Message from the Mayor
Hello and happy spring – as I write this the daffodils are beginning to bloom. Thanks for reading our Spring newsletter, covering stories about our new fire chief, the local impacts of ICE actions, our city parks, safe routes to school and more.
I’d like to share some things happening locally. I recently toured Mariposa Village, the affordable housing development under construction here in Hood River. It was amazing to witness the beehive of activity. More than 90 workers are actively constructing the multiple buildings – safely, efficiently, quickly, with substantial completion in sight. The first of the 130 units are expected to be occupied this year – the culmination of so many years of work and the support of so many community partners. What an exciting improvement to our City!
And just across the ancient bridge, there is another development heading towards occupancy. Along the main highway of Bingen, 60 units are racing toward completion, also on a 2026 timeline. These apartments and townhouses are an important part of our diverse housing inventory, just a couple miles from downtown Hood River. Addressing the housing shortage will take all our local communities working together.
However, this depends on travel across the Columbia River. Reliable transportation over the river is necessary for the intertwined economies of our Gorge community to function smoothly. Many thanks to our volunteer Bridge Authority commissioners for their hard work navigating the complex funding and permitting landscape to advance this project. Fingers crossed that we’ll all be walking, biking and driving across the Big River on the new bridge soon!
Onward! Adelante! Mayor Paul
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