General Growth Management Policies

(See related policies in Chapter 1, Plan Management and Citizen Involvement and Chapter 10, Natural Forces.)

11-1    The City will encourage compact development and the integration of land uses within the Urban Growth Boundary to reduce trips, vehicle miles traveled, and facilitate non-automobile travel.

11-2    The City will encourage infill and redevelopment of appropriate areas within Bend’s Central Core, Opportunity Areas and transit corridors (shown on Figure 11-1).

11-3    The City will ensure that development of large blocks of vacant land makes efficient use of land, meets the city’s housing and employment needs, and enhances the community.

11-4    Streets in the Centers and Corridors, Employment Districts, Neighborhoods, and Opportunity Sites will have the appropriate types of pedestrian, biking, and transit scale amenities to ensure safety, access, and mobility.

11-5    The City will adopt strategies to reduce wildfire hazard to lands inside the City and included in the Urban Growth Boundary. These strategies may, among others, include the application of the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code with modifications to allow buffers of aggregated defensible space or similar tools, as appropriate, to the land included in the UGB and annexed to the City of Bend.

Policies for Land Use and Transportation

11-6    Medium and high-density residential development should have good access to transit, K-12 public schools where possible, commercial services, employment and public open space to provide the maximum access to highest concentrations of population.

11-7    The City shall continue to use and develop performance standards and guidelines that can reduce vehicle trip lengths and/or promote non-vehicle transportation modes.

11-8    The City shall consider potential land needs for long-range transportation system corridor improvements and related facilities including transit during the review of subdivisions, partitions, and individual site applications.

11-9    Developments at the edge of the urban area shall be designed to provide connectivity to existing and future development adjacent to the urban area.

11-10    The City shall continue to explore mixed use zoning as one of the land use patterns that will promote fewer vehicle trips and shorter trip lengths.

11-11    The City should be receptive to innovative development proposals, including zone changes, plan amendments, and text changes that promote alternatives to vehicular traffic thus reducing vehicle trips and reduced trip lengths.

11-12    The City shall explore incentives for re-development of existing commercial strips in order to help reduce the need to expand the Urban Growth Boundary.

11-13    As areas that are currently beyond Bend’s existing Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) are urbanized, the city, property owners, developers and all applicable service districts shall work cooperatively to develop appropriate plans for extensions and connections of the transportation system, including but not limited to: roads, sidewalks, trails and/or public transportation. The objective of this planning effort will be to ensure that the new areas promote and facilitate the development of urban land use densities and systems that will fulfill the goals and objectives of the Transportation System Plan.

11-14    The City of Bend shall continue public and interagency involvement with Deschutes County in the transportation planning process for projects within the URAs.

11-15    The lead agency for transportation project review in the URAs shall be Deschutes County.

11-16    The City of Bend shall coordinate the City Transportation System Plan with the Deschutes County Transportation System Plan. The City shall emphasize continuity in the classification of roads and appropriate design standards for roads that link urban areas with rural areas outside the urban growth boundary. The City and County shall agree on the functional classification and design standards of County roads within the URAs.

11-17    Road, pedestrian and bicycle projects occurring in the URAs shall be governed by the County's road and street standards. Those requirements shall be coordinated between the City of Bend, Deschutes County and the applicant during the land use process according to procedures identified in the Deschutes County Road Standards and Specifications document.

11-18    The City of Bend shall continue to work with ODOT and Deschutes County to coordinate solutions to highway and non-highway road issues that cross over jurisdictional boundaries.

11-19    The City of Bend shall work with Deschutes County and the Bend Parks and Recreation District (where applicable) to acquire, develop and maintain those sections of trails that are located outside of the Bend UGB, but are inside a URA, and are part of a trail plan or map that has been adopted by the city of Bend.

11-20    The City of Bend shall seek approval from Deschutes County for the improvement of transportation facilities to urban standards that are located in URAs.

11-21    Transportation facilities currently located on rural lands shall not be constructed to an urban standard until the area is brought into the UGB.

Policies for Centers and Corridors

(See related policies in Chapter 6, Economy.)

11-22    The City will include streetscape projects in opportunity and core areas and transit corridors when developing the transportation CIP priorities and projects.

11-23    The City will encourage development and redevelopment in commercial corridors that is transit-supportive and offers safe and convenient access and connections for all modes.

11-24    The City will encourage vertical mixed use development in commercial and mixed use zones, especially where those occur within the Central Core, Opportunity Areas and along transit corridors.

11-25    The existing pattern of commercial plan designations shown on the Comprehensive Plan Map along arterial and collector streets including Newport Avenue and Galveston Avenue will not be extended into residentially designated areas unless approved through an Area Plan.

11-26    New commercially designated areas are encouraged to develop with mixed-use centers to include housing, open space, commercial development, and other employment uses.

11-27    The City will encourage development and redevelopment in commercial corridors that is transit-supportive and offers safe and convenient access and connections for all modes.

