1. TONIGHT at 6pm: Public Meeting for Mixed Use Apartments at Box Factory
2. TOMORROW at 3pm: First Core Area Advisory Board meeting
3. TOMORROW at 12pm: City Club Forum ‘Is Zip Code Destiny?"
4. Land Use Notices
5. Winter Tips! Minimize Snow Berms Across Your Driveway
6. Open House about Project Turnkey
7. Transportation Bond Oversight Committee Recommends 5-Year Project Schedule
8. Bend Mobility Hub Feasibility Study
9. Houseless Solutions: Learn about the proposed shelter code
10. Learn more about the role of Neighborhood Associations

Public Meeting for Mixed Use Apartments at Box Factory

Although the Box Factory is not within our neighborhood boundaries, it’s just over the railroad tracks from us so we’d like to thank the Southern Crossing Neighborhood Association for notifying us about this proposed development. Here’s their description of it:

"There will be a public meeting for a large mixed-use development proposal in Southern Crossing – but this one is not just the “same old, same old”. The owners of the Box Factory, Killian Pacific from Portland, plan to build about 315 environmentally focused apartments and 12,000 square feet of commercial retail, with parking, in the Spoken Moto parking area of the Box Factory. These rentals will include in-home day care, pet facilities (including a washing station), rooftop terraces, tiered elevations to avoid a visual “wall” effect, retail businesses on the ground floor, and an outdoor pedestrian mall that will allow bicyclists to continue to ride through the Box Factory. In addition, Killian is committed to working with the City to make some of the rentals affordable.

This development focuses on strong environmental building practices (including possibly a carbon offset) as well as an emphasis on walking and biking due to the location. Killian is committed to helping with a mobility hub for alternative transportation, though the location for a mobility hub is still to be determined. These apartments will include short and long-term bike parking as well as serious efforts to encourage recycling and possibly reducing food waste. All of this combined is new to Bend and “raises the bar” on development."

Download the meeting notification here. The planning pre-application web page has additional information and diagrams.

The virtual meeting will be held via Zoom on Wednesday January 19 at 6:00pm. Here is the meeting link.

You can also participate via telephone by calling 253-215-8782 and use meeting ID 832 9904 8837, however you will need to be on-line to view the visual presentation.

First Core Area Advisory Board Meeting

CAAB Meeting
Thursday January 20, 2022
3:00pm to 5:00pm
via zoom (agenda and zoom link here)

The Core Area Advisory Board (CAAB) will advise the Bend Urban Renewal Agency on implementation of the Core Area Tax Increment Financing Plan, including oversight of the $195 million of maximum debt that can be issued to invest in projects in the area. The Plan identifies a variety of projects and a funding source (tax increment) to invest in the area over the next 30 years as it transforms into an urban, mixed-use area where people can live, work, and play.

City Club Forum ‘Is Zip Code Destiny?"

Join City Club of Central Oregon and the Oregon Community Foundation
( OCF ) for this month’s forum livestreaming on January 20, 2022, “Is Zip Code Destiny?”

OCF worked with Opportunity Insights at Harvard to determine where in Oregon children have the best chance of breaking the cycle of poverty and why. In OCF’s recent report, Cornerstones: Economic Mobility and Belonging in Oregon, they set out to answer this question, is zip code destiny? The research explores neighborhood-level conditions that support economic mobility for low-income families, and at the forum on January 20, 2022, we will dive into what the data tells us about Central Oregon.

• Moderator: Anne E. George, Senior Donor Relations Officer-Oregon Community Foundation
• Presenter: Madeline Brandt, Research Officer-Oregon Community Foundation

“I think most of us agree that making it out of poverty in Oregon shouldn’t depend on the zip code you are born into. But we now know that grit and determination are rarely enough. OCF, in partnership with Harvard-based Opportunity Insights, is able to offer research into conditions that help or hinder economic mobility and belonging in Oregon and here in Central Oregon. We believe that all kids should be able to succeed, no matter where in Oregon they live.” – Anne E. George, Senior Donor Relations Officer with Oregon Community Foundation.

Event Details:

• Event: “Is Zip Code Destiny?”
• When: Thursday, January 20, 2022
• Time: 12PM – 1PM
• Where: Live streaming and zoom options
• Register here: https://cityclubofcentraloregonmay242021.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/ZP1J4ZZL?mode=Attendee

Minimize the potential for snow berms in front of your driveway and walkway by following these tips:

• Clear a wide apron in front and to the right of your driveway or walkway (when facing your property from the street). This allows snow that the plow has accumulated to drop off before it reaches your driveway. Diagram above.
• DO NOT move snow into the street. It could potentially be plowed right back onto the areas you just cleared. Deposit snow on the front yard or in areas away from the street and sidewalks.
• Code Enforcement has compiled a small list of licensed contractors who a property owner can hire for snow removal maintenance. Please contact Teresa Stovall at (541) 312-7968 or at tstovall for more information.

