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HomeMy Public PortalAboutPayette Lake Lodge - ProposedMcCall sets hearing on land swap McCall residents will have a park would be traded. As the owner By trading for the Century 21 his site. chance next week to comment on of the land, Manchester would then site instead of buying it, the city Also, Manchester must pledge the proposed land swap between the be able to lease the lakefront parcel expects to save about $120,000 that to build a complex worth at least $3 city of McCall and developer in front of the burner site that is can be used toward financing park million, and he cannot excavate Douglas Manchester. claimed by the Idaho Department of development. The lakefront park is more than 30 percent of the lake - A public hearing on the land Lands. the main project of a $1.1 million front land next to Mill Park without trade is set to start at 7:30 p.m. next In return, Manchester would give parks and recreation bond issue ap- Thursda , Feb. 22 at McCall City y pp Thursday, y to the city a piece of land along East proved by McCall voters last June. city deal also hinges on whether Hall. Members of the McCall City Lake Street on which now sits the By comparison, the value of the g Council tentatively approved the building containing Century 21- Mill Park property that would be Manchester can get commercial zon- trade last month, but state law re- Chisholm Realty. The land is a key acquired by Manchester is $60,000, ing for the parcel as well as the rest quires a public hearing before the parcel for the lakefront park now be- according to an appraisal of the land of the old sawmill site. A hearing trade can become final. ing planned by the city. ordered by the city and conducted by on that application is set for March The city plans to trade to Alpine Insurance and Real Estate 6 before the McCall Planning and Manchester about one -third of an Manchester, of San Diego, wants Appraisal of McCall last month. Zoning Commission. t acre of city land along the shore of the burner site to increase the lake The council has set conditions on Also, the Idaho Department ( f Payette Lake where the old Boise frontage for a lodge and meeting the swap. For example, the city can Parks and Recreation must approve Cascade sawmill burner once stood. complex that he plans to build on dictate where Manchester will relo- the deal, since department funds The land is adjacent to Mill Park, the old sawmill site adjacent to the cate the restrooms at Mill Park, were used to develop Mill Park 10 but none of the developed part of the parcel. which obscure the lake view from years ago, Hearing set on Manchester rezone The McCall City Council will by San Diego developer Douglas Zonina Commission heard the ap- lear public comments on April 26 Manchester to develop the site, plicat:�O:'n on March 6 and recom- n a proposal to rezone the old which was the former home of a mendeld that the 14-acre site be re- cCall sawmill site to allow a Boise Cascade Corp. sawmill that zoned for commercial development odge and meeting center. closed 13 years ago. as requested by Manchester. The public hearing is on a plan The McCall Planning and The only exception made by the P&Z commission was to recom- mend that several residential lots owned by Manchester in the Sunset Subdivision remain residential. The recommendation came after residents of the subdivision, located north of the site, urged that a buffer zone be maintained between the proposed convention center and their homes. Manchester was represented at the P&Z hearing by McCall attorney Steve Millemann, who said that cur- reni plans call for a guest lodge of 150 to 200 rooms on the old sawmill site. The development also would in- clude meeting rooms for 300 to 400 people, a restaurant, small retail shops, tennis courts, a public ice skating rink and day-use boat slips. No formal plans on the develop- ment have been presented to the city by Manchester, who also owns Shore Lodge and has a vacation home on Payette Lake. McCall calls off hearing on Manchester request A hearing that had been set for tonight on a proposal by San Diego developer Douglas Manchester to rezone land for a new hotel - convention center on Payette Lake has been cancelled. The rezone request was to have been heard before the McCall City Council tonight, but city officials discovered that not all surrounding property owners were notified of the rezone request, as required by law. The error occurred with an outside agency hired to research the notices, City Administrator Bud Schmidt said. The request must now return to the McCall Planning and Zoning Commission for a new hearing before going before the city council. That new hearing has been set for May 15. Manchester has asked to have rezoned 14 acres of lakefront land on the site of the former Boise Cascade Corp. sawmill to allow construction of a hotel and meeting center. At its first hearing held in March, the P &Z approved rezoning the site to commercial except for several residential lots that commissioners wanted left unchanged to provide a buffer between the site and adjacent Mmes. 0 McCall wants Manchester to commit BY TOM GROTE "We need to have a decision made on The Star -News The time has come for developer the sawmill Site." Douglas Manchester to make a commitment to build a hotel -con- vention center on the old Payette - -e. Lake sawmill site, members of the McCall attorney Steve Mille - McCall Urban Renewal Agency said mann, who represents Manchester, last week. said he agreed and would seek to The agency board, which is com- gain that commitment from his posed of members of the McCall client. City Council, made the statement as Manchester, of La Jolla, Calif., they continued to consider the scope purchased the 14 -acre parcel in of a project to buy and redevelop the 1986. He has cleared the land, has old Uniori Pacific Railroad right -of- applied for rezoning and is now trad- way. ing with the city for a piece of Mill At their meeting last Thursday, Park to provide more lake frontage. board members got their first look Manchester has said he intends to at how much in additional pro ?erty taxes could be expected from devel- opment of the area along and adja- cent to the now - abandoned right -of- way. The bottom line of the discus- sion was that any bonds issued to buy the right -of -way could not be paid back until a large development was built on the sawmill property. "We need to have a decision made on the sawmill site," agency chair- man Gary Van Komen said. build a hotel and convention center on the site, but so far no plans have been submitted to the city and no construction schedule has been of- fered Millemann said that, based on an engineer's estimate, about $2.4 mil- lion would be needed to buy the old railroad land and to make improve- ments such as a two -lane road, bike paths and parking lots. Under state law, those improve- ments can be financed by issuing bonds, which in turn would be paid back with new property taxes gener- ated from development. However, the most optimistic projection of growth would onlv - Gary Van Komen generate enough money to pay back $1.5 million in bonds, Millemann said. That assumed that Manch- ester's project would be built, with a figure of $9 million attached to it. Millemann thought that fact pre- sented a problem, but City Admin- istrator Bud Schmidt said the city likely could receive a $500,000 state economic development grant, since the acquisition would lead to the formation of new jobs in the com- munity. On May 30, the McCall Trans- portation Advisory Committee re- newed their endorsement for a route contained in the city's 1986 master transportation plan. That route would extend from Idaho 55 along the entire length of the right -of -way and connect with Lick Creek Road. However, council members said they might prefer a route that turned off short of Lick Creek Road and in- stead connected with Davis Avenue near the Aspen Village condomini- Also, the city could receive more ums. funds to pay back the bonds by The new route would avoid selling off land around the roadway putting a road close to existing con - to private owners, one of whom dominiums and homes along the could be Manchester himself, east end of the current right -of -way, Schmidt said. board members said. Also, the new The board still continued to wres- proposed route would end closer to tle Thursday night with the bound- the new McCall Golf Course club - aries for the proposed project and the house, which is being relocated this routing of a new roadway. summer from Davis Avenue to a new building on Reedy Lane. Serving Idaho's Heartland Thursday, July 5, 1990 14 Pages Manchester unveils lake BY TOM GROTE The Star -News Plans for a 150 -room lodge de- signed to dominate the Payette Lake shoreline into the next century was unveiled this week by California de- veloper Douglas Manchester. Manchester on Monday showed off plans for Payette Lake Lodge, modeled after the great lodges of the West, which would become the fo- cus for conventions and tourism in McCall. Payette Lake Lodge, to be built on the site of the former Boise Cas- cade Corp. sawmill, would contain between 114,000 and 120,000 square feet and would rise four sto- ries above the lake. The main features of the $12 million complex would include a grand ballroom, dinner seating for 500 people and a multipurpose pavilion that could handle large ex- hibits or concerts. The lodge also would feature a year -round ice skating rink, tennis courts, a swimming pool and a small -scale "pitch- and - putt" golf course for conventioneers. Payette Lake Lodge would be the culmination of more than three years of planning since Manchester purchased the 15 -acre sawmill prop- erty in late 1986. The lodge would work hand -in- hand with Shore Lodge, which Manchester purchased last year, to attract statewide and regional con- ventions that now by -pass McCall because of lack of facilities, he said. Manchester, chairman of Torrey Enterprises of La Jolla, Calif., said he believed the design of the lodge would set the tone for future devel- opment in McCall. A—. Artist's sketch shows how proposed Payette Lake Lodge would look wh The soaring central tower and the pointed gables of the proposed plan are modeled after great lodges built during the 1930s by the Work Progress Administration, he said. "We want a lodge concept instead of a motel on the lake," he said. "We don't want to build another Shore Lodge." The building is designed to be a lasting edifice on the lake shore, something that would be eligible in later years to be placed on the Na- tional Register of Historic Places, he said. Manchester showed his plans at Shore Lodge on Monday to mem- bers of the McCall City Council. In order to build Payette Lake Lodg Manchester must obtain from d council variances to key portions the city zoning law. He will first ask for a waiver, the city's height limit of 35 fe( The main tower of the Payette Lal Lodge would soar to 85 feet abo, the lake. Also, Manchester wan a, U d Thursday, July S, rvo is Pages sam vear. NO. e7 47 cents ester u vei s lakefront lo, dge li-7, . 0 f ,Y - -- : — T : ��..: I� �'� 1`� 1111 '1 �►1 � M: r��! '_� ,�il� ;� - - -- � � � - �- r1 ' � 1 �i ��d �h� + � •'1N :�I � i �, !ir' V111�.� } n •�',.rd�'�1 �..�� .�i;�./! i:1 _ ��Tw y'�� - - - ++�• ,III lu : 1:! :.1 =1 f.l.,ll I Idi' ' 1'. .. a.: vrr+••s,.r w..� -., - - : -3:` -'° lei' '!'.'y1A1.��._ .j...e.�.�� -. ": . - �.a[wrn _ ' �_" f -►`Q mem 77 •ai e.: +�!!r!Mr. w• � _.M�'...",sl =;"�` yM"'. J" - ^*'w�+.►:s.:. .. .1:. =• - . +.rte "`�i'�►a.� - _. _ - Artist's sketch shows how proposed Payette Lake Lodge would look when built Boise on old Cascade sawmill site. The soaring central tower and the Pointed gables of the proposed plan The building is designed to be a lasting edifice on the lake shore order to build Payette Lake Lodge, Manchester must from permission to waive the city's re- If all approvals can be received are modeled after great lodges built during the 1930s by the Work something that would be eligible in later years to be on the Na- obtain the council variances to key portions of quirement that buildings be set back at least 50 feet from the lake. quickly, construction on the lodge could begin next spring, with com- Progress Administration, he said. "We want a lodge concept instead placed tional Register of Historic Places, he said. the city zoning law. He will first ask for a waiver of A hearing on the .variances has tentatively been set for Aug. 7 be- pletion in a year or so, Manchester said. The complex would employ of a motel on the lake," he said. "We don't want to build another Shore Manchester showed his plans at Shore Lodge on Monday to mem- the city's height limit of 35 feet. The main tower of the Payette Lake Lodge fore the McCall Planning and Zon- ing Commission. The city council between 150 and 160 people. City Administrator Bud Schmidt Lodge." bers of the McCall City Council. In would soar to 85 feet above the lake. Also, Manchester wants would then hear the request some- time in September. p said that one recommendation he (See "Lodge," Page A -2) Hearing set on Payette Lake Lodge The public will get its first chance Tuesday night to comment on proposed plans by developer Douglas Manchester to build a 150 - room lodge on the shore of Payette Lake. The McCall Planning and Zon- ing Commission will hold a public hearing on a package of requests by Manchester to allow him to build the proposed Payette Lake Lodge on the former site of the Boise Cascade Corp. sawmill near downtown Mc- Call. ..,m l,P heard by the V[ner iic�T,; ..... 