Although mostly forgotten along with the several proposed
resorts that sputtered during the real estate downturn, the Thornburgh project
in the Cline Butte area has a reprieve of sorts thanks to a vote by Deschutes
County Commissioners.
In a 2-1 vote in July
the county governing body essentially contradicted a hearing offer’s
ruling in late March that the current developer had not met a county code
requirement to show significant activity in building the project over a two
year period.
Hearing office Karen Green had ruled that developer
Terrence Larsen would need to restart the project with a new master plan, a
decision that Larsen appealed.
Larsen, who acquired the project in bankruptcy in 2011,
has argued that delays have resulted from various appeals by opponents,
economic conditions and other unforseen issues. His attorneys have said nearly
$7 million has been invested in the project starting prior to Larsen’s
acquisition, in addition to the $2 million the Philadelphia-based investor paid
for property.
A key issue the commissioners had to address was whether
a final plan submitted by Larsen that was rejected by the state’s Land Use
Board of Appeals met the test of substantial action within a two-year period.
The commission decision does not validate the final plan rejected
by LUBA, but puts the process back on track without requiring Larsen to in
effect go back to square one as the hearing officer ruled.
The ambitious plan of the original developer, Kameron
DeLashmutt, was for Thornburgh -- also known as The Tribute -- to offer 950
homes with 475 nightly lodging units on its approximately 1,300 acres. Among
the three proposed golf courses was one to be designed by links-great Arnold
Palmer, who visited the site before the real estate crash.
Among other troubled resorts, Remington Ranch near Powell Butte in Crook County barely got off the ground with a clubhouse/marketing facility and nine-hole golf course before going into bankruptcy. In 2012 it was listed for $5 million in an auction with a Colorado company.
Among other troubled resorts, Remington Ranch near Powell Butte in Crook County barely got off the ground with a clubhouse/marketing facility and nine-hole golf course before going into bankruptcy. In 2012 it was listed for $5 million in an auction with a Colorado company.
Crossing
Trails and Hidden Valley, another two projects proposed for Crook
County, never made it beyond early stages of the permitting process.
