Curry County commissioners continue hearing on appeal of proposed Waterburn Loop RV park; record left open

The Curry County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 24 continued a public hearing on Appeal AP-2502, an appeal of the planning commission’s decision upholding a planning director approval of a conditional-use proposal for an RV park on Waterburn Loop at the mouth of the Rogue River. The board set a continuation date of Oct. 21 at 11 a.m. and said the record will remain open for additional comment.

The hearing brought testimony from the applicant’s attorney and project lead, multiple tribal citizens and tribal advocates, environmental groups and county residents. Garrett West, attorney for the applicant, told commissioners he “agree[s] with staff’s findings on everything” and described the proposal as “pretty cut and dry” under the Curry County zoning ordinance. Sherry McGrath, who identified herself as the project lead from Parametrics, said the proposal includes more than 13,000 square feet of new vegetation in the currently graveled area and that “no vegetation is being removed whatsoever,” adding the applicants would remove concrete debris and address homeless encampments in the riparian area.

Opponents argued the RV park is not an allowable water-dependent use in the shoreland overlay and raised cultural-resource, procedural and infrastructure concerns. Mandy Watson, coastal conservation manager for Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, said, “An RV park is not water dependent as required by the zoning code,” and asked the board to reverse the planning commission’s approval. Kelsey Dunn, an attorney with Craig Law Center representing appellants, told the board, “The RV park clearly does not meet that definition,” referring to the statutory and local tests for water-dependent or water-related uses.

Several speakers representing tribal organizations and tribal citizens said the site contains ancestral village locations and probable burial and archaeological resources. Katrina Thompson Upton, founder of the Northwest American Indian Coalition, asked for tribal consultation and an archaeological investigation before further consideration and requested a short continuance to submit additional written materials. Jerome Valls and Darlene Thompson identified family and village ties to the site and urged protection and consultation.

Speakers raised process and fee issues. Thompson Upton said the Northwest American Indian Coalition and an individual (Dr. Diane Hennessy Powell) had paid roughly $1,000 in appeal fees and asked the board to consider the statutory limit and a refund. Multiple commenters urged the board to require a cultural-resources study and coordination with state historic preservation officials (SHPO) and tribes before any ground-disturbing activity.

Planning staff summarized comments received since Sept. 17 and presented a staff report and a proposed final order that largely mirrored the planning commission record. Staff recommended continuing the hearing to allow the public and parties to submit additional material and suggested Oct. 15 as a target date but said the extension would require the applicant’s agreement to extend the county’s 150-day review timeline. The applicant’s attorney said the applicant would grant an extension of the 150-day period and requested that, if the record were left open, the applicant be given time to file final legal arguments after the record closes.

In response to infrastructure concerns, McGrath said the existing septic would be decommissioned, Waterburn Sanitary District has confirmed sewer capacity is available, and the applicant would work with Dyer Partnership to evaluate needed improvements. She described proposed drainage swales to capture roadway runoff and said the plan would “clean the water before it goes out into the river.”

The board did not make a final decision on the application. The chair stated the hearing will be continued to Oct. 21 at 11 a.m. and that the record would remain open for additional written comments; staff and the applicant will file any required updates. The chair also noted a commissioner recused themself from discussion and voting on this matter because of a conflict of interest.

The continuation preserves opportunities for additional evidence or testimony on the specific approval criteria cited by staff: Article 3, Article 4 and Article 7 of the Curry County zoning ordinance and the Curry County flood damage prevention ordinance (listed in the staff presentation), as well as other applicable land-use regulations and the county comprehensive plan. The board asked staff to prepare an updated record and indicated it would accept a date-specific continuance rather than leaving only the written record open.

Votes at the meeting included a preliminary administrative vote to approve the meeting agenda, which passed, and the procedural action to continue the AP-2502 hearing to Oct. 21, 11 a.m., which the board adopted in open session. The board indicated the applicant agreed to the necessary extension of the county’s 150-day review period to allow the continuation.

The continuation permits appellants and other interested parties to submit additional written evidence and gives the planning staff time to incorporate those materials into an updated record for the board to consider on Oct. 21.

What’s next: The board will reconvene on Oct. 21 at 11 a.m. to resume the hearing on Appeal AP-2502. The written record will remain open until the board sets a closing date; parties and members of the public who wish to submit additional documents should monitor the county’s posted hearing record and staff updates for instructions and any filing deadlines.