1. P &Z before Manchester's request, which is scheduled for 9 p.m. Tues- day at McCall City Hall, P &Z Chairman Gary Enter said. The P &Z will recommend to the McCall City Council whether to grant to Manchester variances and special -use permit that the San Diego developer says he needs to make the proposed lodge work. The matter automatically will go to the city council for final consid- eration no matter what the P &Z recommends. Manchester seeks a variance of the city's height limit of 35 feet for buildings. The top of the central tower of the lodge would extend 85 feet into the air, according to pre- liminary plans. City law also bans development within 50 feet of the shoreline of Payette Lake, but Manchester wants to be able to build the building right up to the water line. Also, the developer is seeking special -use permits to allow parts of the complex to be built on two lots that are zoned residential. Manch- ester previously asked the city to have those lots rezoned to commer- cial, but neighbors in the Sunset Subdivision to the north objected, saying a buffer was needed between their homes and the lodge. The permits would allow a part of the lodge's north wing to be built on one residential lot, while the other lot would be used for part of a "pitch- and -putt" golf course or a fu- ture townhouse. Manchester also is asking that a piece of East Lake Street that ex- tends into the project site be vacated and turned over to him. McCall attorney Steve Mille - mann, who represents Manchester, said that the requests being made by Manchester are reasonable and proper under city law. "It is a unique piece of property, and a unique project," Millemann said. "That is why we have a vari- ance chapter in the city code, to al- low decision - makers to examine a property for its unique characteris- tics and determine if they want to deviate from the code." Millemann described the lodge as "modest in its impact," because the top of the lodge tower would still be below the tree line at the rear of the property. "The important consideration is that it is going to be an attractive, high - quality structure," he said. "I'm much more concerned that it is ar- chitecturally handsome and consis- tent with a mountain style than how many feet from the water it is and how high the peak of the roof is." Plans call for the lodge to be modeled after the great lodges of the West, with high roof lines and gabled windows. The building is expected to contain between 114,000 and 120,000 square feet and cost at least $12 million. The complex would include a grand ballroom, dinner seating for 500 people, and a 14,000 - square foot multipurpose pavilion that could handle large indoor concerts or exhibits. The lodge also would feature a year -round ice -rink and a swimming pool with retractable roof panels. The lodge is planned to work in concert with the 116 -room Shore Lodge, which Manchester bought last year, to attract larger conven- tions that Shore Lodge cannot han- dle by itself. If all approvals are re- ceived, plans call for construction to begin by next May. While there are no guarantees Manchester would build the lodge, there is no reason to believe he would not move forward, Mille - mann said. "He (Manchester) has a serious intention to proceed," he said. "But without these variances, the process will not continue." !-� rS¢ur /YP ass - Cri*ti*cs rap, b Im BY TOM GROTE The Star -News Depending on who spoke at a public hearing Tuesday night, the proposed Payette Lake Lodge is ei- ther a needed economic boon to McCall or a sell -out by the city of its development standards. Nearly 100 people packed into a sweltering hearing room at McCall City Hall to listen and voice their opinion on the 150 -room lodge and meeting center proposed by San Diego developer Douglas Manch- ester. The McCall Planning and Zoning Commission heard 3 -1/2 hours of testimony from about 30 people on requests by Manchester to vary from city standards and height and set- backs to allow the 120,000 square - foot lodge to be built. At 12:30 a.m., commissioners decided to recess and take up the matter again Wednesday night. Re- sults of those deliberations were not available by press time. No matter how the P &Z com- mission voted, the matter will au- tomatically end up before the Mc- Call City Council, probably next month, for final consideration. Those speaking at the public hearing Tuesday night were 3 -to -1 against the proposed variances. Sev- eral of those speaking in opposition said they would reconsider their view if the lodge were forced to comply with city standards. Written comments, on the other hand, ran 12 to eight in favor of the lodge, which would occupy the former Boise Cascade Corp. sawmill site on the shore of Payette Lake. Manchester is asking the city to waive its 35 -foot height limitation on buildings to allow the highest point of the lodge to soar 85 feet above the lake. Also, a variance is being re- quested of the city's mandatory 50- foot setback from the lake shore to allow a lakeside restaurant to be built as part of the facility. I I.) *X., I In addition, special -use permits are being sought to allow parts of the complex to encroach on lots that Manchester owns, but which are zoned for residential use. Finally, the application asks that an unused part of East Lake Street be turned over to Manchester. In his staff report, McCall City Administrator Bud Schmidt told commissioners that Manchester should be forced to buy a fire truck with an extendable ladder that could reach the top of the proposed lodge in case of fire. In addition, new water and sewer lines, bike paths and street im- provements should be built in the area before the lodge is allowed to open, Schmidt said. The work should be done either by Manchester or by the McCall Urban Redevel- opment Agency, which is currently considering such projects, he said. Speaking for Manchester, McCall attorney Steve Millemann told commissioners that the lodge was "the right project on the right site," and that the facility would be "a tremendous and beautiful addition to the city." The lodge and the conventions it would draw would help stabilize the city's economy, which now is overly dependent on the summer visitor trade, Millemann said. He defended the variance requests, saying the project was a unique con- cept that should be considered on its own merits. Granting the variances would set no legal precedents, he said. The lodge is far superior to other uses that legally could be built on the site, he said. As now zoned, an- other developer could build 120 con- dominiums on the site without even the need for a public hearing, he said. Millemann did not say if Schmidt's recommendation for a fire truck was acceptable, saying only that such a condition would be re- viewed, if approved. Opposition to the lodge came from two camps, including those with general concerns about the pro- ject and those who live just north of the site in Sunset Subdivision. "I don't want to go out to my driveway and look at a four -story building," Sunset resident Troy Smith said. The lodge is certain to increase traffic and noise in the neighborhood, Smith said. Tom Gay of McCall said the de- cision made by the P &Z and the city council on this issue would af- fect the future of the town. "We're being told that if we don't rubber - stamp this, we are going to lose it forever," Gay said. "That's crazy." Manchester should be willing to negotiate with the city and citizens to make accommodations and still build a workable project, Gay said. Judy Anderson of McCall said that the city's requirements on set- backs and height were there for good reasons, and they should not be easily given away. "We need to drive hard bargains with developers," Anderson said. Brian Smith said he shares his time between McCall and Carson City, Nev., where he has seen de- velopment run rampant. "I don't want another Lake Tahoe." Smith said. "It has been destroyed because of complexes like this." Frances Ford of McCall said she objected to the portrayal of Manch- ester as "the Second Coming and the saviour." Manchester is asking for coo much in his variance requests, Ford said. "There is plenty of room here for the man to make a beautiful build- ing within the codes," she said. Among those in favor of the pro- ject, Jim Freeman of McCall said the lodge would provide a needed shot in the arm for the local econ- omy. "It is a drastic error that we have not fought for something like this," Freeman said. McCall Mall owner Scott Find- lay said the lodge would help fill an economic gap that has existed since the Boise Cascade sawmill closed in 1977, and Dean Hagerman of Mc- Call said the project would produce "a leveling effect" on the local economy. 7 Don't'vary laws for BY PEGGY CLEMMER This past week has been one of surprising po- larization on the local political scene. Focus has suddenly changed from the pathetic Valbois sce- nario to the explosion over the alarming rumors of the unreasonable actions now occurring due to the variance requests of the new McCall devel- oper from San Diego. The McCall Planning and Zoning Commis- sion met on Tues., Aug. 7, for a public hearing in an overly crowded American Legion Hall to allow the populace to express its overwhelming fear and concern for what was happening here. The fallacies, inaccuracies and shortcomings of the plans were carefully submerged in the glib presentation made by the attorney, instead of the developer. It soon became evident that there was a strong group of opponents whose property would be negatively impacted if the requested variances Payette- lodge were permitted to proceed. Nonetheless, on Wednesday, Aug. 8, most of the same, large, weary group, plus all of the P &Z commission- ers, returned to attempt to hammer out appropri- ate answers, by now a no -win proposition. Prior to these meetings many events had oc- curred to make it impossible to reach wise deci- sions that night. To follow the law to the letter was the only thing judicious to do. The statutes call for no variance or special -use permit to be granted unless a true hardship exists if it is not granted. No such hardship exists and all six is- sues should have been flatly denied to adhere to law and protect the entire citizenry, especially those residing in close proximity to the proposed project. From the attendance at those meetings and a later inspection of the properties involved, I feel the city council has no alternative but to meet on Sept. 20 with their public hearing, conduct on- site checks of the situation and a thorough review of our existing laws, and see to it none of the re- quested exceptions to the laws are even consid- ered. Loyalty to your constituency is most im- portant in this and other matters. Now, there seems to be a most urgent need for informing the public of illegal events which have been building about this issue for some time. We hope to have a series of articles published with various pertinent facts of the matter available to you in the next few weeks. If you are anxious to help in such and join our coalition of frustration and concern over local government, please volun- teer by calling 634 -2927. We need to follow diligently already existing law and properly planned growth to protect us from the greed of developers, attorneys and political power - mongers. (Peggy Clemmer is a McCall area resident..) 7 — 0 Y/5 )7�0 Star - /Y( ,�/ �'/ �-r P &Z pares back Payette Lake Lodge flan BY TOM GROTE The Star -News 66If you change it for one, you will have The proposed Payette Lake Lodge could not be built with the restric- to change it for many. » tions placed on it last week by the - Rita Lyon McCall Planning and Zoning Commission, a spokesman for the - lodge's developer said. extend onto one lot, and a "pitch- thing that would wear out in ume. The P &Z on Aug. 8 turned down and -putt small -scale golf course is "I have problems holding him two of five requests by San Diego planned the other lot. hostage for a fire truck," Lyon said, developer Douglas Manchester and members quickly dispatched who eventually voted with the y modified a third during its review of those items, noting that they had others to allow the height waiver. the 150 -room Payette Lake Lodge. y g turned down a previous request by . P &Z members then modified Two requests, for a variance on height and vacation of an unused Manchester to rezone the lots for commercial use. Neighbors in Manchester's request to allow a restaurant in the lodge to sit on the city streets, were approved. nearby Sunset Subdivision had lakefront, which would require a McCall Attorney Steve Mille- protested the rezone. waiver of the city's 50 -foot lake set - mann, representing Manchester, said on Monday that the P &Z's actions We looked w this once and