Last night, a group going by "Concerned Citizens of Crook County" held a meeting in the Powell Butte School House to discuss growing concern over how destination resorts will impact their rural community.

Thus far, Crook County has approved two large-scale resorts in the region, Brasada and Remington Ranch, and a third - Hidden Canyon - is expected to be finalized once the resort and ODOT sign an MOU over traffic improvements. Together, these resorts will bring perhaps well over 3,000 residences, condos, and overnight units to this farming and ranching community of about 900 people.

A fourth resort, Seven Peaks, is reportedly close to readying its application for another 600 units. And although the first three went through without much of an organized opposition - aside from a few dedicated and concerned neighbors - Seven Peaks is causing quite a stir.

A quick estimate put the number of people attending last night's meeting at about 150, all of whom packed into the school's modestly sized cafeteria. And although several residents seemed bent on polarizing the room, the vast majority of those in attendance expressed tremendous concern. At one point, the group was asked to stand if they were concerned about growth in the region, and damned if I could find anyone still in their seat.

The primary focus of the meeting, other than giving folks a chance to weigh in with their opinions and concerns, was to discuss a moratorium on destination resorts. Oregon law (ORS 197.505-540) allows local government to put a moratorium on construction if certain negative impacts are likely to felt as a result of continued development. It's far more specific than that, and according to some in attendance at the meeting, namely County Commissioner Lynn Lundquist, there is some uncertainty whether or not the County could adopt a moratorium along the lines of what the community is hoping to see.

Regardless, close to - or perhaps more than - 100 residents of Powell Butte have already signed the petition supporting the moratorium in the last two weeks alone, and many more are likely to follow suit in the near future. So one thing is clear, these citizens are fired up. They are concerned over impacts, and before another resort is approved, they want some clear information on how their streets, their farms and ranches, their water supplies, and their lives (not to mention the lives of local elk and deer populations, golden eagles, and other native species) will be affected.

One can hardly blame them. Senator Ben Westlund can hardly blame them. In a letter sent to the Concerned Citizen's group, dated September 25th, 2007, Westlund wrote these words:

Several years ago it appeared that one resource, recreation, could enhance the bottom line of counties needing a financial boost. Laws were passed. The "destination resort" was conceived, a seed sown perhaps too widely and too broadly, without time for those many native stewards of the lands, ranchers and farmers, to recognize their full impact... or policy makers to fully evaluate. It is now time to re-evalute our Goal 5 and Goal 8 statutes. (emphasis ours)

The letter concludes:

I also understand why Concerned Citizens of Crook County are appealing for help. They have begun to live with some of the long term consequence[s] on their geographic area from inadaquate law. I congratulate them for their work on all our behalf.

For those paying close attention to legislative attitudes towards destination resorts, this letter may present a landmark shift. In 2003, when resort advocates appealed to the state legislature to loosen up laws pertaining to resorts east of the Cascades, they found a supporter in Westlund. Earlier this year, of course, Westlund sponsored Senate Bill 30 to keep resorts out of the Metolius Basin and from impacting that amazing river. During hearings on the bill, Westlund alluded to a general support for resorts, but it seemed perhaps that their allure was fading in his eyes. The question then was how he would feel coming out the other end.

Perhaps, in this somewhat obscure letter we have our answer. His words are clear. The intent is evident. But further discussion of this developing(?) story is better left for later. For now, let's not lose sight of what's happening on the ground in Powell Butte. Three resorts have essentially been approved with a fourth on the way. How many more behind that? On October 24th, the County will be holding a single public hearing on remapping - most likely attempting to expand - its resort lands. If anything, the notion that one hearing will be sufficient (Deschutes County is planning a far-more involved process) suggests that the county sees little need to deeply evaluate whatever option it has planned.

And that's the rub. The citizens don't feel represented. They don't feel the County has shown their lives and livelihoods any concern. They don't feel the county is willing to evaluate much of anything regarding destination resorts. That will likely translate into impassioned testimony and a growing opposition when this goes to hearing.

There's another story brewing here as well. Brasada and Remington slipped through without much concern over traffic impacts. Hidden Canyon has been forced to address the issue at some level. But Seven Peaks, it seems, will draw the combined scrutiny of an organized community, nearby cities such as Redmond, as well as ODOT, which has voiced concern of late over the impacts of d-resorts to state facilities. The growing sentiment is that Seven Peaks will have to address and pay for traffic impacts to a degree that has yet to be seen. How that might affect development plans is uncertain, but it can't make things any easier for the developer.

Is Seven Peaks shaping up to be Crook County's Thornburgh? Will it take scrutiny of destination resorts in Central Oregon to a new level? Perhaps. It may not be too much longer before we get to find out.