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County staff urges recommendation to deny Lakehouse liquor license over unmet permit conditions
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Summary
County staff told the board that the Lakehouse venue has outstanding land‑use violations, unpermitted structures and unmet conditional‑use requirements; a member moved to recommend denial to OLCC but the transcript records no final vote.
County staff told the Columbia County administrative board that the Lakehouse event venue has not satisfied conditions of its conditional‑use approval and recommended the board forward a recommendation of denial to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC).
The Chair opened the item and Staff member summarized enforcement history, saying the establishment has been subject to citations and convictions for violating local regulations and that several conditions tied to the conditional‑use approval remain unmet. Agency official told the board, “They have not submitted a single condition of approval at this time yet,” and noted the county retains authority to enforce conditional‑use requirements, including issuing a cease order during events.
Agency official also flagged a wetland delineation that must be completed before other approvals can move forward and noted unpermitted permanent structures on the property. The transcript records that the OLCC application lists expected and peak attendance of 75, while the county’s conditional‑use approval limits guests to 60, a discrepancy staff said raises safety and compliance concerns.
Board discussion focused on enforcement and practicality. One member said the applicant could return after correcting deficiencies; another raised potential liability for the county if events proceed while permit conditions remain unaddressed. At the close of discussion, a board member moved to recommend denial to OLCC and another seconded; the motion appears on the record as “Move to deny.” The transcript does not record a final vote or an outcome on that motion.
The agency official added that the conditional‑use permit expires 08/08/2026 and that the applicant has the option to seek a one‑year extension before that date. The board indicated staff should encourage the applicant either to pursue corrections and reapply or to request the extension while work continues.
Next steps: staff and the applicant may pursue compliance, a permit extension, or a revised application; the transcript does not record a final board vote forwarding the recommendation to OLCC.