de- cided we didn't want to do it," com- back. Members voted 3 -1 to require a would not make the lodge feasible missioner Tim Swanson said. We 15 -foot setback to ensure some pub - 15 as now designed. need to push (the buildings) back." access to walk across the beach He said he would meet with Manchester "to see if any accommo- • The P &Z approved the request to waive the city's 35 -foot limit on in front of the property. p y This item provoked the most de- Lyon dations can be reached," but he re- building height to allow the four- bate of the evening, with ushin for a full 50 -foot setback mained convinced the original plan was the best one. story building to rise 85 feet high. As part of the approval, however, fpor the restaurant. She said that al- The matter now goes before the Manchester must buy a fire truck lowing such a setback waiver would set off a flurry of similar r would applica- City Council, which has scheduled a public hearing on the with extension ladders for the city, members said. tions from other lakefront property application for 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20. Commissioners heaped praise on owners. "If you change it for one, you Council members said last week the overall design of the building. "A pitched roof is much more will have to change it for many," she said. that they wanted to meet in a large harmonious and follows our objec- At one point, Lyon moved to meeting hall, either Shore Lodge or McCall - Donnelly JCttool. An over- fives," Chairman Gary Enter said. "IIts a beautiful design, com- t's " table the matter, and the motion passed on a 2 -to -1 vote, with Eck - flow crowd of more than 100 people missioner Bob Scoles said, noting hardt abstaining. But Swanson attended the P &Z hearing. that the smokestack on the former changed his mind and moved to Here is a summary of the P &Z Boise Cascade sawmill on the site bring the matter back before the action: rose 80 feet into the air. panel, and his motion passed. • Members turned down requests Commissioner Lance Eckhardt "a A motion to require the 15 -foot for two special -use permits to ex- agreed, saying the lodge would be setback was then offered, with Lyon tend parts of the lodge and conven- tremendous asset." being the lone dissenter. tion center onto two lots that Commissioner Rita Lyon . Commissioners approved the Manchester owns, but which are protested the requirement for the fire vacation of the extension of East zoned residential. truck, saying that Manchester would Lake Street that extends from Sun - A wing of the lodge would have be forced, to spend money on some- set Subdivision into the lodge site. Hearing set on Payette The McCall City Council tonight will air plans for the pro- posed Payette Lake Lodge on Payette Lake. A public hearing is set for 7:30 p.m. tonight in the multipurpose room at McCall - Donnelly Elemen- tary School. The lodge plan is the only item on the agenda of the spe- cial city council meeting. Council members will consider the request of San Diego developer Douglas Manchester for certain waivers and requests to build the 150 -room Payette Lake Lodge on the former site of the Boise Cascade Corp. sawmill. The site was previously zoned commercial by the city to allow the combination lodge and convention center to be built, but Manchester said he needs the variances for the lodge to be a success_ The council will hear the rec- ommendations of the McCall Plan- ning and Zoning Commission that were issued following a 3 -1/2 -hour hearing on Aug. 7 that drew more than 100 people. The public will then be allowed to speak in favor or against the proposal. P &Z members recommended against part of Manchester's request, and Manchester has since accepted some of those changes. Manchester has said he hopes to begin construction on the lodge next spring, but he also said the project may be delayed by several factors, including worsening economic con- ditions in the nation. Here is a summary of Manch- ester's requests to be heard tonight and the P &Z action on them: • Height Limit: Manchester for tonight .ake Lodge has asked for a variance on the city's 35 -foot height limit so that the top of the four -story lodge can rise up to 85 feet tall. The P &Z approved the variance as long as Manchester pledges to buy a fire truck with lad- ders that could reach to the top of the four -story building. Manchester said he hoped he wouldn't have to finance the fire truck entirely, since the city would use the truck for other purposes. • Waterfront Setback: Manchester also is asking for a vari- ance from the city's 50 -foot setback requirement from the Payette Lake waterline. A restaurant had been planned for the edge of the lake, but P &Z members said the building should be moved back 15 feet to al- low public access to the beach. Manchester has since agreed to that change. • Residential Lots: Manch- ester also wanted special-use permits to build on the residential lots that he owns within the 15 -acre sawmill parcel. Two lots toward the rear of the site were proposed for part of a small -scale golf course or guest cot- tage, while a third lot fronting the lake would be partly covered by a swimming pool and health club. P &Z members rejected the re- quest on all three of the lots after hearing complaints from residents of Sunset Subdivision, which is adja- cent to the sawmill site. Manchester said he would accept the P &Z recommendation on the rear residential lots, but that the lakefront lot was essential for the project. He said the lakefront lot slopes down toward the lake, and that a line of trees buffer the view from Sunset Subdivision. Those factors should soften the effect of the project on nearby residents, he said. • Street Vacation: Manch- ester's final request is to have an ex- tension of East Lake Street that pokes into his property turned over to him to allow development on it. The city has the power to vacate streets to surrounding property own- ers, and the P &Z recommended granting that request. / "r p k/ of Z_ Agps flamed or if national economic con- enough details were known on the o n e e s s i o n diti worsen. projects effect on sewer capacity, "Your vote tonight will not as- fire protection, street access and sure it," he told council members. taxes. "It will give us the opportunity to To illustrate his point, Smith ar the way continue the planning process." produced a scale model of the lodge After public testimony, council and Sunset Subdivision that he members debated whether to accept ordered made by an architect. Manchester's request not to make The model showed how the lodge him fully