Hood River Cable Park - CGKA Needs Your Support

cgka · Since 18 Jul 2006 278 Posts Obsessed

The Columbia Gorge Kiteboarding Association needs your support to make the Hood River Cable park a reality! Cable parks provide an experience very similar to kiteboarding, with or without wind.

The first City Planning Commission meeting for the cable park is Monday, March 19th at 5:30pm in City Hall, 211 State Street, Hood River, OR. Opposition is lining up to testify against this project and we must meet the opposition head-on if we want this amazing opportunity to happen.

The CGKA board has voted to support the proposed cable park in the Nichols Boat Basin. This park will benefit CGKA members, providing a place to ride in no-wind conditions, introduce new riders to kiteboarding, and encourage the growth of our sport in the Gorge.

In order to make sure the park is ready for everyone to ride next summer, all of us need to make sure the decision makers know there’s local support. We can do this by emailing and writing the City of Hood River Planning Commission and the Port of Hood River, and by attending & speaking at important upcoming meetings. These meetings will decide whether or not we get the park.

Whether or not you can attend any of the meetings, it’s also really helpful to write an email or letter showing your support. These emails & letter are important. They’re being read by the decision makers and are a part of the public record. We've made available to you some facts about the cable park and a sample letter you can send or paraphrase at the following links:
http://www.gorgekiter.com/cablepark-facts
http://www.gorgekiter.com/cable-sample-letter

The contact information for the City Planning Department and the Port Commission is below. You should send your letters to both organizations.

City of Hood River Planning Department
cindy@ci.hood-river.or.us
P.O. Box 27
Hood River, OR 97031

Port of Hood River
porthr@gorge.net
1000 East Port Marina Drive
Hood River, OR 97031

forrest · Wed Feb 29, 12 2:02 pm

Seriously, send in your letter! Don't wait, don't say you'll do it later... Do it now!

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

Done! Send in your support letters people or admit that you are too lazy to spend 2 minutes to support something super fun!

BeatrixKiddo · Since 21 Feb 2012 18 Posts Washington Side

Done. See you March 5th.

SalmonSlayer · Since 27 Nov 2005 648 Posts Addicted **CGKA Member**

forrest · Wed Feb 29, 12 3:35 pm

They've not published them on any official page, but from what I heard it amounts to what they see as a reduction in access, and opinions such as "it doesn't belong". Naito is open to mitigating any reduction in access, but no one has presented a plan for mitigation which is a mega missed opportunity. Also, it's not a complete reduction in access. 5 acres (roughly 1/3) of the boat basin will remain open for SUP and Kayak.

To me this poses the question: How much do you need to SUP, Kayak, and boat? Well, all of those are very mobile compared to a cable park and can be placed in bodies of water elsewhere, like the boat Marina or a new beach made through a mitigation process. A cable park needs to be in just the right body of water, which is very limited by water rights, access, and a million other hurdles which have kept them from getting through the permitting process up and down the entire western seaboard of the U.S. (Nevada sued California for cloud seeding, which might help explain why water is such a crazy issue in California.)

Well, It just so happens that the best option for a cable park in the Western U.S. is body of water is right on our door step for us to enjoy. Not just "us" on NWKite, but for my daughter and her friends as she grows up. She will be using the cable far before she'll ever be heavy enough to hold down a kite. Not that I won't have her kiting and throwing down earlier than any kid before... The point is more people can use the water space in simple, safe, cheaper, fun, and exciting way. What about the upper valley residence who can't afford a lesson and a kite, but can afford to hit the mountain a couple times a winter? The pricing will be on par or cheaper than going snowboarding/skiiing. This will open up the water front sports to even more residents of the area.

Inept_Fun · Since 14 Apr 2005 1417 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

For sure I would have loved something like this growing up. I cant see how this would possibly be an access issue considering there is an entire river that you can sup in...

chrissmack · Since 08 Jun 2005 526 Posts portland Addicted

done.

up above, i read "in order to have the park ready next summer";

does that mean summer of 2013?

forrest · Thu Mar 01, 12 2:41 pm

Yea.

forrest · Thu Mar 01, 12 2:53 pm

Meeting date changed to March 19th. Unfortunately, I'll be traveling for work...

genek · Since 21 Jul 2006 2165 Posts East Po KGB

SalmonSlayer · Since 27 Nov 2005 648 Posts Addicted **CGKA Member**

Email sent with a non local/tourist $$ appeal.

I would think it would help if CGKA also posted this issue on the PSkite forum

forrest · Thu Mar 01, 12 3:39 pm

I created a Facebook Event. Everyone invite your friends, lets make this happen!

http://www.facebook.com/events/356717551029172/

OG · Since 07 Jun 2011 597 Posts Addicted

done as in done. bring on the cable park

Pepi · Thu Mar 01, 12 6:52 pm

I think that we can look at the delay as an opportunity for us to get organized with support numbers, letters and getting the word out to all supporters so that they can put the date on their calendar to attend.

Everyone now has an additional 2 weeks to get a letter of support submitted to the Hood River Planning Commission AND the Port of Hood River.

It's like your teacher giving you an extra 2 weeks to get your term paper turned in, except this time, instead of getting a better grade, you can earn yourself a local Cable Park. How do you like them apples, son!!

Write the letters, and remember to send them in to both the Hood River Planning Commission and the Port of Hood River.

forrest · Thu Mar 01, 12 11:34 pm

Okay, I was finally able to hunt down some published opposition. I responded but perhaps someone else will have points that I've not made clear and wishes to respond.

http://www.iwindsurf.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=24067

Inept_Fun · Since 14 Apr 2005 1417 Posts Hood River XTreme Poster

Those guys over there seriously sound like bitter, uneducated assholes.

Look at this post by one of them:
cgoudie writes"...a cable park might get some of the riff-raff out of the water".

More likely, the cable park will spawn a flock of born again wake boarders cruising up and down the river behind their power boats to add to your windsurfing pleasure.
_________

Yeah u dumbass because wakeboarders love to take their boats out in the river when the wind is blowing 20+. Dumb****.