every legislator who has ever dropped a bill on behalf of a constituent - he's leaving it up to them to do the heavy lifting. If they can get enough support for the bill, then it may move forward.

So, attack the policy, but don't attack the procedure. We should encourage legislators to sponsor bills on behalf of their constituents without fear of reprisal, should the policy embodied in that bill turns out to be a bad idea. That's participatory democracy at its finest.

1reader likes this