After receiving a significant amount of public testimony, the Port of Hood River decided to abandon the idea of developing a seasonal water-based family entertainment center, also known as an aquapark, in Nichols Basin.
The aquapark was first proposed at a January meeting by father-and-son duo Jerry and Alex Thon, who since went on to found Habitat Development Company of Hood River, as a potential way to create something that waterfront users of all ages and skill levels can use. Following that meeting, the commission gave port staff direction to continue looking into the proposal.
While Habitat initially intended to open the aquapark this summer, they readjusted their schedule to plan for a summer 2020 opening due to difficulty getting permits and infrastructure issues, said Waterfront and Marina Manager Darryl Stafford.
“We the port are not ready at this point to — I believe, this is my opinion — to take on what they are ready to do,” she said, and asked the commission for direction on how, or if, to proceed.
A representative of Habitat Development Company was not present at the meeting.
Six community members came forward to provide public testimony against the aquapark at the Port Commission’s May 21 meeting, citing issues such as cost and safety as reasons for the port not to add an aquapark.
Several members of the Hood River Outrigger Canoeing Club were among those who gave testimony, and club president Bernie Boglioli cited the club’s use of the basin for classes and safety programs as reasons not to consider the aquapark. This summer marks the launch of the club’s youth program, and “the basin will really provide us the most integral part of being able to get this program running and teaching the kids about the skills and the techniques of boat handling,” he said.
A Big Winds representative, Jason Watts, also testified on the negative impact he predicted the aquapark would have on Big Winds’ Stand-Up Paddle-Boarding rental operation down near the Event Site.
“The space we have … is extremely limited — we already don’t have a lot of room to work with down there in the Columbia River due to high wind, current, river traffic, barges and all that,” he said. “There’s just minimal opportunity to get people out there … and the boat basin is the one safe area that we have for paddling.”
He added that, if the port did approve the aquapark, Big Winds would have to seriously consider terminating or relocating their Stand-Up Paddle-Boarding facility.
When asked if Habitat would consider any other port properties as home for an aquapark, Stafford said that, due to wind and currents on the river, Nichols Basin was the only spot they were interested in.
Protection from the high winds and strong current of the Columbia River is also the main reason why paddle-sports activities are largely restricted to Nichols Basin.
“I can sit in my boat in the middle of the river and travel three miles an hour doing absolutely nothing,” said Karen Sceva, “so I think I like that spot (Nichols Basin) — you can send kids out, you can use any kind of equipment — you can have a noodle from the dollar store for a dollar and you can still play and aren’t going to disappear down the river.”
Cost was also brought up as an issue with the aquapark, as Habitat Development Company proposed a $10-15 entrance fee for a one-hour session. “Entrance fees to this attractor will be low and thus encourage all age and socio-economic groups to participate,” Habitat said in its written proposal, included in the port commission’s April 8 packet — but the port commissioners and community members have debated whether or not that price is affordable.
“Free is never debated as affordable or not,” Sceva said. “Free is always free; and right now, it’s free — you can go out there, use it all you want, and we don’t have to debate is it affordable or is it not.”
While the item was included in the agenda as a brief item in Director Michael McElwee’s report, the commission decided that, given the number of people who showed up to provide testimony, that they would officially move the item to the agenda for discussion and decision. McElwee also pointed out that the port had received several pieces of written testimony, including a letter from Columbia Riverkeeper, against the aquapark proposal.
Ultimately, the commissioners unanimously voted not to continue discussions with Habitat about the aquapark.
“I think we’re wasting their time continuing with this discussion because I don’t think it’s going to happen at the end of the day,” said Commissioner David Meriwether.
Commissioner Brian Shortt said that he is impressed by volunteer commitment behind the various paddle-sports programs in Nichols Basin, and said, “That’s what that basin should be: It should be a hand-launched facility and that’s what it should be protected for.”
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