Page 113 - Rural Tourism Report Washington County
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CHAPTER 5: ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS
Complaints Related to Rural Tourism Some activities were curtailed as a result, and
Based on consultant interviews, past outreach others appear to continue legitimately either under
regarding “agritourism,” comments on the DRAFT state "mass gathering" allowances (not regulated as
Rural Tourism Study report, and County Code land use) or through whole house rental, which is
Compliance records, there is evidence that some not regulated by the County.
residents living near rural tourism sites have Prior to 2009, traffic and noise complaints were also
particular concerns about impacts.
received regarding events hosted about five miles
According to Land Use and Transportation Code northwest of Helvetia. Ultimately, activities conduct-
Compliance staff, land use complaints related to ed on that site underwent county and state land use
rural tourism are focused primarily in the Helvetia reviews, through which conditions of approval were
area. Helvetia is located immediately north of the applied. Complaints ceased thereafter, when the
city of Hillsboro, close to high volumes of urban site operator implemented impact management per
traffic on Highway 26. The area is topographically those conditions, partly by contracting with off-duty
confined by forested hills to the north and east law enforcement for traffic management.
along the County line. Although other parts of Code Compliance staff note they have received few
rural Washington County may serve a similar mix land use complaints related to rural tourism in other
of uses, Helvetia’s small residential properties, parts of the County over the past five years. One
larger agricultural lots, rural tourism operations, case revolved around parking that blocked traffic
and the limited network of roads that serve them along a narrow access road. This particular case was
are uniquely constrained, likely compounding the resolved by the provision of off-road parking.
potential for conflicts.
As described in this Chapter, potential impacts
While Helvetia residents note that some rural from rural tourism appear less related to purpose of
tourism operators within their community activity (such as wedding, barn dance, or farm-to-
proactively minimize conflicts and practice good fork dinner) than to specific attributes of an activity,
neighbor relations, they explain that others have site location, and surroundings. The report suggests
created protracted impacts on their quality of that if future regulations are adopted to apply
life, leading to a series of associated complaints. parameters/conflict management requirements
These relate primarily to noise (especially amplified to rural tourism uses, they should address site
sound); traffic and parking; frequency and and activity-specific factors such as proximity to
hours of activities; and adequacy of regulations, neighboring homes/agricultural uses, parking and
enforcement, and other tools to manage impacts. access road capacity, attendance levels, sound
One Helvetia site has been of particular concern to amplification, frequency and hours of events/
residents, especially due to amplified sound and activities, and even topographical conditions. This
traffic. Its activities over the past five years have approach may benefit communities like Helvetia,
required heavy Code Compliance staff involvement with a long-standing rural tourism presence and a
and assessment of sizable fines. unique set of associated challenges, as well as rural
Washington County communities that are newly
witnessing an influx of rural tourism operations.
WASHINGTON COUNTY RURAL TOURISM STUDY 109
