RV Park plan in West TD reduced from 26 to 9 sites; Developer may not build

This lot at 2514 West 10th Street could become home to a 9-space RV Park after developers received a conditional-use permit to develop in the property which is zoned high-density residential. The project originally had 26 spaces, and now developers are questioning whether it’s worth it.

By Tom Peterson

Approval of a conditional use permit to build an RV Park on West 10th Street in The Dalles was not quite what the developers wanted. 

The permit allows for 9 sites, far from the 26 requested for the 3.6-acre site at 2514 W. 10th Street.

That’s a 65 percent reduction in spaces as well as revenue.

Here is a locater map of where the property sits. The RV Park would be constructed in the skinny portion of the starred property.

David Griffith

So, will RTD Development LLC owned by David Griffith, Robbie and Tammy McVane still build the RV Park.?

“Great question,” said David Griffith today, Jan. 19. “Not sure, yet.”

A decision to not build could be considered another blow to part of the solution to the housing shortage occurring in The Dalles as demand for temporary housing far outweighs supply. 

Anecdotally, CCCNews listed three apartments for rent earlier this month, and the owner called within a day asking to pull the advertisement after dozens of individuals and families responded. 

A quick search on local property management sites for 1-to-4-bedroom apartments yielded 11 vacancies all exceeding $1,500 a month.

And the Impact of Google bringing in contractors for the next data center build will surely increase demand for housing.

Griffith said he and the McVanes will discuss the decision in weeks to come and decide on whether to continue to pursue the project. 

Griffith said the grade of the property led to the curtailed number of RV spaces in the plan.

“I wish we would have known that before we got so deep into the plan,” he said.

And if they don’t build what will they do with the property?

“Not sure yet,” Griffith said, noting he was disappointed with the planning decision. 

Mixed feelings about the project rose to the surface last June. 

Opinions ranged from steadfast opposition to agreement peppered with concerns about traffic and future users of the park. Griffith pointed out that an RV park has been needed in The Dalles for years.

The Planning Department handed down the decision on Jan. 5 after a public hearing. 

The neighborhood which abuts the hills to the west still supports wildlife and has a rural feel as some of the lots are several acres.

Some don’t want to see it change. 

Bonnie and Teresa Oades

Bonnie and Teresa Oades

“We are against it,” said Teresa Oades in June. Her mother Bonnie lives on the abutting property to the development. “We felt better after talking to planning; however, there are still too many unknowns - safety, crime, traffic issues. And it’s also being placed in a residential area. Many owners will lose property value.”

“We’re not the only ones concerned,” said Bonnie Oades in June. She said she bought her property with her husband Delbert some 70 years ago when it was the only house at the end of West 13th Street. “Lots of neighbors are concerned about safety.”

RTD Development purchased the 3.67-acre property from Darlene Petroff for $300,000 in June of 2021.

However, only the lower part of the property will be used for the RV park, Griffith said back in June. He formerly ran Griffith Motors prior to its sale to Columbia Gorge Toyota and Honda three years ago. 

Inspiration for the RV Park came, in part, from his years with the Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, which received calls weekly from people seeking an RV spot in The Dalles, he said.  

“I knew we needed it,” Griffith said Thursday, June 9. “Contractors come and go. People are always looking for places to park for a couple of days or months - and that helps in the winter, but the real backbone is the weekenders and fishermen and the good weather folks.”

Griffith said the RV Park would employ a full-time camp host who would ensure the park stayed clean and rules would be enforced.

It’s a big investment to make it go. The development of the RV Park will likely run a cost of about $500,000 and the City and other tax districts could bring in Service Development Charges that run well over $100,000.

“We got approval but not for what we need,” Griffith said on Jan. 19. “Plus we’ve got the fact that people don’t want it there anyway. Everybody knows we need something like that. But it’s a not-in-my-backyard-kind-of thing.