Wallowa County commissioners have put off until Dec. 19 their land-use decision on a proposed bed and breakfast in rural Joseph, an item that has sparked intense public reaction, both pro and con.

Testimony at the county commission level occurred Tuesday, Dec. 6. That night the commission convened a public hearing dozens of people attended at Enterprise’s Cloverleaf Hall. Turnout had also been large seven weeks earlier at the county courthouse, where the Wallowa County Planning Commission took up the matter of James and Diana Hunter’s application for a conditional use permit to operate the proposed B&B.

The planning commission ultimately decided Oct. 17 not to render a decision on the application, choosing instead to pass it up to the county commission for action.

The substance of testimony at the Dec. 6 hearing continued to revolve around potential conflicts arising between a lodging business surrounded by agricultural operations, and, as was the case Oct. 17, opponents continued to voice concerns about wolves. This past summer, the Hunters hosted a campout on their property of Oregon Wild members holding an eco-tourism event. When the Hunters later applied for a permit to run a B&B, area ranchers worried that the site could become a staging ground for calling in wolves.

At the Oct. 17 planning commission meeting, the Hunters read a statement emphasizing their resolve never to call in wolves.

B&B opponents are also on record with road safety concerns, pointing to limited sight distance for motorists turning onto the Imnaha Highway from Daggett Lane, the road of the proposed B&B.

The Hunters’ 16-acre parcel already includes a cabin. Their plan calls for building an 1,800-square-foot main residence and barn. The B&B would accommodate up to four guests.

Among those in attendance Dec. 6 was Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Cassandra Profita, who observed in a Dec. 9 post on her OPB “Ecotrope” blog: “Everyone from little old ladies to big, leathery men pulled out their type-written speeches, hand-scrawled notes, and folders full of old newspaper clippings. Hours passed. People got emotional. One woman broke down and cried. Several speakers drew applause.”

County commissioners plan to render their decision on the permit application during their regular meeting on Monday, Dec. 19. The commission’s regular meetings start at 9 a.m.