Vantage to Pomona FEIS Index 34 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 3 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Affected Environment PAGE 3-220 Transient housing (e.g., hotels, motels, and RV parks) is likely to be of most importance to Project construction workers. These facilities are plentiful in the Project study area’s primary cities of Yakima, Ellensburg, and Moses Lake. However, closer to the Action Alternatives, very little transient housing is available (U.S. Census 2010). There are approximately 2,000 hotel rooms in the vicinity of the City of Yakima. Occupancy rates over a month's period vary from about 30 percent to 60 percent. However, for several weeks during the year, hotels are essentially fully booked due to high school athletic tournaments at the Yakima Valley Sun Dome or events at the Yakima Convention Center. During some of these times, such as during the state high school basketball tournament in March, hotel availability is very low as far away as Ellensburg and Prosser in Benton County (U.S. Census 2010). There are also numerous RV parks in the Yakima area. Among the closest to the Action Alternatives within Yakima County are Yakima Sportsman State Park, Circle H RV Park, Trailers Inn RV Park, and the KOA Campgrounds. However, east of Yakima near State Route 24 there are no hotels or RV parks. During the summer and fall peak season, vacancies are fairly low. Ellensburg has approximately 750 hotel rooms, with several of the major U.S. chain hotels such as Best Western and Comfort Inn having facilities, as well as smaller locally-owned hotels and motels. There are three RV parks in the vicinity. When these facilities are full at peak times, often the state fairgrounds are opened for RV use. Typically in the late spring to early autumn there are few or no vacancies, especially when there are concerts at the Gorge Amphitheatre and the main annual rodeo on Labor Day weekend. Hotel and RV availability in southwest Grant County is very low. The Desert Aire River Campground at Mattawa has only 10 spaces with hookups, which are typically fully occupied in summer and fall, but occupancy is low in winter (Skinner 2011). Beyond the immediate Project vicinity in Grant County, one public RV facility, the Shady Tree RV Park with 49 hookups, is located in Quincy (near George). The Sun Basin RV Park is located east of George and the Post Road Trailer Park is located in George (approximately a 20-minute drive from Vantage and 35 minutes from Mattawa). Cave B Inn at Sagecliff is a higher-priced (approximately $200 per night) hotel with 55 rooms, located approximately 10 miles north of Vantage. The MarDon and O'Sullivan RV facilities are east of Royal City, but cater to hunting and fishing persons, with limits on availability for transient workers. Ample hotel and RV spaces are available in the Moses Lake area, approximately an hour from the Action Alternatives within Grant County. Just north of the Vantage Substation terminus, the Vantage Riverstone Resort in Kittitas County has 15 hotel rooms and six houses (holding up to five to six people apiece) available for rent. The Vantage Riverstone Resort also has a campground and RV park, with approximately 50 full hookups for RVs. Vacancies are limited in summer and, to a lesser degree, in fall. However, some availability is likely even in summer, but advance reservations are suggested. There is ample availability in late fall to late spring (Kwiatkowski 2011). Somewhat farther away from the Action Alternatives are the cities of Kittitas and Ellensburg (approximately a 30-minute drive to Vantage and 50 minutes to Moxee), which also have substantial hotel and RV availability.