Wine country hotel wins county OK

Yamhill County Commissioners unanimously endorsed Portland developer David Kahn’s vision of a boutique hotel at the top of Breyman Orchards Road north of Dayton on Wednesday, and opponents hinted they will appeal the decision.

For Kahn, it was the second hurdle he had to clear in his quest to build a luxury facility on a hilltop expressly intended to appeal to high-end wine tourists. If there’s a third, and it appears likely that there will be, it will be the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals.

The developer silently mouthed „thank-you“ and nodded toward commissioners after they voted Wednesday afternoon during a hearing attended by Portland broadcast media. Afterward, he said he felt great about the decision.

The process that’s played out in recent weeks was substantively the same as when the Yamhill County Planning Commission faced the controversial issue earlier this year. Kahn and his team made their case, opponents – including many in the wine industry – argued for protecting the farmland where he wants to build, and a majority of commissioners sided with Kahn, although some voting „yes“ were clearly torn by the decision.

„This has been very difficult,“ Commissioner Mary Stern said. „I’ve gone back and forth several times.“

Because Commissioners Leslie Lewis and Kathy George are regarded as the private property rights bloc on the three-member board, their „yes“ vote was expected, according to several who testified.

But Stern was the wild card vote; she has many friends in the local wine industry, and she’s been a strong advocate for protecting agricultural land.

Even as she was reading from a prepared statement outlining her position, she hinted that the „back-and-forth“ would continue right up to the vote, noting that there would „probably“ be three „yes“ votes.

More than any other issue, the one that kept coming up Wednesday was the question of whether approving one luxury hotel would fling the door open to urban uses on farmland.

Critics contended that the county’s approval would set a precedent. Senior Planner Ken Friday strongly disputed that view Wednesday, and all three commissioners said they were in agreement.

„One quasi-judicial decision does not set a precedent for another quasi-judicial decision,“ said Lewis, who has worked on land-use issues at both the local and state levels. „That has come home to me many, many times.“

„Every land-use decision is unique,“ Stern added. „It’s like a fingerprint.“

All three commissioners also praised Kahn’s plan, expressing the view that it will boost the county’s wine industry. Stern said the testimony that stuck with her were the words of an investor from Napa Valley’s Auberge du Soleil, who maintained that world-class wines deserved a world-class hotel.

„I believe that’s true,“ Stern said.

„The best way to protect farmland is to ensure that farmland is profitable,“ George said. In that sense, a hotel catering to wine tourists would be a boon to those who are already using land to grow wine grapes.

Jason Lett, who spearheaded an effort to rally vintners and wineries opposed to the hotel, said he was disappointed by the vote and that he didn’t know if they would appeal. The most likely appeal would come from Friends of Yamhill County.

„I never say anything until I read the findings,“ said FYC President Merilyn Reeves. „But I’ve said that it deserves an appeal, and that’s my thinking.“

Source: newsregister.com