LA CENTER — Clark County councilors could decide in October on a nonprofit group’s proposal to build a therapeutic retreat for military veterans east of Woodland, said Bill Bjerke, county parks manager.
The Columbia River Veterans Organization is seeking to build Camp Eagles Rest on 30 acres of county-owned property at Bratton Canyon Park.
As part of the process, Bjerke and representatives of the veterans organization held an open house Wednesday to gather public comment.
Next steps will include compiling the comments. They will be shared with the councilors, along with a staff report and the draft of an agreement, Bjerke said.
As far as a decision goes, that likely is about “five weeks out,” Bjerke said after the meeting at the La Center Community Center.
If approved, the agreement would include a 10-year lease, at $1 a year, plus a pair of five-year renewals, Bjerke said.
Bratton Canyon Park is an 80-acre property along the north side of Northwest 389th Street, west of Northwest Ninth Avenue. It was previously known as Woodland Campground; the Washington State Department of Natural Resources transferred the property to Clark County in 2011.
Some of those attending the meeting wondered why that camp had to be built at that particular spot.
Other public properties were investigated — Frenchman’s Bar Park on the Columbia River, Camp Currie in Camas and Camp Bonneville — Bjerke said, but they all had disqualifying factors.
The group also looked to see what other properties might be available, said Sean Guard, executive director of the Columbia River Veterans Organization.
“If there was an ideal piece of property, it would be this piece on a river or lake,” Guard said. “It doesn’t exist.”
And “cost is a huge driver,” Guard added, noting a 40-acre parcel in Yacolt that has a $6 million price tag.
Specific concerns from nearby residents included a security fence that would be installed, along with a lockable gate, to deter vandals.
The practical effect of the fence would be “to keep honest people out,” an attendee said.
Organizers are looking to create as “small a footprint as we can,” Guard said. Preliminary plans would accommodate a maximum of 32 guests at a time — eight cabins, with four veterans per cabin. But they aren’t planning for that: the proposal calls for operating 286 days a year, with 16 guests per day
And they are not looking for a major expansion.
“If we added more than two or three cabins, we couldn’t provide a high level of service,” said board member Michael Goodrich.
There also would be a restroom-shower-laundry building, an office-kitchen-mess hall and storage buildings.
Veterans would stay at Camp Eagles Rest for up to a week at no charge and participate in outdoor recreation, group discussions and other activities.
The group has established a $3 million fundrasing goal; that would cover construction and five years of operation.
If the county council approves the agreement, “Our next phase would be fundraising so we can clear some areas” for initial construction, Goodrich said. “If the decision goes the other way, we would look for another piece of property.”
