Deschutes County will allow a bed-and-breakfast operation but not campsites across the street from Smith Rock State Park.

County commissioners agreed Wednesday to approve the Mazama Foundation’s plan to build a bed-and-breakfast that would accommodate eight guests while denying its proposal to include campsites for up to 20 people on the same 2-acre triangular lot across Crooked River Drive from the state park.

Commissioners will officially vote on the decision at a later meeting, and it still can be appealed.

The Mazama Foundation, which supports the Portland-based nonprofit mountaineering organization Mazamas, bought the land last year with the intent to develop a bed-and-breakfast and campsites to meet demand from recreation groups flocking to Smith Rock State Park.

But the foundation faced stiff opposition from nearby residents who viewed it as a harbinger of future commercial development in a rural neighborhood already stressed by Smith Rock’s growing popularity.

“What we’ve heard is a lot of community concern about honoring this part of our community,” Commissioner Tammy Baney said. “It is a residential area with incredible impact from a national monument.”

The Mazamas revised their plan several times over the past few months in response to feedback from residents. The final plan reviewed by the county Wednesday called for a 2,200-square-foot single-story B&B with three guest rooms and one employee bedroom. It also proposed five campsites with space for two two-person tents at each site.

Tony DeBone, chairman of the three-member Deschutes County Commission, said he would be OK with some outdoor camping but didn’t think there was enough space for 20 campers. Because of the lot’s shape, the campground would have required the county to waive required setbacks from Crooked River Drive and the northern property line.

“The bed-and-breakfast seems like it could fit there, and the campground seems like, how does it shoehorn in there?” DeBone said. “Five campsites, two tents, 20 people just seems a little bit much for that site.”

Eliminating the campground addresses most of the concerns nearby residents had, said Luis Elenes of the Terrebonne Neighborhood Alliance, a group that formed in part to oppose the Mazamas proposal. However, he said the group still needs to evaluate the modified plan for the B&B to see if it would be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.

“Our biggest objection was the campground, so I think everyone’s relieved that it’s been denied,” Elenes said. “We’re happy in some regards, and we’re looking forward to seeing how they modify the plan to only include the bed-and-breakfast.”

Just the single story B&B should fit the surrounding area, Baney said.

“I don’t think that this is going to be significantly different than the residential home that’s there today,” she said. “I would be hard-pressed to deny a bed-and-breakfast based solely on ‘I don’t want this in my neighborhood.’”

The Mazama Foundation directed all inquiries to stewardship and advocacy manager Adam Baylor, who could not be reached for comment.

— Reporter: 541-633-2160; jshumway@bendbulletin.com