Some residents are saying "Whoa, there," to plans for an expanded Rough Rider Hotel in the heart of historic Medora.

Four appeals to the project were filed by Tuesday's deadline.

That forces plans by the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation to build a miniconvention and rooms complex on the back of the historic motel to a hearing and possible vote Tuesday by the Medora City Council.

One opponent says they will appeal in district court if necessary.

Those appealing the project say a three-story, 37,000-square-foot addition to the old Rough Rider Hotel is too big and too tall to fit the tight neighborhood where the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation wants to put it.

One resident, Sandra Connell Key, said it's unfair that Medora's historic zoning requires private home and business owners to follow rules for construction materials and building height to preserve the historic ambience of the western town, while at the same time, the expansion project would be contrary to those guidelines.

Randy Hatzenbuhler, foundation executive director, said the downtown location will boost the off-season tourism economy and was downsized from four to three stories to make it fit better in the neighborhood.

"It's a beautiful site for a gathering site and a nice, compact plan," Hatzenbuhler said.

Besides Key, those who've appealed are the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Service, which has park housing adjacent to the convention center, other residents, one other adjacent property owner and the chairwoman of the Medora zoning board.

Medora Auditor Sherri Ross said she's fielded phone calls on the project from about one-fourth of the town's population of 100 since it was approved by the Medora Planning and Zoning Board last week on a 2-1 vote.

Ross said the prevailing sentiment from callers is that they like the project and the looks of it, just not the location.

Hatzenbuhler said the foundation discounted building the convention center at the Bully Pulpit Golf Course three miles south of Medora in order to keep an estimated 15,000 new year-round visitors in town.

He said the foundation also discounted using its Bunkhouse Motel property across the tracks because it didn't want to cause a net loss of visitor rooms in Medora.

Finally, for cost reasons, the foundation wants to use the dining room at the Rough Rider Hotel.

Key said she believes community sentiment is divided by half; half who don't like the location and half who do.

She said she knows a court battle could cause a permanent rift in town, and it wouldn't be something anyone would take lightly.

Key said her yard would butt up against the convention center parking lot. Another adjacent property owner who appealed is Bruce Northrop, who, like her, has generational roots in Medora. She said his yard would be in the shadow of the convention center and overlooked by balconies from visitor rooms.

The foundation plans to spend about $8 million to add 51 rooms to the Rough Rider, along with meeting and rooftop commons space for 200, plus a new kitchen.

Diane Rogness, chairman of the zoning board, said as chairman, she didn't have a vote on the matter.

Nor did Hatzenbuhler, whose role as the foundation's executive director was in conflict with his zoning authority.

That left three votes. Theodore Roosevelt National Park Superintendent Valerie Naylor, a zoning board member, voted "no." Pat Weir, a former Fargo attorney, who lives in Medora and is a foundation member, and Medora Mayor Doug Walker, voted "yes."

By Medora ordinance, zoning board decisions are final unless appealed to the city council within five days.

Rogness was formerly director of the State Historic Society's Chateau de Mores at Medora and is now director of the society's western region of historic sites. She said Medora zoners spent two years poring over ordinances in order to clarify guidelines to preserve the town's historic integrity. Rogness said the zoning board denied one project for being two times bigger than surrounding structures, while the Rough Rider project would have a footprint six times larger than anything surrounding it.

"It will just overpower and change the nature of that part of town," she said.

Hatzenbuhler said the foundation will wait through the appeals process and lay out its case for the city council, but still hopes to proceed with fall construction so it can open the new complex in 2009.

The Medora meeting is at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the community center.

(Reach reporter Lauren Donovan at 888-303-5511, or lauren@;westriv.com.)