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Inform Hood River, Hood River, OR (2025)

12/16/2025

Port of Hood River: Tuesday, December 16

Work Session 4pm: The Port hears from boathouse owners and others about the future of the boathouses. These are structures at the Marina that store boats. The Port commissioners voted in 2022 to eliminate the leases, but boathouse renters continue to look for compromises. Testimony came in the October meeting (separate reel will have public comment by Steve Tessmer from October).

Regular meeting @ 5pm. Topics include:

• Presentation on a new terminal for the airport, with a cost of just over $9 million. $500,000 from Port funding; $250,000 hopes to be raised by the Port Foundation created in 2024; the rest by federal and state tax dollars coming via US Economic Development Admin ($5 million); a federal matching grant ($1 million), an Oregon community renewable energy grant (CREP - $1 million); misc other grants ($1.3 million).
• Approving a work order agreement with Gretchen Goss for an amount not to exceed $50,000 for producing the newsletter, social media engagement, and anything the Port Foundation might need (like the still-planned Port License Plate scheme and Foundation website)
• FYI: Still waiting for the insurance reimbursement from the June 27, 2024 truck accident on the bridge.

The Executive Director’s report will include:
- Mention of the plan to donate a portion of Indian Creek Trail property to the City of Hood River.
- Electronic tolling changes: The 2nd invoice charge has been reduced from $25 to $3; if someone requires a 3rd invoice, the late charge moves to $25 at that point.

- Marina Sheriff Joel Carmody will be on leave for health reasons. HR County Sheriff has no one available to cover that role (in the Monday December 15th County Meeting, Sheriff English described staffing shortages at HRC Sheriff’s Office – including 4 open deputy positions)

- Port staff are preparing the draft Request for Developer Interest (RFDI) for the Marina East and Marina West properties. The RFDI is intended to gather information from the development community on viable concepts, market interest and potential partnership structures, and to better understand the range of commercial mixed-use opportunities that may be feasible.

- Looks like the Passport app for paying for parking may come to the Port by March 2026. That’s the same app used for City of HR parking payments.

- Discussion with Scott Webster on pricing for a “fair annual lease” for his proposed cruise ship activity.

- Port will adopt a new ordinance “Regulating Conduct on Port Property”

Other notes:
In case you missed it (easy to do), the Foundation named 4 new members (the original “Foundation” was established with only the Port Commissioners as members). The new members are Judy Newman, John Benton, Jamie Mack, and Joshua Kitts.

November 18th public comment: “Tom Bacci, Kidder Mathews, stated that he had spoken with Executive Director Kevin Greenwood earlier in the week regarding pending transactions. He noted that he expects to continue seeing existing transactions through to completion. Bacci expressed concern about a memo issued the previous week, characterizing it as defamatory and stating that he had requested a retraction.”

12/15/2025

Testimony about proposed Marriott Hotel: Due by December 15, 2025

You’ve got until December 15th to review the NEW information submitted by the applicant who wants to build a Marriott AOC hotel at 419 State Street. In the December 1st Planning Commission meeting, we were told that either side (applicant or public) can review the new evidence or comments submitted through December 8th, and provide a rebuttal to those arguments up through December 15. (After that time, only final rebuttals from the applicant are accepted).

If you want to send in comments, email them to [email protected]

Please note: Thrive Hood River has a letter (December 6th) opposing the development. Their arguments reference their own reading AND PUBLIC COMMENTS previously provided. Many of the public comments already submitted contained valuable information showing how the application simply isn’t compliant with the City’s municipal code and its Comprehensive Plan.

Your review of the new proposals on height, as well as the applicant's response to prior public comments, can be helpful in determining whether the applicant's proposal meets the city's code requirements.

In case you’re interested in new comments sent to the City, here you go:

- Thrive Hood Riverr has their new comments on their website (www.thrivehoodriver.org). I’ve copied the pages and provided them here for those who wish to read through.

