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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend June 16, 2005 At least five developers have expressed interest in bringing golfing destination resorts to Jackson County. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Swingtowns: What’s your destination? Legislation taking effect in 2006 gives Jackson County a leg up on attracting high-end golfing resorts By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Land-use legislation signed by the governor last week could make it easier for as many as five developers lining up to build destination resorts in Southern Oregon. "There is a lot of interest in Jackson County," said Portland attorney Martha Pagel, who wouldn’t reveal the name of one client looking at developing a destination resort here. Pagel helped lobby for Senate Bill 1044, which eliminates a lengthy land-use review process for counties west of the Cascades trying to map areas for potential destination resorts. The legislation takes effect in January 2006. Previously, state land-use laws allowed counties east of the Cascades to go through a far simpler process. Advertisement "It puts us on more of an equal level as regards to Eastern Oregon," county counsel Steve Rinkle said about the legislation. "It will make it easier to map these areas and make amendments." Rinkle said he’s been approached by four to five attorneys representing unspecified county property owners who are considering developing destination resorts, including one on a 3,000-acre tract of land near Ashland and another near Highway 140. Jackson County has tried to designate areas suitable for destination resorts in the past, but the Land Use Board of Appeals said the county’s efforts fell short of meeting state land-use regulations at the time. Although the names of some investors who want to build destination resorts weren’t revealed, two projects already have been proposed. One is on an 883-acre property between Gold Hill and Central Point owned by Bernie Zieminski. The other was first proposed by Dom Provost in 1987 for a resort on his 320-acre property just south of Ashland. Zieminski has proposed a golf course, 150-room hotel and a horse arena that would be larger than the one at the nearby Expo Center. The project also would include 300 luxury homes. "This is a project we really want to do," said project manager Cal Martin, noting that about $200,000 has been invested in planning and engineering so far, not counting land acquisition. He said the legislation will make it easier for Jackson County to pinpoint areas for potential destination resorts. "This is an appropriate thing to do whether we build our project or not," said Martin. Consultant Linda Swearingen, who represents investors looking to develop destination resorts in Southern Oregon, said, "We have some properties we’re interested in acquiring. We’re researching other properties as well." Swearingen, who has worked on other Oregon resorts such as Sunriver and Pronghorn in Bend, said the investors haven’t determined exact locations. She did say the investors are not the same as those who backed the other resorts. Swearingen, the former mayor of Sisters and former Deschutes County commissioner, said there are major stumbling blocks to picking a site, including water, road access and potential neighbor concerns. Resorts can be anywhere from 600 acres to several thousand. Some can require up to 1 million gallons of water a day in the summer, much of it for use by the golf course, she said. Much of the water, she said, would likely come from wells. Swearingen said the benefits from a destination resort to both the developer and community can be enormous. For instance, she said, the Sunriver Resort has an assessed valuation of $1 billion and Pronghorn’s valuation is $600 million. Both Jackson and Josephine counties are well positioned for destination resorts because of their proximity to Northern California and Interstate 5, as well as the Medford airport. A Sunriver-style resort of 320 acres has been proposed for Paradise Ranch in Merlin, with Jack Nicklaus as the golf course designer. The developers of what could be the area’s first destination resort are represented by Pagel, the Portland attorney. Now that the process has been made easier, Jackson County Commissioner Jack Walker said the county will adopt a destination resort map as soon as possible to eliminate another bureaucratic hurdle. "It’s been a shame that Dom (Provost) has gone through half of his life without accomplishing his project," he said. Walker also has been contacted by other individuals who are interested in building a destination resort. "I know of some who will be applying but I don’t want to mention names," he said. Provost: I haven’t given up Dom Provost has fought for almost 20 years to put a 320-acre destination resort on his property just south of Ashland. "I haven’t really given up on it," said the 77-year-old Ashland resident. "We are sort of waiting for that map to be approved." The "map" in question will be prepared by the Jackson County Planning Department. Efforts to complete the map have been thwarted by legal challenges and because the county had to undergo a lengthy review process as required by land-use law. Provost said he didn’t realize Senate Bill 1044 had been signed by the governor, making it easier for the county to adopt a map showing potential destination resort areas. A draft version of the map, which is required by state law before destination resorts can be approved, has been prepared by the county. Provost said he would be contacting Portland land-use attorney Greg Hathaway, who is representing him, to find out if this new law will mean he can finally build the resort. He said he has water rights to Neal Creek, which he says would give him more than enough water for an 18-hole golf course, large hotel and more than 100 condominiums and houses. Known as Clear Springs Resort, the project has faced legal challenges since it was first proposed. Provost has owned the tracts of land to the east of Interstate 5 since 1968. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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