responsible for buying a would dominate the surrounding ar- fire truck with ladders that could eas, noting that tiny spikes placed for lake lodffereach the top of the lodge. near the large building represented BY TOM GROTE [be Star -News The prosed Payette Lake Lodge in McCall was given final approval by the McCall City Council last week after last- minute concessions were offered by the project's devel- )per. Council members last Thursday unanimously approved variances to ,ity laws to allow the 150 -room .odge and convention center to be )uilt. The approval was granted fol- owing a three -hour public hearing attended by about 175 people at the McCall - Donnelly Elementary "My commitment to McCall is a real one." - Douglas Manchester ichool multipurpose room. The lodge's developer, Douglas Manchester of San Diego, Calif., at- tended the hearing and agreed to two hanges in his application that leared the way for council approval. Manchester agreed to drop his re- uest to build part of a wing of the roposed lodge on a lot that he wns but which is zoned for residen- ial uses. Residents of Sunset Subdivision, hich is adjacent to the lodge site, rotested the encroachment so close o their homes. Manchester also agreed to change is desire over how adequate fire rotection would be provided to the odge. Under the new agreement, the ity and Manchester will agree on e proper equipment that is needed, nd the equipment will be delivered fore construction begins. Manchester made his concessions uring the final deliberations by the ity council following testimony by wo dozen people. The speakers ere evenly split over the lodge, hich would occupy 15 acres on the ormer site of the Boise Cascade orp. sawmill. In addition, about 30 letters were Manchester wanted to negotiate six - foot -tall people. received on the project, and senti- with the city, offering to pay his Smith then produced drawings ment in those letters ran 2 -to -1 in fair share in a deal reached before the that depicted how the shadow of the favor of the project, City Adminis- lodge opens. lodge would be cast across Sunset trator Bud Schmidt said. But Council President Bob Mc- Subdivision during the winter. Fire protection and the residential Carty was nervous about that offer, One adjacent homeowner would lot were the only issues of debate saying the city could be put into a be in the shade three - quarters of the among council members. No con- difficult position if no agreement day during the winter because of the cerns were expressed by council was reached as the building neared hi, caidt nic . tights and exhaust fans would further deterio- members over Manchester's request completion. rate the livability of the area, Smith for variances on the city's limits on McCarty said that Manchester height lakefront should the fire said. building and set- pay entire cost of a back. truck since the lodge created the need Debbie Staup of McCall agreed Council members accepted the for the truck. He suggested that a with Smith's urge for caution. „Don't let hindsight come back to recommendations of the McCall rebate could be paid to Manchester if haunt us,” Staup said. Planning and Zoning Commission, another large project was proposed Frances Ford of McCall said that which last month approved an 85- elsewhere in the city. the lodge project had potential, but foot height limit on the lodge and a Manchester then relented, saying a that too many issues were not ad- waterfront setback. he would agree to deal with the city r great as dressed. "If this project is Manchester had originally wanted before construction begins. The Manchester it is purported t be, we hgre the to place a restaurant in the lodge on matter of how much Manchester time," Ford said. the lakefront, but he accepted the should pay was left unresolved. P &Z proposal. He earlier had On the issue of the residential She dismissed comparisons by dropped his request to build a mini - lot, Manchester withdrew his request proponents of the lodge who noted golf course or guest cottage on two after council member Gary Van that the old sawmill was just as tall other residential lots in the parcel Komen made a motion to send the and massive as the proposed lodge. after the P &Z turned down that bid. issue back to the P &Z with a rec- "This was a totally different com- Council members also quickly ommendation to rezone the lot to munity in those days," Ford said. "It approved vacating, or turning over, commercial. is a red herring to compare the mill an unused portion of East Lake Manchester previously had re- to this project.' Street within the project area tequested commercial zoning on the Don Eberle of McCall rejected Manchester. lot, but that request was rejected by Manchester's statement that the Manchester testified for his pro -the city. His latest request was for a variances he requested would not set ject last Thursday night, the first special -use permit to allow the a precedent. "How can McCall then time he has aoneared in any of thecommercial use on a residential say no to an eight -story hotel or a several hearings held so far on vari -zone. restaurant on pilings ?" Eberle said. ous components of the plan. But Van Komen said that city or- Among supporters of the lodge, Dressed in a suit, he turned at the dinances prohibit a hotel on a resi- Denny Carlson of McCall said the podium and faced the audience as he dential lot, even with a special use complex had the potential to "round described his desire to build a project permit. The parcel should be re- out" the seasonal nature of McCall's that all citizens will enjoy. zoned, he said. economy. "We're trying to create something At that point, Manchester raised that is economically viable and en- his hand and withdrew his request, Carlson, manager of Washington vironmentally pleasing, Manch- saying he did not want to go ester said. through another round of hearings. Federal Saving and Loan Associa- He.. his other activities in "Life's a compromise," Manch- "You tion, also criticized Smith's model, , saying it did not depict trees Sun - McCall, including the building ofester said after the hearing. al ready set Subdivision. Those trees already his vacation home on Payette Lakework with what you have, so its cast shadows the area, said. and his purchase last year of Shoreback to the drawing board." o Dean de , owner of Home - Lodge. During public testimony, the Town Sports, noted that the lodge Sports, n "McCall is God's greatest gift,opposition was led by Troy Smith, would increase the number of motel and I hope to someday call it mya Boisean who owns a home in rooms