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The land exchange:
Mt Hood Meadows, a Portland based real estate development company, plans to develop and massively expand
beyond the 50 acres of the Cooper Spur ski area.
Mt Hood Meadows recently completed a land swap with Hood River County in which Meadows received 640 acres of land
adjacent to the Inn at Cooper Spur and nearby federal forestland.
This is yet another step towards converting this small ski area into a major destination resort.
This land was swapped with the County for a mere $325 per acre plus the value of the timber!
The Legal questions:
Local residents and citizen groups have raised a question about the legality of the land exchange:
- The Oregon Revised Statutes require that the land be exchanged for "equal value" and be in the "public interest."
- The exchange agreement illegally excluded the potential development value of the property without further analysis.
- The County specifically limited the appraisal to not include the full development potential of the land while it simultaneously is
opening up the ability of Meadows to develop this land.
- Base area "village" including:
450 homes, hotel rooms, condominiums, retail village, restaurants,
and ice rink.
- 18-hole golf course.
- Expansion of the Cooper Spur Ski Area from 50 acres to 1,400 acres.
- Meadows' plan to build a number of parking lots in the flat between
the Tilly Jane Snow-park and the current Cooper Spur Ski Area parking lot
with service to these parking lots by a jitney.
- Meadows' plan to run a 7,000 foot lineal link high-speed
detachable quad chair with a lower terminal beginning in
the vicinity of the beginning of the Tilly Jane trail all the way
up to the knob that is just to the Northeast of the Pollalie Creek
Ridge.
The plans also detailed the construction of a terminal facility and
restaurant adjacent to this top terminal at a bit lower elevation.
- From the Knob, there would be four chair lifts going in various directions,
essentially blanketing most of the current 1,200 acre Cooper Spur
ski permit area and reaching just below the cabins on the Tilly Jane
trail to an elevation of approximately 5,500 feet.
- One of the four chair lifts would traverse the permit area heading
over Tilly Jane creek into the current historic district boundary
and outside the current ski permit area boundary. The purpose of this
chair would be to connect to another high-speed detachable quad chair
that would run up and down the length of the Cloud Cap Tilly Jane
Special Interest area and abut right up to the wilderness boundary.
The lower terminal of this final chair would start quite low, somewhere
in the vicinity below the first switch back of the Cloud Cap Road,
slightly east of the Wagon Road and head all the way up the mountain
just below the Snowshoe Club Cabin. While Mr. Riley made the point
that nothing had been "formally" proposed to the Forest
Service, it was clear that Mr. Riley has a specific game plan for
building a four-season resort and that their intention is to present
the plans in late-spring or early summer.
The proposed Cooper Spur Ski Area expansion, residential
and commercial buildings and golf course are incongruous with the traditional
back country use of the area. Any of Meadow's proposals would irreversibly
reduce enjoyment for current users of this wild area. Ski area expansions
and USFS supported clear
cuts would end the use of these areas we use for hiking, back country
skiing and snow shoeing. The proposed developments and "village"
would ruin the well-preserved, historic and remote atmosphere on the
flanks of Hood that is enjoyed by visitors in its current status.
The planning area lies entirely in the `transient snow
zone' where precipitation can occur as either rain or snow
and where rapid melting due to rain on snow events is
a common occurrence. Therefore, it is not a good site for a sky resort.
Many of Oregon's leading outdoor and environmental groups, such as the Mazamas and 1,000 Friends of Oregon, have come together
to save the mountain. To find out more, visit the Cooper Spur Coalition Page.
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