4.20.030 Time, Place and Manner Regulations.
A. People who do not have any other permanent residence or domicile and/or are involuntarily homeless are not prohibited from camping in the public rights-of-way, provided camping is occurring in compliance with the following time, place and manner regulations.
B. Time.
1. Unless otherwise specified, any camping or camp, where allowed, may only occur for 24 hours at a time in any one location. After a camp has been in one place for 24 hours or more, the City may post notice at the location that the camp, and all associated camp materials, must be removed no more than 72 hours later and all personal property remaining will be removed, as described in this section.
2. After 24 hours in one location, the camp and all associated camp materials must be moved at least one block or 600 feet.
3. Enforcement of time restrictions may be suspended when an individual does not have access to shelter and when an individual is engaged in case management or behavioral health services, or when necessary or appropriate to respond to an individual’s disability, as further set forth in the City’s comprehensive administrative policy implementing this chapter, adopted by the City Manager.
C. Place.
1. In addition to the prohibition on camping on City property in BC 4.20.020, camping is not allowed at any time in any of the following places:
a. Any area zoned Residential (RL, RS, RM, RH) on the City of Bend Zoning Map in effect at the time.1
b. Within the Waterway Overlay Zone, as determined by the City of Bend Zoning Map and Bend Development Code.
c. Any place where camping, a camp, or camp materials create a physical impediment to emergency or nonemergency ingress, egress or access to property, whether private or public, or on public sidewalks or other public rights-of-way, including but not limited to driveways providing access to vehicles, and entrances or exits from buildings and/or other real property.
d. Any vehicle lane, bicycle lane, or roundabout within any public right-of-way.
e. Within 1,000 feet from any safe parking site or shelter approved under the Bend Development Code and/or any applicable provision of State law.
f. On any street or public right-of-way, the City has closed to camping due to construction, heavy vehicle use, or other use of the roadway that is incompatible with camping in the right-of-way. The City does not need to close a street to vehicle traffic to close a street to camping under this section.
D. Manner.
1. Camping, when and where allowed, is subject to all of the following:
a. Individuals, camp materials, camps, or personal property may not obstruct sidewalk accessibility or passage, clear vision, fire hydrants, City or other public utility infrastructure, or otherwise interfere with the use of the right-of-way for vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle, or other passage.
b. A camp or camping must be limited within a spatial footprint of 12 feet by 12 feet, or 144 square feet. The intent of this section is to allow a person to sleep protected from the elements and maintain the essentials for living, while still allowing others to use public spaces as designed and intended.
c. To prevent larger camping sites from forming and the impacts that can result, no more than three camps may be set up per block. If there are any camps set up on a particular block, no other camp may be within 150 feet of any of those camps, including but not limited to across the street or on another block face. A group of up to three camps may not be within 150 feet of any other group of camps.
d. Individuals may not accumulate, discard, or leave behind garbage, debris, unsanitary or hazardous materials, or other items of no apparent utility in public rights-of-way, on City property, or on any adjacent public or private property.
e. Open flames, recreational fires, burning of garbage, bonfires, or other fires, flames, or heating deemed unsafe by Bend Fire and Rescue are prohibited. Types of cooking stoves and other devices for keeping warm are permitted, as allowed by adopted City policies.
f. Dumping of gray water (i.e., wastewater from baths, sinks, and the like) or black water (i.e., sewage) into any facilities or places not intended for gray water or black water disposal is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to storm drains, which are not intended for disposal of gray water or black water.
g. Unauthorized connections or taps to electrical or other utilities, or violations of building, fire, or other relevant codes or standards, are prohibited.
h. Obstruction or attachment of camp materials or personal property to fire hydrants, utility poles or other utility or public infrastructure, fences, trees, vegetation, vehicles, or buildings is prohibited.
i. Individuals may not build or erect structures, whether by using plywood, wood materials, pallets, or other materials. Items such as tents and similar items used for shelter that are readily portable are not structures for purposes of this section.
j. Storage of personal property such as vehicle tires, bicycles or associated components (except as needed for an individual’s personal use), gasoline, generators, lumber, household furniture, extra propane tanks, combustible material, lumber, or other items or materials is prohibited, other than what is related to camping, sleeping, or keeping warm and dry.
k. Digging, excavation, terracing of soil, alteration of ground or infrastructure, or damage to vegetation or trees is prohibited.
l. Use of emergency power generators that result in a violation of BC 5.50.020(A) is prohibited.
m. All animals must be leashed or crated at all times.
1Zone changes amend the City of Bend Zoning Map but may not always be evident on the most recently published version of the map. The formal zoning designation of an area will control even if not reflected on the most recently published map. For public rights-of-way adjacent to properties with different zoning designations, the designation that is more restrictive for purposes of this chapter will govern the use of that segment of the right-of-way.
[Ord. NS-2458, 2022]