Candidate Forum-November 2022 Election
If you missed the candidate forum, click "READ MORE" below to access the video link.
Hood River’s Game-Changing Win for Housing Affordability
The new Missing Middle code will allow for a greater variety of residential building types that include smaller cottage clusters, duplexes, and triplexes, all under design parameters that ensure new homes are attractive and blend into existing neighborhoods.
H is for Harvest October 13
H is for Harvest Saturday October 13, 6-9 pm The Ruins, Hood River Please join us at our 4th Annual H is for Harvest fundraiser on Saturday, October 13th at The Ruins (formerly Springhouse Cellar) for a harvest inspired evening of live music, delicious food, local wine, and exciting auction items that celebrate our beautiful county and its bounty–and support our work. A is for the AMAZING items in our live and silent auctions. The charming Steven Talbot, Talbot Benefit Auctions will be master of ceremonies as we offer a slew of intriguing lots like the ever popular one night’s stay for 24 people (family reunion site?) with dinner and breakfast at Timberline's historic Silcox Hut, a week's stay in the beautiful Tuscan hill town of Cortona, Italy, a MountNBarrel bike tour through Hood River’s wine country for 4, a week of Leslie Smith’s Art Camp for your little one, 2 tickets to an Oregon Shakespeare Festival…
Mt. Hood Bill Passed Congress
Mt. Hood Land Exchange Clarification Bill Ready for President's Pen Legislation written by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Representatives Greg Walden, R-Ore., and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., to protect and enhance Oregon’s land conservation and recreation priorities on Mt. Hood passed the Senate unanimously on December 21, 2017. The House of Representatives passed the bill in February on a 415-1 vote. The bill now goes to the president to be signed into law. Wyden, Merkley, Walden and Blumenauer introduced the Mt. Hood Cooper Spur Land Exchange Clarification Act in the Senate and House earlier this year to help resolve a nearly nine-year-long dispute over proposed land development on the northeast side of Mt. Hood. Hood River Valley Residents Committee executive director Heather Staten expressed our gratitude on getting the bill passed, “We have been working on this historic solution for more than 15 years, and we…
After the Smoke Clears Forum Nov. 30
After the Smoke Clears: A Forum on the Eagle Creek Fire and Recovery Thursday, November 30, doors at 5:45, show at 6:30 pm Bowe Theater, Hood River Valley High School The Eagle Creek fire threatened Gorge communities, disrupted businesses, filled our skies with smoke, and burned through cherished hiking trails. Many of us are still working through the accompanying anger, outrage, anxiety, and stress from the fire. Now that rains have come and largely put the fire out, we can breathe deep and look to the forest for what it can teach us about natural recovery systems. It's also a time to look ahead at ways we can increase resilience for the land, communities, and trails that make the Gorge such a special place. We are pleased to be a host of After the Smoke Clears a forum featuring multimedia presentations on what happened in the fire and examining key challenges moving forward, featuring insights from a collection of…
H is for Harvest October 7th
You are invited to our 3rd Annual H is for Harvest Saturday October 7, 6-9 pm Springhouse Cellar, Hood River Join the Resident's Committee at one of Hood River’s coolest venues for a harvest inspired evening of live music, delicious food, Northwest wines, and exciting auction items that celebrate our beautiful county and its bounty--and support our 40 years of work protecting farms, forests, wild places and the livability of our community. D is for Delicious. We’ll provide light appetizers and desserts with more substantial food truck fare available from The Huck Truck. A is for the AMAZING items in our live and silent auctions. We've got intriguing auction items lined up from an Ashland theater trip with luxury hotel stay to Mystic Mud pottery to 9 tons of gravel from Lane's Excavation. Check out a sneak peek of the auction here. B is for the BAND and this year we'll enjoy the swinging blues and bluesy jazz of local heros OBO - Ontiveros, Bonham…
Tactical Urbanism in Mosier? What’s That?
Tactical urbanism is all about action. Also know as DIY Urbanism or Planning-by-Doing, Tactical Urbanism uses low-cost materials like chalk paint and haybales to experiment with potential street design changes. It can be led by citizens, non-profits or local government and it's happening in our own backyard. For one week only (September 2 to 9) the City of Mosier will test-driving some new intersections and street treatments on Mosier's main street. If you like what you see or don't like what you see--be sure to send your comments to mosiercityhall@mosierwinet.com Go check out Mosier and also think about whether Hood River could use the same sort of DIY tactics to experiment with new street treatments in the Heights. Parklets? Bike Lanes? Bulb outs for pedestrian crossings? Stay tuned for the Heights Urban Renewal kickoff public informational meeting October 19th, at the Hood River Fire House, 1785 Meyer Parkway.
Westside Area Concept Plan
You’ve probably heard some hullabaloo about the Westside Area Concept Plan either in the Hood River News last year, last month, or last week or from your friends and neighbors. Over the next few days we’ll share answers to some of the most common questions as well as our take on the project. We also want to hear from you. What do you like about Westside Area Concept Plan proposals? What worries you? What could be better? Are there things that the plan should address but doesn't? If you’ve got questions or comments, send them to our Director, Heather Staten heather@hrvrc.org or (541) 490-5225. So far the Westside Plan consultants have generated more than 450 pages (!) of traffic simulations, road routes and elevations, housing projections, infrastructure funding scenarios, bike and pedestrian projects, Cascade Avenue makeovers, etc., etc., etc. It is a big complex project with lots of detail but we firmly believe that we plan better…
LUBA Rules in our Favor on Deetour Hotel
On June 29th, the state’s top planning board soundly rejected Hood River County’s approval of a 50-room hotel at the site of the old Dee Mill – the latest attempt by the developers of DeeTour to install a destination hotel-resort and concert attraction out in the countryside. Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals agreed with the Hood River Valley Residents Committee that the Board of Commissioners’ decision to allow this project was a far stretch from what Hood River County’s land-use plan actually allows for rural acreage on a country road. Here is the LUBA Decision Deetour Hotel 6.29.17 From the beginning, members of the public saw that the regional draw of a concert scene and hotel complex would be overwhelming out in quiet, rural Dee. How could this grand scheme mesh with Oregon’s land-use laws designed to put urban uses in urban areas and to protect working farms and forestlands from…
No to SB 432 and SB 644
Help save Oregon's land use planning. Say 'NO' to SB 432 and SB 644 We need your help today to stop a bill that threatens the core of Oregon’s land use program. SB 432 would remove Oregon’s land use planning protections from eastern Oregon. The bill is extremely destructive and will imperil the future of the land use system statewide SB 644 would allow strip-mining on farmland in the same region without any land use review. Please contact Senate President Peter Courtney and Sen. Majority Leader Sen. Ginny Burdick today. Ask them to say “no” to SB 432. and SB 644 Bills are moving fast – so please act today! We are grateful that our own Sen. Chuck Thomsen opposes the bill--thank you! Here is our letter in opposition to the two bills. We strongly oppose SB 432 and so do League of Women Voters, Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Oregon Chapter of the American Planning…