A QUICK summary of points – Thrive Hood River believes the applicant’s proposal fails and should be denied based on:

• Compatibility: Proposed building fails to be compatible with the site and surrounding buildings due to its height, bulk, and scale.
• They point out that photos used to suggest the new hotel fits with the surrounding buildings in the Compatibility Exhibit “appear[s] to be intentionally misleading” because the photos aren’t at the same scale.
• Scale: The buildings the applicant uses to compare to are all in the “industrial tail at the north end of the business district, far beyond the surrounding area.”
• Height: Thrive points out that the city’s code “has grammatical issues that render it uninterpretable” (embarrassing!). Thrive looks at prior interpretations and ultimately points out that the way in which Line29/applicant is interpreting the code now “equates to a revision of the code outside of the local legislative process and cannot be allowed.”
• Parking: An issue raised by many (NOTE: The next time the City Council revisits its in-lieu parking fees and code, let’s hope for more people to speak out).
o Thrive points out that the hotel complex requires 183 parking spaces, will provide 120, and will be short 63.
o Thrive suggests that accepting a fee in lieu of providing necessary parking is contrary to the city’s comprehensive plan, and also that the city has the discretion of whether to accept that in-lieu payment. Thrive suggests downsizing the hotel complex so its parking will match the requirements.
• Flaws in the Traffic Study: Failure to consider the multiple uses at what they term is a for Oapplication uses parking calculations based on one variable, and trip calculations based on another, though both involve the same number of vehicles.
• Creation of Failed Intersections: For the City to allow the project to move ahead knowing it will create failed intersections “inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan and a disservice to the residents of Hood River.”

Mark VanderZanden (architect) testified about the flaws in the original August proposal. His letter to the city (dated December 11th) points out that the applicant’s changes indicate that there should likely be one less floor than the original proposal, but that’s not shown ... and he goes on to say “Planning shouldn’t be approving buildings based on minimal wording from letters, but from coordinated submittals. This level of revision requires a new submittal.”

Again: You can read the new documents from Line29 Architecture here: https://cityofhoodrivergcc.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/BuildingDepartment/EhypIxeY1K9FmDF-V7zdhdwBbCmUL_ObBHdHDoLK97iUKg?e=LdAUDv

The City of HR’s Staff Guidance to the Planning Commission (photo provided) warns commissioners "about a few things, including:

"5). Popular Opinion. The application is not a referendum to be approved or denied based on popular opinion or public opinion. Only factual testimony and findings related to applicable approval criteria outlined in the Hood River Municipal Code shall be considered."
"7) Financial or Fiscal Impacts: The financial merits or economic assumptions related to the application are not to be considered as part of the Planning Commission’s grounds for approval or denial of the application, as they do not appear within applicable Hood River Municipal Code Criteria."

Of course, Goal 1 for Oregon Land Use also includes Citizen Involvement.

It’s a credit to the people who’ve submitted testimony (for or against) that they are reading the documents submitted and providing comments that are not solely something that is “public opinion.”

By the way, it's not easy to access the most recent documents because of the use of Sharepoint software.

However, providing additional space at the Fire Station for public comment was a plus and helped with public participation. Scheduling meetings during a busy travel/holiday time ... maybe less useful for widespread participation. (those are my personal opinions only).

12/14/2025

Hood River County Board of Commissioners Meeting: Monday, December 15, 2025
Work Session: 4pm Regular Meeting: 6pm

Work Session Stuff:
There will be interviews for a bunch of volunteer appointments. Based on past history, the Commission is just glad to get volunteers and the questions will be softballs like “Do you have enough time to serve?”.

Of most interest & likely impact to the County and the Gorge will be the appointment to replace Michael Mills (he’s moving out of state) on the Columbia River Gorge Commission. The two candidates for the spot are:

 Cindy Thieman: Executive Director of the Hood River Watershed Group for the past 12 years.

 Steven Hochman: Managing Director for Nagarro (HQ in Munich, Germany), a global digital engineering & IT company.

Other Work Session Items:
- Presentation & update about the HRWS Bridge – if you follow info on them, it’s likely a repeat from the past 2 weeks;
- Update on the “Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion” – program where law enforcement “help individuals avoid the criminal justice system by providing adequate services. The program targets "frequent utilizers" of the system, those who often commit minor offenses and struggle with addiction, mental health issues, or houselessness.” (per County website)
--Mid-Columbia Center for Living Update on a local “Behavioral Health” plan

Business Session:

- Administrator’s report: We’ll hear about the pressures in local law enforcement, with 4 current openings. Issues in public safety funding will likely have a lead position as the County describes fiscal issues as we move into the budget season for the next fiscal year.

