HOW LAND USE WORKS IN BEND

With Bend being one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, many Bendites are asking questions about what land uses are allowed, and what the community can do to be a part of shaping Bend’s future as it grows.

Land use planning in Oregon is unique! It is also vitally important to how Oregon cities manage growth. 

We want to help people in Bend understand how it works. The Neighborhood Leadership Alliance, an advisory committee to Council, has helped the City make learning about land use a little easier. The Neighborhood Leadership Alliance, which represents each of Bend’s Neighborhood Associations, surveyed the community last year to gauge people’s knowledge of land use. The survey results and other efforts resulted in a Land Use Education Plan, which includes resources about how land use works here and where the opportunities for community involvement lie. 

These resources include an animated video, many user-friendly documents, interactive tools and a new webpage where Bendites can dive-in to all things land use! 

Visit bendoregon.gov/land-use-education to begin learning today!  

 Watch the animated video for a simple overview.

HOMELESSNESS UPDATE

There are about 1,000 people who are experiencing homelessness in Central Oregon on any given night. Addressing homelessness is a top Bend City Council priority.

Hotel to Housing

This episode of our new podcast, Inside Bend, features Recovery Strategy and Impact Officer Carolyn Eagan who discusses Project Turnkey, a program that allowed the City to purchase an underused motel to turn it into transitional housing. 

Listen: bendoregon.gov/inside-bend or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify!

Outdoor Shelters

The City of Bend is looking into possible locations for temporary outdoor shelters for unhoused community members in Bend. These outdoor shelters would be located in a location for one to three years, until the site can be developed with more permanent shelter or affordable housing. Learn more about the City's work related to outdoor shelters, also known as managed camps, here.

TRANSPORTATION

Street Preservation 2021

This year, City street crews improved 74.5 lane miles in Bend. With the City’s ‘keep good roads good’ philosophy, work focused on using the right treatment at the right time to be cost-effective and maintain public roads. Read the season's street preservation highlights here. To learn more about Bend’s street preservation practices visit bendoregon.gov/streetpreservation.

Rising Transportation Fatalities

31 people died in Deschutes County traffic crashes last year, despite a significant drop-off in traffic volumes. That was the most fatalities in more than 10 years. Especially at risk are young drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Statistics show the risk of fatalities could be reduced by more than two-thirds if drivers do these four things:  

1. Slow down
2. Drive sober 
3. Buckle up 
4. Pay attention 

A coalition of agencies and organizations recently launched a survey at CentralOregonSafeTravel.org asking what community members are willing to do to turn things around and help save lives. The survey closes on Sept. 30 when survey results get announced at the first ever Central Oregon Safe Travel Summit. This virtual event will bring together community leaders from around Central Oregon to confront head-on the region’s emerging transportation safety threat.

Septic to Sewer Progress

Several Bend neighborhoods have successfully connected to public sewer through the Septic to Sewer Conversion Program which allows people to convert from private septic systems to City sewer service and is funded through utility rates.

Learn more about the program and how to apply.

COUNCIL UPDATES

Fireworks update

City Councilors supported draft code changes that would prohibit the sale, possession and use of fireworks in Bend permanently, after an emergency declaration prohibiting fireworks use expires in December. This would not prohibit professional displays permitted by the Oregon State Fire Marshal, such as the traditional Fourth of July fireworks show off of Pilot Butte. Violations would be a class A civil infraction with a fine up to $750. The code changes will come back to Council at a future meeting for a vote.

Middle Housing

Councilors took public input at a public hearing and gave a first reading (preliminary approval) to code amendments allowing Bend to implement House Bill 2001, a state law requiring cities to allow more “middle housing” in Bend, with some modified parking requirements. House Bill 2001 requires large cities such as Bend to allow middle housing, (duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, townhomes and cottage cluster developments) in more places around the city to increase housing choice and supply. Here is the issue summary. Increasing housing supply is a Council goal. More information can be found at bendoregon.gov/HB-2001.

Housing Pilot Project

Councilors approved updated site plans for 35 acres expanding the eastern urban growth boundary along Hwy 20, part of the state's HB 4079 pilot program to provide housing and affordable housing. Issue summary: Here is the issue summary and here is the concept plan.

Stevens Ranch

Council approved code amendments for the Stevens Ranch Master Planned Development south of Stevens Road and east of SE 27^th Street. It includes 1,000 housing units, (over half of which must not be single family detached homes), 46 acres of commercial land, and 93 acres of industrial land of that includes a large-lot industrial site. Here is the issue summary.

Thank you to all who participated in Welcoming Week this month!