Is There Enough Water?: In a fall 2007 meeting between Friends of Bear Creek and McCormack Vineyard Partners, they indicated that at that time they were focusing on building 40-50 homes and that their attorneys were investigating water availability. Yet, since purchasing the golf course, they have talked to surrounding ranchers about obtaining additional water rights from them, and they have approached landowners about purchasing additional acreage. If they do not have adequate water and land for the project they envision, what will they do with the property?
Possible Scenarios for the Future of this Watershed: McCormack/Vineyard Partners has publicly stated that they might build 45 or 65 homes on “estate sized lots” around the golf course, may expand the nine hole course to an 18 hole course, build a clubhouse and restaurant. If they acquire even more land and water rights, they can apply for planned destination resort (PDR) status and if successful, have the potential to build as many as 1,000 homes and condos. According to PDR section 17.20.010 of the country code, the minimum size for a PDR shall be 640 acres, at least 50 percent of which shall be in one contiguous parcel. With only 50% required to be contiguous, based on County regulations McCormack/Vineyard Partners could buy land anywhere in the county and achieve PDR status.
Should water or land availability preclude the PDR, another option could be to eliminate the golf course and subdivide the golf course property into at least 18 five acre lots, and the adjacent land into 20 acre lots. McCormack purchased land that happened to have a golf course on it. Their profit will be in the lots, houses or condos sold; not the club memberships and greens fees.
What We Know: Economic surveys jointly conducted by the Methow Conservancy and MVSTA “MVSTA Trails & Lands of the Methow Valley”, June 2005; indicate that our vibrant local economy is powered not by large scale real estate projects but by the exact opposite—small farms, open space, abundant wildlife, trails, and access to public lands.
Read the
Executive Summary developed for the Methow Conservancy and their
Good Neighbor Handbook.
Read the
Comprehensive Plan for the Upper Methow Valley.
McCormack/Vineyard will directly compete for water that could become even more precious should rain and snowfall decrease because of future climate change as predicted by State Climatologist, Dr. Phil Mote from the Climate Impacts Group. Continuing ranching and agricultural interests in the immediate Bear Creek and Pearrygin Lake drainages could be threatened.
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A development on a scale typical of the
McCormack Corp. will strain water resources and permanently change the social ecology of the entire Methow Valley. Their proposed project will increase traffic, air and water pollution and will inevitably increase property taxes in the immediate neighborhood and, by a ripple effect, throughout the Valley.
What Action We Have Taken So Far: We’ve retained a first-rate water rights attorney, and an experienced land use attorney intimately familiar with development issues in the Methow. We have studied their research and recommendations and know that we have leverage on numerous levels to respond to McCormack/Vineyard if they move forward with planning applications, conditional use permits and other county-mandated procedures. We have established contact with state and county agencies, state park personnel, adjacent landowners, the Methow Conservancy, and golfers. Join us. (
info@friendsofbearcreek.com)
