91视频

The first water-sports 鈥渃able park鈥� west of Texas may soon be built in Hood River, according to the Portland-based developers who are hoping to build the $1 million attraction as part of a larger, waterfront development.

聽is working through the permitting of a $15 million project that will include an 88-room Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel and a 20,000-square-foot mixed-use building near downtown Hood River. Within the adjacent lagoon known as Nichols Basin, the plan includes a 10-acre cable park, which is a system of towers, pulleys, and obstacles that creates a course for wake-boarders and water-skiers to zip around the water without being tugged by a boat.

鈥淚 really believe in this thing,鈥� developer Will Naito said of the parks, which are most popular in Europe, although a few outposts exist in Florida and Texas. 鈥淥nce you dig into it, you can see what a fun form of recreation it is.鈥�

Naito says he first heard about cable parks when an anonymous caller asked the developers about the possibility of building one in Nichols Basin. The development firm, comprised of Naito and his father Bob, has owned the 5.27 acres next to the basin since 2006. But the economic downturn and environmental cleanup delayed initial plans.

The market for a hotel in Hood River is strong, according to Bob Naito, who has secured financing for the project through the EB-5 investment visa program. The program rewards foreigners who invest in a job-creating American enterprise by offering them permanent U.S. residency.

鈥淚f there鈥檚 any place where a hotel should be successful, it鈥檇 be Hood River,鈥� he said.

Meanwhile, the younger Naito was exploring the world of cable parks. After watching some videos online, Will found out that the sport was most popular in Germany, so he took a trip to Munich to tour several of the cable parks.

鈥淭his will grow the community鈥檚 reputation for water sports and recreation,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to draw a lot of people to Hood River.鈥�

But the park has raised opposition from some local community members who are concerned that the developments will impact salmon habitats and limit public access to Nichols Basin.

鈥淭he idea that you can put basically an amusement park on Hood River鈥檚 waterfront, in designated critical habitat for salmon, is ridiculous,鈥� said Brent Foster, an attorney representing a group called Friends of the Hood River Waterfront.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a crazy use of any city鈥檚 prime waterfront,鈥� Foster added.

Permitting for the cable park is just getting under way, according to Hood River planning director Cindy Walbridge, and the project depends on forthcoming decisions from several agencies. The Port of Hood River, which owns the basin, still needs to sign off on the plan, and the state Department of State Lands is currently reviewing the application.

Friends of the Hood River Waterfront plans to oppose the park when it goes before the planning commission later this summer, Foster said.

The group has already appealed the commission鈥檚 initial approval of the site plan and conditional use permit related to the hotel and commercial building. In a marathon meeting of the Hood River City Council on Monday, Foster presented 23 objections to the Naito site plan covering a broad range of topics.

Councilors unanimously upheld the approval, although they did strengthen some conditions adopted by the planning commission, including requirements for public access through the property and clarity on flood plain restrictions. Their final determination will be presented July 9.

鈥淲e won鈥檛 be able to start construction this year,鈥� said Bob Naito, founder of Naito Development. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e confident that in the end we鈥檒l prevail.鈥�

Naito expects construction of the four-story hotel and commercial building, which will include office space, a water-sports retailer, and a restaurant, to begin next spring. of Oregon City will be the general contractor.

Acknowledging the ongoing opposition from the Friends of the Hood River Waterfront, Naito said they would start construction on the cable park 鈥渨hen we can.鈥�

鈥淔or Hood River 鈥� the kite boarding, wind surfing, and water sports capital of the world 鈥� this will add one more element,鈥� he said.