Within the general development plan was a development concept for Rim Village that was very similar to what had been proposed in the 1967 master plan. The differences were that the lodge was now to be maintained as a first class accommodation, with refurnishing and maintenance to be done in a way that its historic character would be retained. The proposed visitor center was to be placed just north of the existing comfort station on the plaza. It was to be surrounded by “restored green space”, while the roadway was to be moved south to provide access to the lodge. The plan stated that the key to implementing a Rim Village plan was the removal of the rental cabins so that parking on the existing roadway and plaza could be relocated. Another major difference to the 1967 plan was that rim redevelopment was not tied to moving park headquarters to the south entrance, though the plan attempted to make a case for the move.
The development concept had a long-range goal of restoring the rim of the caldera to an interpretive zone, stating that those facilities not directly related to the viewing experience and interpretation could be removed upon the termination of their useful life. [91] No timetable was given for the proposed actions, but the development concept maintained that the replacement of lodging units with others elsewhere in the park would depend on prevailing conditions at that time and the availability of facilities within nearby communities. It did specify, however, that prior to any major actions at Rim Village, a comprehensive design would be prepared that would determine the location of the interpretive center, pedestrian areas, parking, and access roads. [92] In December 1977, the NPS issued a final GMP with an environmental assessment. The latter was the subject of some controversy in the public comment period because a conservation wanted the NPS to do an environmental impact statement. Klamath Falls Group Superintendent Ernest Borgman dismissed the idea by equating the depth and utility of an EA with an EIS while characterizing the latter as involving unnecessary delays.
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