11-28    The City will encourage the development of Neighborhood Commercial centers. Such centers should be scaled to serve the frequent needs of the residents of the neighborhood.

11-29    Unless otherwise approved through an Area Plan, new Convenience Commercial Comprehensive Plan designations should be limited to five acres and should be one mile from another commercial Comprehensive Plan designation.

Policies for Employment Districts

(See related policies in Chapter 6, Economy.)

11-30    New employment districts with a mix of Plan designations such as commercial, industrial, and mixed employment may be created along Highway 97, Highway 20, and O.B. Riley Road.

11-31    The City will periodically review existing development and use patterns on industrial and commercial lands. The City may consider modifying Comprehensive Plan designations and Zoning to better respond to opportunities for redevelopment and revitalization of employment lands in underutilized areas.

Policies for Residential Areas and Neighborhoods

(See related policies in Chapter 5, Housing.)

11-32    The City will support re-designation of suitable areas that are within a 1/4 mile walk to transit corridors from a lower density designation to a higher density designation, where plan amendment criteria are otherwise met.

11-33    Neighborhood Commercial shopping areas may be located within residential districts and have development standards that appropriately limit their scale and recognize their residential setting.

11-34    Medium-and high-density residential developments should have good access to transit, K-12 public schools where possible, commercial services, employment, and public open space to provide the maximum access to the highest concentrations of population.

11-35    Schools and parks may be distributed throughout the residential sections of the community, and all types of dwelling units should have safe and convenient access to schools and parks. The School District and Park District facilities plans will determine the location and size of needed schools and parks

Policies for Special Site Needs

11-36    The City has identified a need for a special site for a university as part of the Urban Growth Boundary Process. At this time, Oregon State University is developing plans for a Bend campus. If OSU’s plans are approved by the City, their campus will meet this identified need. The campus site currently being developed is between Century Drive, Mt. Washington Drive and Simpson Avenue (see Figure 11-6). Further expansions of the university within this area of the City are also being considered. Such a designation for this area does not preclude land uses other than institutional.

11-37    The City has identified a need for two large lot (at least 50-acre) industrial sites for targeted industries specified in the EOA. This need will be met through the opportunity for one large lot industrial site in the eastern portion of Juniper Ridge and one large lot industrial site on the DSL property (see Figure 11-6).

11-38    Subsequent area planning for properties that are identified as meeting a special site need shall include regulations to protect the site for the identified use. The regulations will be consistent with the Regional Large Lot Industrial Land provisions for Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson Counties in Oregon Administrative Rules, Chapter 660, Division 24. The regulations will be consistent with the model code prepared as part of the 2011 Regional Economic Opportunities Analysis.

General Area Planning Policies

11-39    Area Plans are intended to coordinate development and provide flexibility to tailor land use regulations and/or transportation and infrastructure plans to respond to area- or site-specific conditions.

11-40    The city will establish development codes to provide a variety of approaches to area planning in order to further the development of complete communities, unique developments which implement comprehensive plan policies, and provide for adequate public infrastructure.

11-41    The City may require Area Plans prior to development in UGB expansion areas.

11-42    Where Area Plans propose land uses that are inconsistent with the adopted plan designation(s), a plan amendment must be approved prior to or concurrent with adoption of the Area Plan.

11-43    An Area Plan that includes residentially designated land may prescribe residential density limits on specific properties that differ from the density range provided for in the Comprehensive Plan. However, the average density of housing within each residential plan designation in the plan area must remain within the range established by the adopted comprehensive plan map designations and applicable Comprehensive Plan policies, including applicable density bonuses or transfers. Deviation from this range requires approval of a plan amendment prior to or concurrent with the Area Plan that creates consistency between the plan designations and the average densities within each plan designation in the area plan. Certain areas, including large master plan sites and UGB expansion areas are subject to additional policies in this Chapter and/or additional standards in the development code regarding residential densities.

11-44    Area Plans for land within UGB expansion areas shall comply with the policies of this chapter. There is flexibility to refine the spatial arrangement of plan map designations provided that identified land and housing needs are still met. Where specific expansion area policies identify acreages of specific plan designations or general categories of plan designations (e.g. commercial) are identified, compliance is defined as providing the required acreages of gross buildable land to the nearest acre. Where expansion area policies identify a required minimum housing capacity and mix, compliance is defined as providing no less than the required number of units and providing the housing mix specified to the nearest percentage point (e.g. 37%).

11-45    Where changes are proposed to the arrangement of plan designations, the proposed arrangement must comply with the relevant policies of this Chapter.

11-46    Some UGB expansion areas have identified preliminary needs for schools and parks. The need and location for schools and parks is determined by the facility planning of the School District and Park District. The School Attendance Areas and Park Service Areas may change and the Area Plans for the UGB expansion areas should take into account any updated school and park needs when the plan is prepared.

Master Planning Policies

11-47    The City will provide a mechanism in the development code for property owner-initiated master plans. The development code shall specify approval criteria and procedures for such master plans.

11-48    Master plans in expansion areas are subject to policies 11-75 to 11-149 of this chapter.

