A win for Crook County! Destination resort off the books
A birds-eye view of farmland west of Prineville: Ryder Redfield
Crossing Trails application officially expired
Map of the area around the proposed resort near Powell Butte and Prineville, OR.
A new destination resort in Crook County is officially off the books. The developer of a proposed resort called Crossing Trails, withdrew its application earlier this year, shutting the door on a 750-dwelling resort application on farmland near Powell Butte.
At a public hearing last summer with hundreds of neighbors in attendance, dozens of people spoke out opposing the resort proposal. Not one person testified in favor.
LandWatch recognized the concerns over the impacts that 750 resort dwellings would bring to the Powell Butte farming community, including increased groundwater use, the displacement of wildlife, impacts on wetlands, transportation, and more.
It is good news to know this is the end of the road for this proposed resort development.
A Public Voice On water, infrastructure, & Sprawl
Crook County, U.S. Drought Monitor updated November 29, 2022
During an exceptional drought, new groundwater use could have impacted neighboring wells and farms. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Crook County continues to face the worst water conditions across the state, with much of the county currently under “Exceptional Drought” conditions.
This is a time when growth should be directed inside our cities to fight climate change. New housing located far away from regional cities requires residents to drive long distances to access most services, like grocery stores, restaurants, schools, and healthcare. This type of planning encourages sprawl which comes at a high infrastructure cost to cities and counties and worsens the climate crisis by doubling down on automobile dependence.
It takes grassroots community efforts, like we saw here with the Powell Butte community, to halt harmful development in our region’s rural farmland and open spaces.
What’s next for Crook County?
In 2008, Crook County voters passed advisory Ballot Measure 7-47 to prevent any more destination resort development. The County responded by adopting Ordinance No. 210, which limited resort eligibility to just four properties. The proposal for Crossing Trails was one of those four, and in 2009 Crook County approved the Crossing Trails destination resort on 580 acres of land west of the Prineville Airport and bordering the Powell Butte farming community. Though it was approved, the developer failed to build the resort for over 13 years until a new developer applied to develop the property with new plans earlier this year. That new developer withdrew their application this summer, and the 2009 approval formally expired on November 3, 2022, according to Crook County.
With this application expired, Central Oregon will see one less destination resort development.
As we face growing concerns over groundwater use, the impacts of sprawling development, and the effects of climate change, this is good news for our region.
Central Oregon ranch land: Wasim Muklashy
PRESERVING FARMS AND FORESTS
As a watchdog for Central Oregon, we continue to monitor land use actions across Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties, challenging and defending against inappropriate development on rural lands. We support our agricultural communities and open space by stopping sprawl from encroaching on farm and forest land, and preserving open landscapes, clean water, and fresh air.