- Legislative priorities for the county (see photos), including a push to get the state to change its funding levels for county courthouse construction and site purchases.

- County Health Modernization Plan

- Letter of support for the Port of Hood River, which is seeking funding to help build a new terminal building at the Ken Jernstedt Airport (current estimated cost:$7 million).

 Public Land Corner Fee: This is one of those oddities... Per the Association of Oregon Counties: “Oregon county surveyors have been maintaining and perpetuating the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) – critical public infrastructure established by the federal government in 1785 – since statehood. The PLSS consists of controlling property corners located every half mile, forming the foundation for all public and private real property and resource land boundaries in Oregon. Maintaining these corners is an ongoing process requiring physical inspection and establishment or reestablishment of historical corners still set in trees or with rocks.”

This work done by county surveyors and is compensated by the “Document Recording Fee” paid in real estate transactions. It was capped at $10 over 40 years ago. State House & Senate agreed to remove the cap on the fee, and HR County will raise the fee to $28 to better cover the actual costs of the surveying work.

12/11/2025

Land Use Application from the Port of Hood River: Notice #25-0266. Here’s what the request is:

Jeff Renard, on behalf of the Port of Hood River (25-0266), has applied to develop a 10-unit T-hangar building along the southern boundary of the Ken Jernstedt Airport.

Loation: on the east side of State Highway 281 (Tucker Road), approximately ½ miles south of its intersection with Barrett Drive and Indian Creek Road (2N 10E 11B #2600). The parcel is zoned Airport Development, Airport Height Combining, and Transitional Zone and Health Hazard Overlay.

If you have comments regarding this application, please respond by 5:00 pm, Friday, December 19, 2025 to [email protected]
*****

The Port of Hood River has been discussing these T-Hangars for a while. A T-Hangar (for those who don’t have a plane that needs to be stored) is simply an enclosed structure used to store general aviation aircraft (ie. No fighter jets or Boeing 747s). The Port has a long waiting list for T-Hangar space (the waitlist goes back to 2020), and expects these to generate positive revenue.

Cost from the April 2025 Spring Planning session was estimated at $1.9 million. About $1.2 million is covered by state and federal grants, with the Port putting in around $619,000. The Port estimated annual revenue of about $54,000. Unsure if there are ongoing costs for the structures for roof maintenance, electrical, hangar door maintenance, etc. So perhaps a 12-year timeframe for the return on the initial investment, but perhaps a bit longer?

12/10/2025

Marriott Hotel: New Documents from Line29 Architecture

For those wondering about the new information coming about the Marriott – promised by the applicants in the December 1st meeting – you can find it in the link provided in the link at the bottom of the city’s November 6 public notice.

That link is also here: https://cityofhoodrivergcc.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/BuildingDepartment/EhypIxeY1K9FmDF-V7zdhdwBbCmUL_ObBHdHDoLK97iUKg?e=LdAUDv

You’ll then need to open the Folder called “Application Materials” and scroll almost to the bottom to find “Packet-Open-Record-Dec 8.pdf”.

Once in that document, SKIP the promotional PowerPoint (seen on Dec 1) about the Smith Family of Ontario OR & the HR News (as far as I can tell, the Smith family’s connections are to Ontario and Salem, other than their ownership of the HR News in the past and their current ownership of the property at 419 State St).

Jump to page 23-26: Letter from their legal firm about changes Line29 is making to the project, and their response to public comments.

You can then move on to the arguments and exhibits presented to make their case that their project is now in compliance with HR municipal code OR that they’ve addressed – one way or another – public comments.

Sorry for the short posting... I only received the link from the city yesterday afternoon. They pointing to the November 5 public notice in which a paragraph added later at the end pointed to a Microsoft Sharepoint link which in turn provided the documents. I found that almost impossible to find on the city’s own website but I’m sure it’s buried on there somewhere.

