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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Input - Harper BridgeRobert Bolle 56635 Lunar Dr. Bend, OR 97707 September 13, 2009 Dear Deschutes County Commissioners, This letter is being written to comment on issues being discussed at the county hearing scheduled for Wednesday, 9-16-08, at 1:30 pm- an impossible time for working Deschutes County taxpayers to attend. A few years ago, a consortium of river users from Deschutes County set out to find a better way to access the Deschutes River from the Sunriver area for recreation purposes. This heavily used area is specifically south of the Sunriver area near Harper Bridge. As you should know, when the homeowners in this area of Sunriver were approached, they made it very clear that they did not support using their land to solve this problem. This group then attempted to solve this dilemma by encroaching on property rights into the area just to the south, across the Deschutes River. This area, Deschutes River Recreation Homesites (DRRH), is privately owned property. In other words, it is a neighborhood. Last summer and fall the citizens in this neighborhood joined together - getting many agencies involved in this issue. This included county officials, Ted Wise at Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, and the US Forest Service (being a Federally designated Wild and Scenic River). Letters and petitions were sent regarding this river issue to these agencies as well as to Deschutes County Commissioners. We made it very clear that DRRH boat landings, clubhouses and other areas were not public, but for private use only by DRRH homeowners. This became a very contentious issue for all involved. Early in this summer of 2009, Sunriver Resort, Sunriver Marina and The Trout House chose to close the only easily accessible boat launch area for those families renting property within Sunriver. The homeowner's park remains gated as well as the river launch area. The claim was made in the Sunriver Scene Paper that " Local Joes from Bend" are coming to use the launch and causing problems for those residents who use the area." But, after closing the area and looking at who wanted to use the launch, the Sunriver Board found that the families using the area were mainly in fact their own renters. They have yet to address or solve this problem. All of these actions have caused problems for those renting the properties in Sunriver and for taxpayers in the surrounding communities who now have greatly increased traffic, usage and trespassing on their private lands and roads. So, the question is, what should be done? SEP 1 6 20)9 BOARD OF COMMISSIO iERS ADMINISTRATION 1. Sunriver properties should provide access to the river for those who use their resorts, at their (Sunriver Properties') expense and on their properties, without encroaching on neighboring Deschutes County taxpayer's monies and property rights. It should be developed to handle the numbers of families who WILL need river access as they expand their resorts. 2. Alternate accesss areas, such as Besson Camp Boat Launch, should be improved and made more user friendly, including improving roads, and providing better signage so that tourists can find it. This was suggested to the Deschutes Nat'l. Forest Representatives in 2008. 3. Access to other Sunriver Properties' community areas along the river should be a part of the resort/rental experience within Sunriver and provided at their expense. 4. Harper Bridge Launch should be further developed and enhanced so it can be accessed by all. This includes old and young, handicapped, fly-fishers, and general recreation boaters. The river belongs to the public, it is not privately owned. Those choosing to use it should be allowed. I ask that you require Sunriver Properties, (Sunriver, Crosswater and Caldera Springs LLC's) and the Sunriver Homeowners Association to be held responsible for their guests and users. The ubiquitous growth and expansion of Destination Resorts affect all of Deschutes County's and Oregon's taxpayers (recall the legislative halting of the Metolius area resort). This is truly a problem Sunriver Properties has created and it is unfair to burden the county and citizen taxpayers with their problem any further. Thank you, Robert Bolle 5ii-- Llzt -7iiv SEP 1 6 2009'��,E! j BOARD OF COMMISSIONE ;S ADP id SlRAiiON /24(dLljt- Xt ( c 7z7 Kea S K./ coe-71 _Fty L -H -Le /77,6e17,7c- 71_61_,,LZ wiL/14- L. r 117, SEP 1 6 2009 BOARD OF COMMiSSIONERS ADMINISTRATION Kathi Smith-Bolle 56635 Lunar Dr. Bend, OR 97707 541-419-3243 September 13, 2009 Dear Deschutes County Commissioners, Approximately one year ago a group of homeowners from Sunriver, Crosswater and Caldera set out to find a better way to access the Deschutes River from the Sunriver area for recreation purposes. This area is specifically south of Sunriver along the Spring River area and the Harper Boat Ramp. As you know when the homeowners along this area of Sunriver were approached, they made it very clear there was no support for this idea. It was a NIMBY. This group then went to the area just to the south, across Spring River Road. This area, Deschutes River Recreation Home sites (DRRH) is privately owned subdivision land. In other words, it is a neighborhood. Last summer and fall the citizens in this neighborhood joined together getting many agencies involved in this issue. This included Ted Wise at Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Wild and Scenic Rivers and the US Forest Service. Letters and petitions were sent regarding this river issue to the agencies as well as to Deschutes County Commissioners. We made it very clear that our boat landings, clubhouses and other areas were not public, but for private use only as DRRH homeowners. This became a very contentious issue for all of us. Later this summer 2009, Sunriver Resort, Sunriver Marina and The Trout House chose to close the only easily accessible boat launch area for those families renting property within Sunriver. The homeowner's park remains gated as well as the river launch area. The claim was made in the Sunriver Scene Paper that " Local Joes from Bend are coming to use the launch and causing problems for those residents who use the area." But, after closing the area and looking at who wanted to use the launch, the Sunriver Board found that the families using the area were mainly in fact their own renters. They have yet to address or solve this problem. All of these actions have caused a problem for those renting the properties in Sunriver and for the surrounding communities who now have greatly increased traffic and trespassing on their private lands. So, the question is, what should be done? 1. Sunriver properties should provide for those who use their resort local access to the river within the boundaries of the resort. It should be developed to handle the numbers of families who now raft, float and use the river. Many families own their own craft and choose to use the river as a fun, family activity Mitch the same a way they use all of the bike paths. CL) JNER'S -'t ION 2. Alternate launch areas such a Besson Camp Launch should be made better accessible and signed so that tourists can find it. This was suggested to the Deschutes Nat'l. Forest Representatives in 2008. 3. Access to other community areas along the river should be a part of the resort/rental experience within Sunriver. 4. Harper Bridge Launch should be further developed and enhanced so it can be accessed by all. This includes old and young, handicapped, fly-fishers, and general recreation boaters. The river belongs to the public, it is not privately owned. Those choosing to use it should be allowed. I ask that you require the Sunriver Resort and the Sunriver Homeowners Association be responsible for their guests and users. This is truly a problem they have created and it is unfair to burden the county and citizen taxpayers with their problem any further. Kathi Smith-Bolle Page 1or1 Bonnie Baker From: Stephen M. Day [smkmday@bendbroadband.com] Sent: Monday, September 14, 2009 4:12 PM To: Board Subject: River Access Site at the Harper Bridge Deschutes County Board of Commissioners, The boat launching site on Spring River Road at the Harper Bridge over the Deschutes River is very important to paddlers traversing the section of the river past Sunriver down to one of two takeouts above Benham Falls. Thi? Sunriver Marina does not allow the public not renting their boats to launch from the Marina. Furthermore, the Harper Bridge access site is used as the takeout for paddlers traversing the section starting at Big River Campground. Consequently the Harper Bridge access site is critical for the Deschutes Paddle Trail. The Benc Paddle Trail Alliance (BPTA) received a major grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to develop the Deschutes Paddle Trail in Deschutes County. As Chairman of the Paddle Trail Committee of the BPTA I request you to do what you can to maintain the Harper Bridge access site as a viable and important putin and takeout for paddlers on the Deschutes Paddle Trail. Thank you for your consideration, Stephen M. Day Paddle Trail Chairman of the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance 541-610-6769 9/15/2009