Tension is ripening in the Hood River Valley, where a proposal to build a roughly 49,000-square-foot Amazon last-mile distribution center on Port-owned land just outside Odell is drawing sharp pushback from farm stands, tasting rooms and other Fruit Loop businesses. Locals say the project’s footprint, along with the expected surge in van and truck traffic, would clog narrow rural roads used by tourists, harvest crews and school buses and could chip away at the valley’s agritourism character.
Fruit Loop businesses raise safety concerns
Owners running stands and tasting rooms along the Fruit Loop told local reporters they worry that large delivery vans and semis will crowd out customers and farm vehicles on Neal Creek Mill Road, according to KPTV. Columbia Gorge News reports that Hood River County’s planning staff gave tentative site-plan approval in late February, but public comments zeroed in on traffic, sight distance and seasonal congestion. Business owners argue that the site’s proximity to Highway 35 could worsen peak-season bottlenecks and scare off visitors looking for a quieter farm-country experience.
Port figures and traffic projections
Documents posted by the Port of Hood River describe a 49,000-square-foot sortation and delivery facility that would include multiple truck docks, hundreds of van parking spaces and roughly 110 employee parking spots, with an estimate of about 50-100 direct jobs tied to the project, according to a fact sheet from the Port of Hood River. The port notes that the site comes from a multi-lot redevelopment of the Lower Mill/Lower Hanel Mill property and that purchase paperwork indicates the deal would set a new local benchmark for industrial land value. Local land-use group Thrive Hood River argues the traffic analysis is incomplete and warns that roughly 70% of trips, or about 384 vehicle movements a day, could be funneled toward Highway 35, creating queuing and safety issues near Pine Grove and Davis Drive, Thrive Hood River notes.
Land-use questions and an appeal
Thrive Hood River has filed a formal appeal contending that the county’s approval failed to include the findings required under Oregon’s Goal 14 for development outside urban growth boundaries, according to Columbia Gorge News. The group is asking the county to require a more complete traffic study that factors in crash history, sight-distance issues and seasonal queuing patterns. Hood River County’s Planning Commission is set to hear the de novo appeal on April 22 at 5:30 p.m., a hearing where new evidence and public testimony will be allowed.
What to watch next
The Planning Commission’s decision will determine whether additional conditions or mitigation measures are required before any land sale or construction can proceed. With the appeal underway, Fruit Loop businesses say they plan to keep pressing county officials for tighter traffic controls and safety protections if the project moves ahead.
