Bend Current, Newsletter for the Community, March 2024

Whether you’re ready for Spring or still taking advantage of building snow-sculptures, February offered a little bit for everyone (in that Bend way we know and love!). This issue of the Bend Current offers some opportunities to engage in the work that your City is doing, including an invitation to tell us what you think about the Bend Bikeway project, read and provide input on the draft transportation fee code, and ask us questions about tree preservation.

Accessible and Effective City Government

An Update from Councilor Anthony Broadman

Councilor Anthony Broadman gives an update on some of the work that the City Council accomplished this past month.

Watch the video update.

Public Safety

Inside Bend
Responding to Cardiac Arrest with Bend Fire and Rescue Training Captain Petar Hossick

February is Heart Health Month, so we sat down with EMS Training Captain Petar Hossick to learn more about how Bend Fire & Rescue is working hard to respond to community members experiencing a cardiac event as quickly and efficiently as possible. (A recent report showed total emergency calls for service in 2023 increased while the average response times in 2023 DECREASED compared to 2022 – thank you Fire & Rescue). Captain Hossick also offers some great tips on how you can help save a life! 

Listen at bendoregon.gov/inside-bend or on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify. 

Transportation & Infrastructure

Hawthorne Bridge: Your East + West Connection

Look out for concept plans related to an upcoming, large-scale project in Bend – the Hawthorne Avenue Overcrossing, a pedestrian and bicycle crossing that will connect east and west Bend by crossing over the parkway and the railroad tracks. The City of Bend was awarded roughly $25M in state and federal dollars for the project. Following a presentation of several potential bridge designs, Council asked staff to bring back three different design renderings for the bridge. Keep an eye out for a community survey in April that will ask for input about the design types. Construction of the bridge is slated to begin in late 2027. You can find more information on the Midtown Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossings at bendoregon.gov/midtowncrossings.

Transportation Fee Draft Code: Invitation to Review

A draft copy of the transportation fee code is now available for review and input at bendoregon.gov/transportation-fee. The transportation fee, a monthly charge on City of Bend utility bills, is a key part of Bend’s transportation future – if passed, it will fund operations and maintenance, like snow plowing and street paving, as well as projects that increase the safety of our transportation system. Email transportationfeeemails@bendoregon.gov to provide input about the draft code. Council plans to vote on implementing a transportation fee (or, in other words, finalize the code) at their March 20 meeting.

Weigh in on the Bend Bikeway Project

The City of Bend is developing the Bend Bikeway project that will make walking and biking safer (and just more enjoyable) for everyone in our community. The project focuses on routes that people are already walking and biking on, and some planned improvements currently include shared use/protected paths, neighborhood greenways, signage, and more! Visit bendoregon.gov/bendbikeway to find the interactive map (where you can provide street and intersection level feedback) and online survey. The interactive map and survey will be available through March 6.

Affordable Housing & Sustainable Development

Making Affordable Housing Possible

The City Council approved awarding nearly $1.4 million dollars to help make more affordable homes available. The affordable housing fund, collected from building permits, is allocated every year in a grant format. This year, three non-profits will use those dollars to offer down payment assistance (for newly constructed, affordable homes) and to help with developing rent-restricted apartments.

Also, two properties in northeast Bend were surplussed by the City of Bend for housing. The non-profit Thistle and Nest will partner with Bend Habitat for Humanity to develop housing in the area of Bear Creek Road and Franklin Avenue. The homes will be available to individuals making about eighty-thousand dollars or less per year – in Bend, those are many of our working families. One more highlight: some of the homes will be designed to be universally accessible.

Moving Stevens Road Tract Forward

Council adopted amendments related to Stevens Road tract, a property in southeast Bend intended for large scale development. One of the most exciting pieces of this development is that it will include housing for school employees – so, home ownership options that are attainable for our local teachers. The adopted amendments allow us to take the next step, which is offering the land up for sale to a developer.

Environment & Climate

Tree Code: Come ask us questions!

This month, Council heard a recommendation concerning the tree code update. Over the last year, a committee of community members and subject matter experts met nine times to talk about what the City of Bend’s tree code should regulate. The new code will primarily focus on larger scale developments – you can find the specific recommendations at bendoregon.gov/tree-code. That website will also tell you about the two-tree code related Q and A sessions that will be held in March. 

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