available in the city, a fact permanent home," he said. "MySunset Subdivision. that would help draw more skiers to commitment to McCall is a real Smith related a theme of many of Brundage Mountain Ski Area in the one." those in opposition, which was to winter. Manchester repeated his previousurge the city council to go slowly "We don't want to be another statements that construction on thein considering the lodge and its full Sun Valley, but we need a better lodge might not begin next year ifimplications on the town. economic climate," Hovdey said. the Persian Gulf crisis becomes in This project has the potential to Dean Hagerman, manager of be a disaster," Smith said. Not KMCL -FM, said local residents will need the boost to the economy that the lodge would bring. "Those who do not have to make a living here have a rather jaundiced view," Hagerman said. Douglas Manchester addresses McCall City Council meeting last week as crowd watches. Above, San Diego devel- oper Douglas Manchester testifies on behalf of his Payette Lake Lodge dur- ing a McCall City Council hearing in September. At right, artist's sketch shows the proposed lodge, which now will be set back 15 feet from the lake shore rather than the lakefront setting shown here. l' Lake lodge clears approvals T/? 6 a #e, WS - /A /-�?7/ 9d McCall-area residents got more fireworks than they bargained for during the week of the Fourth of July, when San Diego developer Douglas Manchester formally un- veiled his grand plan for the former Boise Cascade Corp. sawmill site in McCall. The Payette Lake Lodge envi- sioned by Manchester would be the most expensive and elaborate construction project undertaken in McCall since the sawmill that once occupied the site was built 50 years ago. In typical Manchester fashion, the proposed lodge would be an eye - popper that would immedi- ately become the dominant build- ing in town upon its completion. Modeled after the great Depres- sion -era lodges built by the Work Progress Administration, the lodge would be made of logs and stone and be topped by soaring gabled peaks. The design envisions 150 rooms for guests plus enough meeting space and amenities to 1 i r The Payette Lake Lodge plan came just months after Manch- ester completed a controversial takeover of Shore Lodge, the 116 - room mainstay of McCall's hospi- tality industry. Revelation of the lodge plan it- self was due partly to increased pressure by McCall city officials for him to produce some tangible evidence that he was committed to building something on the sawmill site. Not surprisingly, to build Payette Lake Lodge as planned by Manchester would require some concessions on the part of city of- ficials on their limits on height and setback from the shore of Payette Lake. The plan called for exceeding the city's 35 -foot height limit by 50 feet and taking parts of the building up to the water- line, rather than staying back 50 feet, as required by city law. Manchester also wanted to be allowed to extend his buildings onto three lots that he owns adja- cent to the mill site, but which were zoned residential. Two hearings held on the mat- ter produced the greatest attendance by citizens of any other issue in recent memory. The matter first went to the McCall Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 7, where 100 people crowded a sweltering hearing room at McCall City Hall. Opposition to the plan was heavy, especially from residents of the Sunset Subdivision, which is immediately north of the proposed lodge site. Residents there feared the effect of the massive lodge on their homes, both from additional traffic as well as from the sheer size of the building. Other opponents voiced more general concerns, saying the city should not waiver from its zoning rules to cater to Manchester's needs because a dangerous prece- dent might be set. The lodge also had its backers, however, and supporters touted its e4 �2 of Z ? agt, s potential effect of bringing growth and stability to McCall's volatile, seasonal economy. After much debate, planning and zoning members approved the height waiver, but told Manchester he would have to provide the city with a fire truck with extension lad- ders in order for firefighters to be able to effectively fight a fire in the lodge. P &Z member pared back the lake setback request from zero to 15 feet to maintain public access to the beach, and they rejected altogether the request to encroach on the resi- dentially zoned lots. The P &Z action set up a poten- tial showdown between Manchester and the McCall City Council, who had the final word on the project. About 175 people showed up at McCall - Donnelly Elementary School on Sept. 20 to watch the ac- tion. But Manchester defused much of the potential conflict a week earlier when he announced that he would accept the reduced lake setback and the banning of development on two of the three residential lots. Also Manchester said he still wanted permission to build on the third lot, which was closest to the lake, and he did not want to be held responsible for buying a ladder truck for the fire department. Manchester appeared in person at the city council meeting to repeat his concerns, but council members stood firm in the face of public tes- timony. Finally, Manchester agreed on the spot to drop his request to build on the lakefront residential lot. He also agreed to a change in the condition on the tire trucK tnat now says a fire truck will be in place be- fore construction on the lodge starts. The question of who would pay for the truck was put off to an- other day. Manchester had hoped to start ex- cavation work on the lodge by the end of 1990, but snags developed. A tangle of bureaucracy bogged down a land trade between Manchester and the city to give him an undeveloped portion of Mill Park for the lodge. State and federal approval of that land trade is not expected until early next year. But Manchester said he also had to gauge the effect on the project of the generally worsening national economy and the crisis to the Per- sian Gulf. By year's end, Manchester would not predict when work would start on Payette Lake Lodge, but he re- peated his stand that he would re- main committed to the plan and to McCall. Developer wants McCall to build a center to accompany his hotel The Associated Press MCCALL — Developer Douglas Manchester has urged city officials to build a convention center to go with his planned hotel on the site of an old McCall sawmill. Officials say they need more information. The Mc- Call Urban Redevelopment Agency's board said it will study whether the proposal makes sound fiscal