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Stevenson Planning Commission denies campground permit for hop‑farm site (CUP‑2025‑003)
Summary
The Stevenson Planning Commission voted 3‑1 on May 11, 2026, to deny CUP‑2025‑003, a proposal for 17 primitive campsites on a 3.2‑acre nursery at 365 Foster Creek Road; commissioners cited public‑health, safety, compatibility and comprehensive‑plan concerns.
On May 11, 2026, the Stevenson Planning Commission voted 3‑1 to deny Conditional Use Permit CUP‑2025‑003, a proposal to allow 17 primitive campsites on a 3.2‑acre nursery/hop‑growing property at 365 Foster Creek Road. Commissioner Charles Hales moved to deny the permit; Commissioner Anne Keesee seconded the motion. Commissioners Hales, Anthony Lawson and Keesee voted in favor of denial; Vice‑Chair Auguste Zettler voted against it.
Neighbors and counsel for a nearby lodge had urged denial during the public‑comment portion. Resident Rachel Lehr said the proposal would “change the character of the neighborhood,” and raised specific concerns about sanitation, fire risk and added traffic. Attorney Ezra Hammer, representing Skamania Lodge/Terrapins Owner, LLC, told the commission the application was incomplete and listed missing documentation including site‑plan dimensions, a SEPA checklist, trash/sanitation and fire‑safety plans.
Applicant Wesley Huston said he was willing to make changes and noted that public‑health officials had approved the number of bathrooms; he also stated, “All campers using the site will be known to me.” Planner II Mandy Hertel had presented staff’s determination that the project did not require a SEPA checklist under the cited exemption and summarized the staff report supporting that determination.
In its written conclusions, the commission found the application failed to demonstrate that the proposed use would not endanger public health or safety, would be in harmony with the surrounding area, would not substantially reduce adjoining property values, or would conform with the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Attorney Robert Muth reminded the commission and public that a prior, fuller SEPA review had been completed for the site in 2014 and that a judicial reevaluation remains possible.
Next steps: the denial of CUP‑2025‑003 concludes the commission’s decision on this application unless the applicant files for rehearing or seeks relief in court; the staff report and the commission’s Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law remain available at City Hall and on the city’s website.
