Developers in Orondo Seek Permit for Rocky Pond Resort Pool

Developers in Orondo hope to erect a posh new swimming pool, but must first obtain a conditional use permit. The Douglas County Hearing Examiner has scheduled a permit hearing for this Friday.

A standalone permit is being sought, but "the pool is a piece, from what I understand, of a larger development," says Tanner Ackley, Douglas County's principal planner of land services. "The developers out there are doing a number of projects in the area; they have a lot of hospitality ventures, hotels, spas, this sort of thing. Speaking with the applicant, it seems that this specific permit is kind of in conjunction with those other elements."

The "larger development" is the Inn and Spa at Rocky Pond - already an approved conditional use. First announced a couple years ago, the resort is compatible with goals outlined in the Douglas County Comprehensive Plan, which seeks to bolster rural recreation. Here's a partial list of other resort amenities: cabanas, lounging areas, vineyards and a bocce ball court.

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"We've heard a couple of things from the applicant in terms of who this might serve. There are a couple of nearby subdivisions, which the applicant has indicated this facility might serve." But it's not just surrounding residents who stand to benefit; so too will tourists and the traveling public. Developers have termed this a mixed-use area.

The hearing will be called to order at 9 a.m. We're told that the Hearing Examiner will also address an application for a low-density residential subdivision in East Wenatchee: 31 lots, all less than .5 of an acre.

Click here for a breakdown of land development procedures in Douglas County.