I’m traveling so posting now before a trip on 84 into PDX. No time to dig into the details or post more photos right now - the plane won't wait for me! Those interested should dig in. Reach out to the city if you can't access the link: [email protected] Note that if you want paper copies of the report, the city will provide them at $0.50 per copy. The new materials total 265 pages.

12/08/2025

Meetings: December 8 through December 10

Hood River City Council, Hood River White Salmon Bridge Authority, HRV Parks & Rec Districe (Austerity and Pool Repairs); HRVPRD Pool Open House – all this week!

MONDAY (December 8) Meetings
 Hood River White Salmon Bridge Authority (2pm to 4pm). This meeting comes after last week’s informative Open House on bike/pedestrian/mobility issues.

If you weren’t able to make the Open House, consider reading the community connection proposals. Those are POTENTIAL changes for the Hood River waterfront and downtown, White Salmon downtown and SR-14; and Bingen Downtown. See this link for details: https://sites.google.com/hoodriverbridge.org/community-mobility/mobility-action-plan NOTE: Most of those transportation connections (paths, roundabouts, bike lanes, etc) are listed as PROPOSED (depending on public input and funding). Once you read the action plan, consider taking the survey to weigh in!

 Hood River City Council & Urban Renewal: 6pm
o Mariposa Village 2.0 (aka the Rand Road project 2.0?): City will discuss 2 properties. Westcliff Drive (also called Lot 600) is part of the Morrison Park property that lies north of I-84. Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation is interested in developing it if it can be served by city sewer. City Staff is getting an estimate on extending utilities there.
o Sherman Ave (Lot 5900): This lot lies between Sherman and State Street. Steep grade makes it unsuitable for affordable housing development, but the “...excellent views and proximity to downtown may mean it has significant market value. Staff recommend selling the remaining unneeded portions of this property to fund housing investment elsewhere”
o City will approve a “memorandum of understanding” with Big River Community Land Trust for a proposed 42-unit housing development on Avalon Drive.These “will be deed-restricted, permanently affordable, for-sale homes.” This agreement allows BRCLT to apply for grant funding; no fiscal impact on City.
o More Big River Community Land Trust: CITY will consider participating in a “Moderate-Income Revolving Loan” program to help BRCLT in its application for grant funding for the Avalon Drive unit. Those units would be intended to be affordable for households earning up to 120% of area mean income – or $128,300/year for a HR family of four. City helps administer the grant funds if awarded.
o ICE followup from November 24 meeting: Staff wants to know what goals/deliverables/timeline to react to ICE in the community: town halls, emergency declaration, listening sessions, etc.

 Hood River Valley Parks and Rec District
o Monday @ 6pm: Work Session to discuss how much to spend on pool repairs; also “austerity cuts.”
o Wednesday: Last Pool Open House from 6pm to 7:30pm at HR Middle School Cafeteria. Hear about the final design option proposed along with costs and design details.

Like everyone, I’m behind now! I hope to get a short video describing what to watch for as the City plans its bond measure for 2026 (to support police station & city hall refits/renovations; the “Safe Routes to School” road measures; affordable housing program funding; and new public works building). They authorized about $32,000 for the survey to see what potential voters think they can afford or would pay. Other 2026 measures coming include (likely) school board capital bond, HRVPRD pool funding, and potential County bond.

Also coming: Short video on the new Development Code discussion in the City Council from November 24 on parking spaces for new development. You can watch the discussion here (it’s queued up where Parking starts): https://www.youtube.com/live/6wOYeQExy9I?si=q8qwCNt_KMW38cqL&t=9877 The discussion focuses on how much for residential new development, and how much for commercial. Good info because if/when this is adopted, it has a significant impact on costs for development and parking availability in commercial areas (see prior discussion on proposed Marriott Hotel; the inadequate in-lieu parking fees; and also future proposed marking space removals as part of future non-private-vehicle transportation through the HR Downtown area).

12/03/2025

December 4 - 5 to 8pm at the Hampton Inn in Hood River you can meet with Hood River-White Salmon Bridge commissioners and staff.