City of Bend to host Open House About Project Turnkey

The City of Bend will be hosting a virtual community open house to share an update about Project Turnkey-Bend from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 25.

The open house will include an update on the City’s plans for remodeling a recently-purchased motel to create emergency shelter units, including images of the proposed renovations and a timeline for completing the improvements. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions.

Attendees can view the open house two ways. Community members can participate and ask questions by registering through Zoom. Another option is to watch the livestream of the open house without participating; no registration is required for this option. The registration link and livestream of the virtual open house are both available at bendoregon.gov/project-turnkey.

The City of Bend was awarded $2.97 million in state funding from Project Turnkey to purchase a motel property and remodel it for use as a managed shelter. Located at 2346 NE Division St., the City will open the shelter after remodeling the 8,895 square-foot building and making improvements to the property. Once remodeled, it will provide 28 rooms for shelter use.

For more information on Project Turnkey visit www.bendoregon.gov/project-turnkey.

Transportation Bond Oversight Committee Recommends 5-Year Project Schedule

The Transportation Bond Oversight Committee presented its 5-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) recommendation to the Bend City Council during a work session Wednesday. The oversight committee’s role is to advise on the implementation and progress of the $190 million transportation general obligation (GO) bond approved by voters in November 2020.

More than 21 projects are included in the recommendation and will address traffic flow, east-west connections, and neighborhood safety improvement projects citywide. Some key priority projects include the Wilson Avenue Improvement Project, Midtown Pedestrian and Bike Crossings, and Butler Market Road and Boyd Acres Road Improvements.

The 2020 transportation GO bond projects list was based on two years of community involvement, including a 25-member Citywide Transportation Advisory Committee that developed a list of critical projects to improve travel safety and traffic flow across the city.

The projects include better east-west connections that will reduce drivers’ time behind the wheel and improve Bend’s livability and safety. Priority routes targeted for traffic flow improvements include Reed Market Road, U.S. 97/Parkway, Third Street intersections, Empire Avenue near U.S. Highway 97, Wilson Avenue, Butler Market Road and other key routes. The project list also includes neighborhood traffic safety improvements:

• Safer crossings to access schools, parks and jobs

• A network of cross-town bicycle routes

• Completing missing sidewalks along priority routes

  

The Transportation Bond Oversight Committee was appointed by City Council to provide transparency and accountability on the progress of projects funded by the transportation GO bond. The committee began meeting in May 2021. The committee established evaluation criteria for prioritizing Bond projects, received public comments and developed the 5-year CIP recommendation to City Council.

The committee’s recommendations can be found at bendoregon.gov/tboc.

The committee will continue working in its oversight and advisory role to the City Council by evaluating project progress and costs. The oversight committee will review progress reports and benchmarks and recommend any changes or adjustments in project scheduling or sequencing.\

City Council will consider the recommendation and make the final decision on the first 5-year transportation GO bond project schedule at the December 15, 2021 City Council meeting. Find more information about the 2020 transportation GO bond projects at bendoregon.gov/gobond.

Bend Mobility Hub Feasibility Study

Mobility hubs support CET’s plans to transition away from its current “hub and spoke” system and provide a more “multicentric” transit system in Bend. This study, funded by an ODOT Transportation Growth and Management Program (TGM) grant, will research best practices among peer agencies to inform CET’s efforts to successfully implement mobility hubs in Bend.

Virtual meetings of the Feasibility Study TAC will occur monthly January – June, 2022.

Cascades East Transit (CET) is hosting the Mobility Hub Feasibility Study webpage where project information can be found, as well as an email sign up link for project updates. Please visit the project webpage to learn more and sign up to receive project emails.

This project is funded by a grant from ODOTs Transportation Growth Management Program, with the Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) serving as the local project manager.

Houseless Solutions: Learn about the proposed Shelter Code

On Monday, Jan. 24, 5:30 p.m., the Bend Planning Commission will hold a virtual work session on proposed code amendments that will increase the availability of shelter beds by providing updated standards for group, multi-room and outdoor shelters to address houselessness.

The proposed “Shelter Code” was developed by the City-manager-appointed Sounding Board to House Our Neighbors. The Sounding Board’s recommendations clarify standards for development of different types of shelters and transitional options citywide. The proposed amendments include recommendations for three types of permanent shelters, as well as two types of temporary shelters.

To view the proposed Shelter Code amendments and for information on accessing the meeting, visit the Jan. 24 Planning Commission agenda. Also see the Shelter Code Quick Reference Sheet for further background on these amendments, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Listen to a podcast about Bend’s Neighborhood Associations

Did you know being connected with your Neighborhood Association helps you stay informed about developments happening in your neighborhood?

With the City of Bend continuing to grow it’s important to understand how development in the state of Oregon works. In this month’s episode of Inside Bend, Community Relations Manager Makayla Oliver shares information on Land Use education materials and how your Neighborhood Association can help get you involved in the planning and development processes.

You can listen at