08/26/2008: "Rosario Closing Concerns Council"

The news that Rosario is once again up for sale caused some concern last week when Councilman Rich Peterson worried that if the resort closed, there could be significant impacts for the county’s sales tax income.

Now that fear has been added to with the details that the resort and the 74 acres of land that goes with it, will not only auctioned off at the end of the month, but that it will be to the highest bidder. Period. No reserve, no backing out, highest bidder gets it.

The last time the resort sold was in 1998, when it was purchased by Olympus Real Estate Group. After the purchase a very expensive and time consuming permit process resulted in the passage of the Rosario Resort’s Master Plan for future development.

The plan allowed the construction and sale of “private residence clubs” the replacement and upgrading of the Marina and guest facilities. At that time there were concerns that the Resort might be closed down unless the plan was approved, and it was not clear then, or now, if the plan would be acted on.

If the Resort is closed, and the properties converted to residential use, Councilman Gene Knapp is quoted as saying “This will have a very serious impact on Orcas Island and all of San Juan County….we have year-round, 100 full-time jobs at jeopardy as well one of the County’s historic attractions and a major contributor to the tax base.”

The property’s general manager, Dan Dohner, has been quoted as being hopeful that the auction will attract someone who is “passionate enough to make the resort all that it can be.”

The resort part is only a small part of the package. In addition to the 127- room hotel and 65-boat marina, there is also 95 acres of land that is zoned for residential development, plus 16 more acres that can also be developed.