Bend, Ore. – A joint public hearing is set today before the Bend City Council and the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners.
The City is moving ahead to expand Bend’s proposed urban growth boundary, which is the line that divides urban development from land governed by a county’s rural standards.
The public will have a chance to provide feedback on the plan in person or by submitting written comments.
The proposal must get approval from both the Bend City Council and the county commission before its sent to the state.
This could happen within the next couple of months, or it could take longer, depending on whether city councilors or county commissioners want to make changes to the plan after hearing residents’ concerns.
To expand the city’s growth boundary, the city must meet state requirements to reduce sprawl and encourage density.
Bend city planners are working on a smaller plan to expand by about 2,000 acres after the state rejected a 2010 proposal to expand by about 8,000 acres, saying it was unjustifiably large.
The 2,000 acre expansion calls for Bend to grow not only out, but up.
