McCall’s historic Payette Lakes Inn, built in 1914 and 1915, has sat vacant since the 1980s but a developer hopes to change this.
McCall’s Planning and Zoning Commission heard a pre-application plan that would turn the Payette Lakes Inn at 1585 Warren Wagon Road into a wedding and event center. The application said it would “return the property to its former glory.”
“It’s an important historic feature in McCall…It has a very unique architecture so that rustics with chalet design will remain,” said Elizabeth Allen of Bristlecone Land Use Consulting, who is representing the applicant.
Project plan
The project plans show a total of 18 guest rooms spread across the second and third floors that can hold up to 36 guests. The ground floor would house a reception and gathering area for the events that would accommodate 100 guests. There would also be a commercial-grade kitchen/ restaurant for guest service and catering. Parking is proposed for the corners of the site.
Allen said there would be an onsite 24/7 manager to greet and assist guests and also ensure there are no parties or “disruptive behavior” happening on the site.
The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2017. The application letter said that site history will be incorporated.
“Historic exhibits, including historic pictures, artifacts, articles, and information, will be incorporated to share the site’s history. Small guided public tours will be held weekly,” the application letter said.
Though the property has access to Warren Wagon Rd., the applicant is proposing using Miracle Heights for the entrance and Club Road for the exit to address neighbors’ concerns.
Applicant Dustin Simpson said there was a possibility of outdoor ceremonies, but receptions and events that would have music would be inside. The commissioners said they need more detail about potential outdoor use when the formal application is submitted.
Commissioners said that the interior was in “rough shape,” noting that the walls were falling down.
“We’ve actually gone in and cleaned out the whole inside, pretty much gutted the whole inside down to the studs,” Simpson said. “We have left most of the original – the main floor. But we’ve done a lot of excavation and gutted the whole inside and so it’s much cleaner now if you saw it today. It’s in much better condition than it was.”
The Payette Lakes Inn project will still need to earn approval from planning and zoning and the McCall City Council before it can move forward.