11-49    The purposes of master plans are to:

11-50    The City will provide the opportunity for master plans to proceed under clear and objective standards where the applicant does not seek to deviate from the standards of the development code, the adopted zoning map, or Comprehensive Plan map.

11-51    Residentially designated land within master plans must meet higher minimum density standards than established for the residential plan designations generally and must provide for a variety of housing types. The City will set appropriate standards in the Development Code for housing mix and density for master plans in each residential zone/plan designation. Such standards will ensure minimum densities and minimum housing mix that are no less than those listed in Table 11-1.

11-52    Where a specific expansion area policy specifies a required overall housing mix for a given area, the total housing mix specified in policy shall apply in addition to the mix by plan designation listed in Table 11-1.

11-53    Master plans are required for developments over 20 acres unless otherwise specified in the Development Code. Properties in UGB expansion areas where a master plan is required are shown on Figure 11-7.

11-54    Where an approved City-initiated Area Plan exists, the City may find that some or all elements of a required master plan have been addressed and satisfied if they are already addressed by the Area Plan.

11-55    Approval of a City-initiated Area Plan that encompasses one or more properties over 20 acres (including abutting land in common ownership) does not exempt such properties from master plan approval criteria.

City-Initiated Area Plan Policies

11-56    The City may initiate Area Plans for neighborhoods, UGB expansion areas, opportunity areas within the city, or other discrete geographic areas.

11-57    Area Plans may be initiated by the City Council at its own initiative or at the request of property owners, if the owners agree to bear the cost of creating the plan. The City may, at its discretion, assist with some or all of the cost of creating an Area Plan initiated at the request of property owners.

11-58    The area to be included in a City-initiated Area Plan, and the scope, shall be approved by the City Council by resolution.

Annexation Policies

11-59    Annexations will follow the procedural requirements of state law.

11-60    Annexations will be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan and applicable annexation procedures and approval criteria.

11-61    Requests for annexation must demonstrate how the annexed land is capable of being served by urban services for sanitary sewer collection, domestic water, transportation, schools and parks, consistent with applicable district facility plans and the City’s adopted public facility plans.

11-62    Annexations will be consistent with an approved Area Plan where applicable. The Area Plan may be reviewed and approved concurrent with an annexation application.

11-63    The City may, where appropriate in a specific area, allow annexation and require area planning prior to development approval.

11-64    Land to be annexed must be contiguous to the existing City limits unless the property owners requesting annexation show and the City Council finds that a “cherry-stem” annexation will both satisfy a public need and provide a public benefit.

11-65    Compliance with specific expansion area policies and/or Area Plans will be implemented through master plan approval or binding annexation agreement that will control subsequent development approvals.

11-66    Existing rural infrastructure systems and urban systems (water, sewer, transportation, stormwater) serving annexed areas may be required to be modernized and constructed to the City’s standards and specifications, as determined by the City.

11-67    The City may consider funding mechanisms and agreements to address on- and off-site improvements, modernization of existing infrastructure to the City’s standards and specifications, and impacts to infrastructure inside the current City limits.

11-68    Properties over 20 acres (including adjacent property in common ownership) (shown on Figure 11-7) are subject to master plan requirements unless they are part of an adopted area plan. When properties are over 20 acres (including adjacent property in common ownership) and are part of an approved area plan they are subject to the master plan approval criteria.

General UGB Expansion Policies

The following policies are intended as local policy guidance to evaluating alternative future UGB expansions in the context of meeting state laws and administrative rules and balancing the factors established in state regulations. The emphasis on “guidance” above recognizes that the City will define goals and evaluation criteria to be applied for each unique UGB expansion process.

11-69    The City will consider the value of balancing and distributing UGB expansions geographically around the city consistent with State of Oregon laws and rules to distribute the benefits (and impacts) of growth and to provide more options for new neighborhoods.

11-70    The City will utilize new growth in expansion areas as a strategy to help make existing neighborhoods, centers, corridors, and employment districts inside the boundary more “complete” by: diversifying the housing mix; providing local commercial services and jobs; increasing transportation connectivity; and providing needed public facilities such as parks and schools.

11-71    The City will take into consideration the context of land beyond a single UGB expansion to inform the type and intensity of uses that are appropriate in each potential expansion area.

11-72    The City will consider applying the concept of a “transect” to appropriate areas. The transect is a series of zones that transition from urban to rural which can reduce the risk of wildfire and provide an appropriate transition from urban uses to national forest lands and other resource areas, such as wildlife habitat, that will not be urbanized within the long-range future.

11-73    The City will consider the relative ability of proposed expansion areas to address the city’s affordable housing needs in balancing the social and economic consequences of bringing alternative expansion areas into its urban growth boundary

Specific Expansion Area Policies

Area-specific policies for land added to the UGB established in 2016 are intended to guide the development of Area Plans (including Master Plans) for expansion areas (see Figure 11-7). These areas are also subject to policies in this Chapter regarding urbanization and annexation.