Hood River County Commissioners move forward with Powerdale plan

Currently, maintaining the building is costing the county a significant amount, while its removal and refurbishment can be funded by the county and its partners via grants and other funding streams.

The board opted to instruct staff to look into removal options for the building. The goal is to turn the land into something much more usable that meets the requirements for “biological remediation, historical [acknowledgment] and recreation [access],” as motioned by Commissioner Leticia Moretti. 

Balancing these different concerns was a high priority for councilors. The suggestion presented in the work session was to create a river habitat restoration project that has public access and an acknowledgment of the “special historic value of the site” in the words of Commissioner Arthur Babitz. This area would also help mitigate flooding which would protect upper parts of the river, and “let the river be more natural,” as Chair Jennifer Euwer concluded.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Model Flood Hazard Ordinance was presented to councilors on a first reading. This is a mandate from the state to, among other things, “protect endangered fish habitat” by requiring “no net loss” of habitat through mitigation measures on a project basis. This rule protects riparian vegetation and trees, flood water storage and undeveloped areas (of which the Powerdale project is an example), and water quality. These new regulations may make projects in the floodplain more expensive with the additional cost of assessment and mitigation measures, and should be taken into account when planning. “It may cost less in time and money to simply avoid the Special Flood Hazard Area,” according to FEMA.

It should be noted that this ordinance does not include the new FEMA floodplain map, which is a separate project.

The board adopted the mandate with a unanimous “yes” on the role call vote for the first reading.

In the public comment period, a group of residents came up to discuss safety concerns on Fir Mountain Road, which includes access to the county forest, for the speeds of logging trucks and asked that Commissioners look into possible solutions. There, County Administrator Allison Williams said that county staff can give further presentations on these concerns in future meetings.

A discussion of budget controls was the final business item of the meeting, which will be covered more extensively in October’s meeting coverage.