REDMOND, OR -- The most litigated development in Deschutes County is another step closer to reality, after nearly 20 years of planning and appeals. Kameron Delashmutt submitted the first plans for Thornburgh Resort in 2005. Since then, the project has faced unprecedented opposition, primarily from members of Central Oregon Landwatch concerned about water usage and wildlife impacts.
On Wednesday, Deschutes County Commissioners granted preliminary approval for several plan modifications, allowing the resort to implement a new fish mitigation plan and reduce water usage. Oregon's Supreme Court rejected three other appeals on Thursday. "We have had positive rulings from the Board of County Commissioners, a hearings officer, the Land Use Board of Appeals, the Oregon Court of Appeals and the Oregon Supreme Court," Delashmutt tells KBND News, "I think that the total of those is 36 or 37 positive rulings, roughly, in the past three years." County officials say Commissioners will likely give final approval on the latest Master Plan changes on April 12, at which time opponents could file another appeal to the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). Delashmutt says, "It’s gone to the Supreme Court over and over again, and we’ve prevailed at the Supreme Court. There’s nowhere else for opponents to go." Click HERE for more on Deschutes County's action.
Delashmutt owns more than 1,900 acres south of Eagle Crest, with access to another 400 acres of public land. The goal is to eventually open Thornburgh Resort with a hotel and houses, "It is permitted for up to 950 single family homes, 380 overnight lodging units, two golf courses," he says, "It was three golf courses, but we have voluntarily eliminated one golf course. And, it has some lakes; we voluntarily have reduced the number of lakes and irrigated areas."
Throughout the court battles, Delashmutt says he's pushed forward, "We’re under construction. We’ve got the golf courses fully shaped, we’re doing drainage, getting ready to do irrigation, our lakes are excavated and we have road work under construction. Our water reservoir was just installed and we’re getting ready to install our pump station so our water system is live." He adds, "We’re trying to get the golf course to the point we can get it seeded, where we could open in 2024. And we’ve got 24 sets of building plans at the Building Department in Deschutes County. Our goal is to start going vertical on 15 of those cabins, so we can close real estate in the spring of 2024."
