Occupancy Restrictions

Consistent with the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Management Plan and in an effort to reduce impacts on local public services, Broughton Landing is and has always been envisioned as an outdoor recreation oriented destination resort, not a residential community. The proposed units will not be available for permanent residency but will be occupied by owners and renters on a short-term vacation or seasonal basis. In addition to the mandatory limit of 45 days of occupancy out of any 90 day period imposed on the resort by the Gorge Commission’s Plan Amendment there are several ways to ensure that Broughton landing remains a resort rather than a residential community including physical design, operations, economic, and market-based approaches as summarized below:

Design-based Approaches to Short Term Occupancy

Each component of the resort’s physical design including overall layout, architecture, and landscape design emphasize recreational appeal rather than residential function.

By the standards of the area’s rural context, the units will be spaced closely together with relatively little privacy without private yards or gardens and parking will be shared in common lots or driveways. Rather than the private recreation amenities of a residential development, the resort will offer shared recreational facilities including Broughton Beach, direct access to the Hatchery State Park, a swimming pool/spa/fitness center, restaurant, climbing wall, covered recreation pavilion, skate park, extensive trail network and Broughton Hut.

The units themselves will be better suited to short-term vacation use rather than permanent occupancy. Interior space within these units will be small, containing approximately 1,300 square feet or less on average. Most units will contain two bedrooms. A significant percentage will also contain lofts, allowing flexible usage ideal for vacation visits but not as accommodating for permanent residency.

Operations-based Approaches to Short Term Occupancy

All proposed units including the cottages, cabins, town homes and condos will be positioned for condominium ownership. The Home Ownership Association (HOA) will maintain both the interior and exterior of each unit. Unlike most permanent residents who prefer to maintain their own unit exteriors and yards with flexibility to maintain a garden, etc., vacation users are typically seeking a relief from such household chores.

Economic Approaches to Short Term Occupancy

Perhaps the most important deterrent to potential permanent residents will be relatively high unit prices (per square foot) and high HOA fees. The relatively higher prices will result from the resort’s extensive recreation amenities such as the lodge and fitness center/spa, Broughton Beach, recreation pavilion, etc as well as the premium associated with being part of a unique outdoor recreation-oriented resort in a spectacular waterfront setting. The HOA fees will be much higher than typical resident-oriented communities but will be necessary to cover the ongoing operations and maintenance cost of these resort amenities.

As is the case at many resort communities, owners will likely opt to rent out their units to offset a portion of these HOA fees. In fact, the very option of being able to easily rent their units through the resort’s managed reservation system will be an important incentive for many owners to use their units on an occasional basis while enjoying the income stream when their unit is rented out. During the four-month windsurfing season, there will be especially strong demand for weekly vacation rentals, resulting in ample economic incentive for part-time occupancy of many units.

A small number of units may be sold on a fractional basis or be managed as time-shares. This option is ideal for repeat visitors who don’t plan to visit frequently or for extended periods of time or who can’t afford full ownership. The unique appeal of the Gorge to windsurfing enthusiasts may make this option especially appealing for buyers from California or other areas outside the region. By definition, fractional ownership and time-shares constitute short-term occupancy.

Market-based Approaches to Short Term Occupancy

A sales campaign has not yet been conceived, but the obvious target markets are windsurfers, kayakers, hikers, cyclists, skiers and other outdoor enthusiasts from the nearby Portland and Seattle areas for whom the Columbia River Gorge is an easy drive. Like other resorts near urban areas, Broughton Landing will be marketed and managed as a weekend retreat for both sales and short-term rentals. In addition, the sales campaign will likely capitalize on the Resort’s immediate proximity to world-class windsurfing by advertising in national and international windsurfing publications. By generating its own outdoor-oriented recreation resort, Broughton Landing will not be competing directly with the local single or multi-family home market and will therefore be in a better position to command a premium for the unique amenity package created by the resort.