sense and will discuss it at an Oct. 13 meeting. Manchester, whose compa- ny, Manchester Resorts, is headquartered in San Diego, owns the sawmill site, Shore Lodge, MeadowCreek Golf and Field Club north of New Meadows and 300 acres west of Shore Lodge. Since 1990, he's had city approval to build a 150 -room lodge on the sawmill proper- ty. But two weeks ago, he filed new plans, scrapping the lodge in favor of subdividing the 15 -acre parcel into 20 lots for single - family homes. In a letter to the redevelop- ment agency, Manchester said the hotel and a convention cen- ter still could become a reality if the city becomes a partner. "Having looked at a variety of different alternative pro- grams and scenarios, I simply cannot come up with one which provides any prospect of any reasonable return be- ing earned on the capital in- vestment," the letter said. The proposal: ■ Manchester would pledge to spend an estimated $16 million to build the first of three planned lodge build- ings, called Millpark Lodge. The first phase would include 130 rooms or suites, retail shops, swimming pool, tennis courts, lakeside restaurant and marina. Manchester would reserve the right to build two more lodge buildings, as needed, containing an extra 200 rooms. ■ The city and redevelop- ment center would find ways to build a 20,000- square foot conference facility, year -round public ice - skating rink and a floating boardwalk between the lodge and Legacy Park. Estimated cost is $4 million. -7-71,o Loh Ya / /Py oGa �,,, lO %° % q3 McCall's Urban Renewal Board wants information on Manchester proposal MCCALL — Members of McCall's Urban Renewal Board, at the conclusion of a heated meet- ing last Wednesday during which the board came within one vote of disbanding itself, voted to spend up to $5,000 for a complete pack- age of information about devel- oper Doug Manchester's propos- al to build a hotel on his Mill Park property. The meeting also included a sometimes heated exchange between Manchester's represen- tative, McCall attorney Steve Millemann, and several members of the board. Millemann asked the board to amend its plan to make construc- tion of a convention/meeting facil- ity a top priority of the board. Manchester has asked the city to Pursue public funding for the meet- ing facility and for an ice skating rink, if that can be obtained, he'd be willing to commit $14 million to construct a resort/hotel that ini- tially wouldhave 130 rooms, but in later phases could be expand- ed by another 100 or so rooms. In the meantime, Manchester is moving through the process of gaining approval for a 20 -unit sin- gle family development on the property in the event he can't gain city approval for the hotel project. The public's portion of the pro- ject would be paid for by tax incre- mentbonds, whereby the revenue to repay the bonds would come from the increased property taxes that result from additional devel- opment in areas adjacent to the hotel. If things were to work out, Millemann suggested that the board could possibly afford about $4 mil- lion in indebtedness, which could potentially pay for construction of the conference center and the ice rink, and possibly even acquisi- tion of the property needed for later constriction of the boulevard proposed for building on the aban- doned railroad right of way. Presently, construction of that boulevard is the top priority of the board. But Manchester has determined that without public help in build- ing the conference center and the ice rink, the project is not eco- more Millemann said that convention facilities are built with public financing in other areas, Boise and Nampa for two nearby examples. And in Boise, he said they are still seeking someone to build an anchor hotel downtown. The reverse is true in McCall, Manchester is willing to commit to the hotel if the city will help with the amenities. But Campbell said Manchester's track record in McCall doesn't weigh on the positive side, and he pointed to the recent decision to close down the Shore Lodge. That action, he said, meant cancellation of a major snowmobile convention that was sched- uled for McCall. "Why should we hang our hat on a guy who uni- laterally decides to cancel this sort of thing ?" he asked. Organizers of that function have moved the convention elsewhere in the state. In addition, it was noted that a state 4 -H function was also cancelled as a result of the decision to close for the shoulder season. Ed Elam, who manages,the Manchester Group's Idaho operations, said that October, November, December, April and May are loss months for the hotel. He said the temporary closure was to lessen the loss. "We made a business decision knowing we had groups on the books," he said. He said the groups were offered alternative dates, and that efforts were made to find other facilities in McCall for them. When Shore Lodge announced the closures in a news release, it was stated that the closure would allow maintenance to take place without inconve- niencing guests. Campbell said he was concerned that the pub - nomical. - licly- funded facilities, which Manchester has pro - But if it isn't economically feasible for Manchester posed assuming management of, might be handled to do the project, why should it be feasible for the in the same way. public to finance it, board member Jim Campbell Millemann responded that the city would be in a asked. position to require certain things through the nego- tiated development agreements that would be required to facilitate such a deal. He said that without such a facility to anchor the downtown, he said strip development outside of the downtown core will almost surely result. "You put an anchor project on that site, and there aren't many better in the west, you're upping the ante," he said. Campbell wasn't alone in his skepticism of the project. McCall Council member John Larson, who sits on the board, and Realtor Don Clark were also concerned with proceeding with Manchester's pro- posal. "My job keeps me out on the street and I get ham- mered on this," Clark said. At one point in the meeting Campbell and Larson voted to dissolve the board, but were outvoted. Clark said the next time the matter comes up, however, he may be siding with Campbell. In the end, the board decided it wanted more detailed information about the prospects of the project's success, . what would be required in the way of public financing. They voted to authorize spending up to $5,000 to have consultant Harlan Mann develop new numbers about the project before their next meeting, which was scheduled for 30 days after last Wednesday's meeting.