County Planning Commission delays action

A conditional-use permit to build a hunting and fishing lodge, farm stand and up to eight cabins on a small ranch 10 miles from Huntington drew more questions than the applicant had answers for during Thursday’s Baker County Planning Commission meeting.

Steven and Virginia Mayer submitted the request for a conditional-use permit to build and operate a guest ranch under the name Riverwind Ranch, at 32314 Snake River Road, Huntington.

The 13-acre site is in an exclusive farm use zone and most of the proposed building sites for the guest ranch are between Snake River Road and the shore of Brownlee Reservoir, according to Laurie Hoopes, Baker County planner.

She said the Mayers’ site plan calls for the phased construction of a two-story, 5,000-square-foot lodge, eight small cabins, mostly 24-feet-by-24-feet each to be built over the next five to eight years, along with a farm store, bunkhouse, hunting preserve and bird pens, where the Mayers plan to raise pheasants for hunting on the guest ranch.

“My understanding is the farm store would be two-story, too,” Hoopes said.

“A lot of the cabins will be built on sloping ground between the road on top, and sloping down to the boat launch areas below the cabin sites,” she said.

Steve Mayer said he bought the property about a year ago with plans of restoring an operating cattle ranch and running the guest ranch as an auxiliary business.

He said he has more than 30 years’ experience ranching and farming in New York and other areas.

He recently brought in 30 calves and is planning on grazing the calves through the year and selling them in the fall each year.

“We do own right up to the high water line,” Mayer said.

“What we propose is to start out with two cabins and see if people come. If it works, we will add two more cabins, and keep adding a cabin or two over five years or so,” Mayer said.

However, when members of the planning commission peppered Mayer with questions during the two-hour hearing, Mayer’s didn’t have all the answers, and in the end he asked for a delay so he could get more information.

Commissioner Bill Harvey raised questions about what type of sewer disposal system Mayer was planning, since the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality won’t allow individual septic tanks that close to the water line at Brownlee Reservoir.

Mayer said he had talked to DEQ and knew that some kind of community sewer system would be needed for the development, but it had not been designed or approved yet.

“Being in the tourism industry, I think having a product like this would be beneficial. We want things to be beneficial and in concert with our heritage,” said Commissioner Alice Trindle.

However, Trindle said she worked on the guest ranch legislation that allows conditional-use permits for guest ranches. Based on her knowledge of that legislation, she questioned whether the ranch operation the Mayers propose would meet the standard that requires the agricultural operation to be the main source of income.

“We have some concerns that have to be met,” said Commission Chairman Randy Joseph.

Joseph said he also questioned whether it would be a viable ranching operation, required for approval of a conditional-use permit for the guest ranch.

“It is my understanding that the livestock on the property has been sporadic over the years,” Hoopes said.

Joseph said to grant a conditional-use permit, the applicant must show a need for the proposed guest ranch, and he didn’t see where Mayer showed a need.

“There is no guest ranch in this area,” Mayer said.

Joseph said Mayer would need to document what the need is, how much occupancy is available in Huntington and Farewell Bend, and whether there is an unmet need for additional occupancy.

Commissioner Don Silva said his main concern was that the Mayers haven’t got septic approval from DEQ.

Hoopes said Mayer would need a boat launch permit from Idaho Power to build and use a boat launch into Brownlee Reservoir.

Mayer said he planned to get one but hadn’t done that yet.

Mark Bennett, Baker County emergency management director, said if the county grants the conditional-use permit and Idaho Power doesn’t grant launch permits, Mayer could end up with a hunting and fishing resort with no access to the river, except existing boat ramps located about eight miles away.

Hoopes said Idaho Power pays for maintenance of the Snake River Road under a contract with Baker County, and the additional traffic generated by the proposed guest ranch would require a new contract.

A letter from Idaho Power also raised concerns about the additional traffic from a guest ranch affecting wildlife and increasing maintenance costs.

Harvey said it looked like the proposed location of some of the cabins would be short of the county’s 60-foot road setback requirement.

Mayer said he was planning to get all the information and additional building requirements figured out after he found out if the planning commission would approve a conditional-use permit to built the guest ranch.

After the grilling by commissioners, Mayer asked for a 150-day extension to get more information, at which time he will request another hearing.

The planning commission granted that request.

In other action, the commission postponed proposed action on forest management dwelling changes to the Baker County Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance until its Aug. 27 meeting.