Uplift Local: Land buy hits ‘impasse,' completion still the goal for Hood River Valley Parks & Rec

“The land purchase is not going to be moving forward at this time,” Hood River Valley Parks & Recreation District board President Christy Christopher told her colleagues at their Sept. 30 meeting. “The fundraiser is going to be refocused…on the trail.”

Christopher later told Uplift Local that neighbors had worked out a sales agreement with the landowner, but finalizing the deal “ended up being a much longer negotiation process than expected” and eventually “reached an impasse.”

But both she and Mark Hickok, director of the district, hope Hood River Valley Parks & Recreation will acquire the land in the future. 

“The seller of the property is trying to work out another deal to transfer the property to us, but wanted to look into some other options with it,” Hickok told Uplift Local. “He kind of decided, let’s go ahead and wait till springtime or next year.”

Hood River has long been trying to connect two sections of the trail, which runs from Hazel Avenue on the northeast side of town to Barrett Park in the southwest. Earlier this year, the recently formed nonprofit Hood River Valley Parks & Rec Foundation announced a fundraising effort to buy nine acres of a larger property which would not only allow the trail to be completed but also preserve adjacent property, mostly wetlands.

“These 9 acres of wetlands are a jewel in our town,” the foundation’s website says. “It is the last piece of undeveloped natural area within the Urban Growth Boundary and offers a place of healthy recreation and quiet respite for our community.”

The rest of the property is expected to be developed. 

Over the summer, the foundation had raised $380,000 to buy the nine acres and complete trail construction, just over half the total goal. But with the land purchase now on hold, the foundation has decided to offer donors who contributed at least $1,000 — whose gift was to help buy the land — an option to redirect their money toward trail construction, get a refund, or a combination.

“Due to the uncertainties and our commitment to being good stewards of your generous donation, we are reaching out to you regarding next steps,” foundation leaders wrote in an email to donors. 

So far, about half of those donors redirected their funds to help with trail construction, and about half requested a refund, with a handful taking the combination, according to figures provided by Christopher.

Despite the land purchase uncertainty, Hickok still expects the two sections of Indian Creek Trail to get connected, explaining that an easement to do so is part of the City of Hood River’s agreement to annex the property. The easement will be granted when the landowner either carves out the nine acres into a separate parcel, or files a permit for development on the rest of the land, Hickok said.

“We’re closer than we ever have been to having the easement and closer to actually owning the property,” Hickok said. “All the communications that we’ve had from the seller, he still is interested in us being the owners of the property eventually, but it just isn’t working for him right now.”

Uplift Local has reached out to the property owner and will update this story when we hear back.

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Read full notes of the Hood River Valley Parks & Recreation District Sept. 30 board meeting, by Uplift Local Gorge Documenter Marit Knapp, at columbia-gorge.documenters.org.