This week the Port of Hood River will host a public meeting on the proposed Nichols Basin Cable Park. Portland developers Bob and Will Naito say they want to construct a 10-acre resort based on similar spots in Germany and Austria. They paid for an economic analysis suggesting the project could create 180 jobs, and $47 million in fiscal output.

But some local activists say the project is the wrong scale in the wrong place at the wrong time. Heather Staten with the Friends of the Hood River Waterfront helped organize a float-in yesterday, in which opponents took to the water in kayaks and paddle boards to show their numbers. Staten says the area in question is currently used by watercraft, swimmers and even dog-owners wanting a dip.

“Right now,” Staten says, “All of us can share, we all play at the same time. There’s already a commercial kayak school there. We’re not against commercial activity at all. The thing with the cable park is it’s an exclusive use.”

The cable park would let visitors ride along, towed by an aerial cable system in a circuit – comparable to a waterskiing experience.

Port Commissioners plan to make a final decision on the Naito development in early November.

This story originally appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting.