Meeting could lead to more
communication on Juniper Ridge
More communication among the
city of Bend, Deschutes County
and the Oregon Department of
Transportation (ODOT) regarding
traffic issues in north Bend
will help the city advance its
plans to develop Juniper Ridge
and expand the Urban Growth
Boundary (UGB), mostly to the
east of Juniper Ridge. That’s
the main message participants
took away from a Tuesday
workshop attended by city,
county and ODOT staff members
and elected officials and
facilitated by a member of Gov.
Ted Kulongoski’s planning staff,
Janet Brown. She came to Bend to
help all parties iron out
transportation issues involving
not only city streets around
Juniper Ridge, but also
surrounding county and state
roads. Both county and local
ODOT representatives told city
officials and planners they
don’t have a say in the city’s
overall plans for Juniper Ridge,
but they can and must have a say
in how the project impacts their
road systems. Chief among the
thorny transportation issues
involving Juniper Ridge are its
impacts on Highway 97 and Cooley
Road and on the county-owned
Deschutes Market to the east.
The Bend City Council has
commissioned a northeast
transportation study, but any
results are at least several
weeks away. The city and county
once met regularly in joint
meetings to discuss common
issues, but no such meeting has
been held in more than 1½ years,
City Manager Andy Anderson told
the group. The Bend Chamber
urges the city to work
cooperatively with the county
and ODOT on common
transportation issues.
Top of Page
County commissioners scratch
heads on destination resort
rules
At a work session on Wednesday,
Deschutes County commissioners
talked at length about how to
proceed after a Land Use Board
of Appeals (LUBA) decision that
the county must require
destination resorts such as
Thornburgh to build at least 50
units of separate
visitor-oriented overnight
lodging before any individual
housing lots can be sold.
Developers have appealed the
LUBA decision to the Oregon
Court of Appeals. Destination
resorts are required to
eventually have 150 overnight
rental units, and must maintain
a ratio of at least one
overnight unit per two
individual lots. The county had
discussed allowing developers to
take out a bond promising to
build the overnight units while
still proceeding with individual
home sales. County staff is
working on a new code to address
the overnight unit building
question without making
unreasonable demands on
developers.
Top of Page
Fix my road, please!
Last week’s survey question was,
“What’s your nomination for the
worst (physical) stretch of road
in Bend?” It appears a lot of
people have their favorite road
to hate. Some replies:
“The worst road is Empire Avenue from Highway 20 to 27th
Street. The Boyd Acres
intersection revision will help,
but the road needs to have four
clear lanes for the entire
distance. A left-turn signal
needs to be installed for
entering the parkway southbound
from westbound Empire.
Strategically, there is
insufficient access to
residential and business areas
in northeast Bend …”
“Definitely Reed Market Road from the railroad tracks
to 27th Street. We
need a railroad overpass,
two-lane roundabout at 15th
Street and four lanes with
median turn lanes at 27th.”
“Third Street. The street is hostile to pedestrians,
cyclists and even drivers. It
should be redesigned with a
median, bike lanes, connected
sidewalks and other efforts that
will create a more inviting
retail corridor.”
Top of Page
Clear Choice wins
Chamber/Commute Options award
Congratulations to Clear Choice
Health Plans, the winner of this
year’s Bend Chamber/Commute
Options Business Award. Also,
several Chamber members had 100
percent participation in last
week’s Commute Options Week.
They are: Bend Downtowners,
Central Oregon Environmental
Center, Contemporary Family
Dentistry and Pine Mountain
Sports. Look for a complete
article on Commute Options Week
in the August Chamber Business
Journal.
Top of Page
Events in fall to focus on
workforce housing, homeless
Two events in the fall will be
held to address the problems of
workforce housing and the
homeless. On Sept. 27, several
organizations including the Bend
Chamber are planning a breakfast
workshop at Bend Golf & Country
Club titled “Workforce Housing
Solutions 101.” Watch for more
information from the Chamber as
the day draws closer. The event
will focus on community-based
solutions to Central Oregon’s
workforce housing needs. On Oct.
13, Project Homeless Connect
will be held from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m. at the Deschutes County
Fairgrounds and Expo Center.
Project Homeless Connect is a
nationwide movement to increase
access for the chronically poor
and homeless and to engage
communities in finding solutions
for homelessness. During the
day, meals, services, advocacy
and free childcare will be
available to homeless people and
children requiring such
services. Sponsors, in-kind
donations and volunteers are
needed. Contact: sponsors -
ehitt@bendbroadband.com or
419-4715; donations –
www.cohomeless.org or
390-3433; volunteers –
www.cohomeless.org or
350-0643.
Top of Page
Watch for these coming events
The Chamber’s July 13
Legislative Council Breakfast
will feature Deschutes County
Administrator Dave Kanner, who
will talk about the county’s
proposal for a new jail, and
Connie Marshall, the federal
Small Business Administration
regional representative in
Seattle. She’ll give a
presentation on the SBA’s many
programs to help small
businesses.
Register Online Here! The
Chamber’s next Professional
Development Series event, from
7-8:30 a.m. on Wednesday,
July 11, will be “Understanding
Financial Statements.”
Register Online Here!
or call 382-3221 to register or
for more information.
Top of Page
This week’s survey question
On a scale of A-F, how would you
rate the performance of the
Oregon Legislature this year? If
not, how should it be changed?
Please e-mail your
responses to:
jeff@bendchamber.org.
Top of Page