You'll be able to hear from city representatives and the project team at a Community Mobility Open House on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025 from 5-8 p.m. at the Hampton Inn & Suites Hood River.

They'll provide info about conceptual plans to enhance walking, biking, and transit connections between the cities of Hood River, White Salmon, and Bingen, and the new Hood River-White Salmon Bridge.

This is a chance to ask questions, share your thoughts, help explain how you'd like to be able to get across the new bridge. Remember... we're closer now to construction than we've ever been. Both OR and WA have made full financial commitments. There's a $200 million grant award by the federal government in 2024 that should come our way. And the new bridge is a reasonable contender for the $532 Bridge Investment Program grant.

Ask about how the new walking/biking section could be transformed in an event like the Rowena Fire into access lane for emergency vehicles.

Explore ideas for better walking, biking, and transit connections between Hood River, White Salmon, and Bingen. Your feedback is important to inform current and future mobility needs for our communities.

12/02/2025

Planning Commission & Marriott: FIRST Hearing (December 1, 2025)

Here’s a recap, but let’s jump to the results ... NO decision tonight.

Tonight we heard:
- Testimony from the developer/architects/lawyer for the Marriott AC hotel.
- Public comments (all opposed or with concerns)
- A timeline for new evidence and new responses that will take us to a January 5th meeting.

Highlights:

First, testimony from the Hotel Developers/Investors/Architects

o Robert Gilham (a project partner; also someone who helped bring Ferment Brewing to HR) described the background of the property and pitched the points about the site and the proposed hotel project.

—> Past projects proposed for the site were a natural foods store (failed – too expensive to convert the building; insufficient space for large food delivery trucks) and housing. Condos have financing issues; apartments are so expensive to build here that it would have required a very high density building with limited parking.

—> This hotel will be within walking distance of almost all downtown businesses, so guests will walk to local restaurants, shops, galleries, etc. This means exposure of downtown to new revenues (right now, most hotels are near the waterfront or on the other side of I-84).

Visitors can park their cars and then walk to destinations in town.

—> Marriott will NOT own the hotel. Ownership remains local, but is branded with the Marriott AC name and gets Marriott marketing dollars. Mr. Gilham described it as a “boutique” hotel, potentially a 4-star destination, with amenities like spa and event space not available elsewhere.

—> Their projections are that the hotel will bring in $2 million in upfront fees to the City of Hood River, and $100 million over 10 years to the City (fees, excises, construction, and employee spending). They estimate 40 to 50 long-term family wage jobs with benefits.

About The Building Height:
- The architects said that they had listened to public comments already submitted and had further reduced the building height. They also said that they had slides and evidence to show that the height meets City code. This new info will be published shortly.

Because those documents weren’t available yet, I’m not going to try to explain their description of how they’ve arrived at their new figures. You can see the first part of that discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/live/SFjz25X_b14?si=suwy7uNHqgaBGA2_&t=3925

Commissioner Initial Questions/Comments:

- Bill Irving recused himself from the meeting, stating that he had a rental relationship with the applicant. That will leave 5 commissioners to decide on the application.

- Mike Kitts spent a lot of time challenging the way in which the hotel – with its 135 guests plus employees – affect traffic. He pointed out concerns with a traffic study done in the winter rather than in summer peak season.

— Matt Pope (I think) questioned how the height was calculated and asked for a walk-through. He got an answer but the new slides aren’t available yet.

Public Comments - There were plenty of people who spoke, with a lot of varied concerns. I’m only sampling a few in the reel tonight.
Other public comments (start here if you want to view on your own: https://www.youtube.com/live/SFjz25X_b14?si=LlsfMT2igQX_Q4v2&t=6141)

