Draft General Development Plan, July 1977, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Development Concept
Munson Valley-Panhandle
Winter operation of the existing facilities in Munson Valley has proven expensive and inefficient. Housing units are poorly insulated, fuel costs are high, and the winter environment affects employee morale.
Serious consideration has been given to new locations for the administrative, maintenance, and permanent housing facilities. However, during the course of this planning effort, it was recognized that Munson Valley is the logical location for these facilities in both summer and winter. The cost of building new facilities, the cost of maintaining both the new facilities and the remaining facilities needed for summer operation in Munson Valley, and the marginal benefits for employees, all weighed against further consideration of a move out of Munson Valley.
Administrative, maintenance, and employee housing facilities will remain in Munson Valley. Obsolete housing will be replaced or extensively renovated and other remaining housing will continue to be improved to make these units more energy efficient.
The harsh and confining winter environment at Munson Valley and the distance to schools, shopping and medical facilities will be made clear to prospective employees; hopefully, only those who can tolerate or enjoy these living conditions will apply for positions on the park staff.
Park management will actively pursue a program for the improvement of community educational and recreational programs and facilities which will’ offer amenities during the confining winter months.
The obsolete cabins and trailers in the Sleepy Hollow area will be removed and replaced with 22 new housing units. These units would be used primarily for summer seasonal housing but would be built to full winter standards since heat must be maintained when they are not in use. The housing would also be available for year-round use should staffing needs change. Other housing, particularly in the Stone Housing area, will be extensively remodeled or replaced as these units become obsolete, and, as needed, additional housing for permanent employees will be built in the Steel Circle area. The number of housing units to be built, the space requirements, and the renovation of other units would be considered in a comprehensive housing study to be completed prior to any major construction projects.
The Panhandle area will remain a maintenance subarea, primarily for storage. Some of the obsolete storage structures in Munson Valley will be replaced or supplemented with storage structures in the Panhandle. No water or sewage treatment systems are proposed for the Panhandle site; chemical toilets will be used, if needed. Electricity, if needed, can be brought into the site from the nearby primary line now serving the park.
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