- People testified about:
o Inadequate parking. That includes a concern that people coming for a wedding here from Portland may share a room but drive separately, driving up the parking needs.
o Lack of real compatibility with other buildings (on size, material, scale,etc)
o Height - including a well-respected local/regional architect calling Line29’s method of calculating height “novel” and not in compliance with the code.
o Congestion causing issues during an emergency (like the June 11th Rowena Fire)
o The need to consider public comments and concerns. Goal 1 for Oregon Land Use is “Citizen Involvement”. The Planning Commission can take public comments as sufficient reason for turning down this kind of project.
o The Planning Commission is the one that must determine compatibility ... and the Marriott is not compatible in scale or height with other buildings.
o Some pointed out that the arguments about the hotel focus on the guests, but not on what the hotel does for people living here.
o Eric Whitehouse spoke eloquently about his concerns for how this hotel actually improves the fabric of the community.
o Architect Mark VanderZanden has designed a number of local buildings. He faulted the architects of the project for their failure to actually provide a document that puts together clear and adequate information on how to calculate the height. Thinks the site is great for a hotel, but this building is too big.
o The Riverside Church (and its attorney) said they weren’t opposed to the project per-se, but they’ve heard nothing from the architects about their concerns.
o Mike Connors: A land-use attorney representing a Hood River resident. Points to the massive size as the root problem, which means they can’t comply with many of the requirements for the building. Says the interpretation of the height is “novel” and is based on the International Building Code – never used in the City of HR before and not in the municipal code.

Next:

- New Deadlines for comments. These are:

 December 8th: Either side (applicant or public) can provide NEW testimony or new evidence to support or oppose the project. (We expect to see new info on height calculations)

 December 15th: Either side (applicant or public) can review the new evidence or comments submitted through December 8th, and provide a rebuttal to those arguments.

 December 22nd: This is the deadline for the APPLICANT ONLY to provide their final rebuttals to new arguments and opposition presented up through December 15.

 January 5th: Planning Commission Meeting (continued)

Reels and short videos: I just got back to HR late this afternoon, so insufficient time to listen (meeting was almost 3 hours long) and also provide a fully helpful reel. I’ve brought in part of the project overview, along with a FEW of the MANY public comments. More to come. Full video is on the city’s YouTube channel.

11/28/2025

November 24 HRWS Bridge Authority Meeting

This brief meeting covered a few things, but let’s start with a reminder about the long-awaited “ROD” or “Record of Decision.” We still need $$ to start the construction - the $532 million from the Bridge Investment Program, already applied for.

It took years to complete all the Environmental Impact Statement work that resulted in the Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD is a document that confirms that all the environmental impact statements have been completed under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). Its acceptance allows the Bride Authority to move forward with permitting, land acquisition, etc. If you want to read it, it’s on the HRWSBA website.

However, it does NOT mean that DESIGN for the bridge is done… that’s underway. AND it does NOT mean that the Bridge Authority has enough $$ to build the bridge. It doesn’t mean that the completed bridge won’t have tolls.It will, because those will help repay a portion of the bridge financing that comes from loans guaranteed by the toll revenues.

The ROD is a VERY big milestone, in a year of big milestones, including receiving funding from both states. But the Bridge Authority still needs to be approved for the Bridge Investment Program grant they’ve applied for. They need that $532 million, which represents about 48% of the total project costs. No BIP = No Bridge.

Other items from last week’s Hood River-White Salmon Bridge meeting:

- Geotech boring probably begin around January 5th.
- The Progressive Design-Build team is working on substructure design, including how the steel casings might be modified to economize safely.

Access to the WA side, which will be needed for the geotech borings - is between the water and the railroad &remains a challenge. Options include going down the railroad right of way with an access road as well as helicoptering in equipment to do the geotech borings.

More than 40 permits will be needed over the course of the project. They will be critical to the project timing.

Deck design was discussed. The walking path is 8’, the 2 bike lanes are each 5’, one for each direction, with a 2 foot buffer between that and the barrier in the median.

The survey of river users confirmed that the 90’ clearance on the new bride would suffice for vessels traveling up and downriver. The railroad and the Dalles bridges, both upriver of the new bridge, are 79’ and 81’ respectively.

Tolls: For those wondering about tolls on the new bridge, rates haven’t been determined yet. But at least $100 million of the new bridge cost will be financed by LOANS, and those loans will be paid by future toll revenues.

The new bridge is also estimated to require about $4.3 million annually for operations and maintenance costs, and those costs will also be covered through toll revenues.

Inform Hood River

12/16/2025

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