Policies
General Policies
6-1 Bend’s economic lands (commercial, industrial and mixed use) serve Bend residents and the needs of a larger region.
6-2 Bend is a regional center for health care, art and culture, higher education, retail, tourism, and employment. The economic land policies recognize Bend’s role in the region, and the need to support uses that bolster the local and regional economy:
o The Medical District Overlay Zone provides economic lands for a variety of health care and related services to a population much larger than the City of Bend.
o Commercial and Mixed Use-designated lands support retail, tourism, and arts and culture uses to serve a local and regional role.
o Public Facility and Special Plan Districts support higher education to serve Bend residents and the needs of the region.
o Industrial and Mixed Employment-designated land located at Juniper Ridge has a local and regional role.
6-3 Investment in transportation, water, sewer, fiber, and other utility infrastructure should be prioritized to serve economic lands.
6-4 Infrastructure will be planned, designed, and constructed to support continued economic growth and orderly development.
6-5 The Bend Municipal Airport is one of the City’s highest-value economic development assets. Bend will coordinate with Deschutes County to create policies and development regulations that ensure long-term employment growth at the airport.
6-6 Employment lands for Bend’s target sectors will be provided and protected to promote expansion of existing businesses and attract new businesses.
6-7 Bend will diversify its economic base to withstand expansions and contractions in the business cycle.
6-8 The City will recognize the statements of the City’s overall economic development objectives and desirable types of employment contained in the 2016 Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA).
6-9 The City will prioritize providing an adequate number of suitable industrial sites while also providing a variety of commercial sites.
6-10 The City will seek opportunities to designate or allow additional sites for employment use and increase the use of existing employment land within the existing urban growth boundary prior to expanding the UGB.
6-11 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.
Short Term Supply Policies
6-12 The City establishes a goal to have at least 25% of the predicted economic land need identified in the adopted EOA qualify as competitive short-term land supply.
6-13 Beginning in 2019, and every two years thereafter, the City will:
o Update the economic lands Buildable Lands Inventory to identify developed and vacant economic lands by Comprehensive Plan designation;
o Estimate the acreage of vacant economic lands that qualify as competitive short-term supply;
o If the acreage of vacant lands that qualify as competitive short-term supply is less than the 25% goal, then staff will deliver a report to the City Council that details:
- Economic lands that have a relatively good opportunity to qualify as competitive short-term land supply to meet the 25% goal,
- Obstacles preventing those lands from qualifying as competitive short-term supply, and
- Efforts, plans, and potential funding mechanisms to pre- pare the lands to qualify as competitive short-term supply.
Industrial Development
6-14 Large-lot industrial sites, those sites 50 or more acres in size, are important to the overall inventory of available economic land. Any sites included in the UGB to meet this special site need will be protected with specific plan and/or code provisions.
6-15 The City supports the redevelopment of brownfield sites to make efficient use of existing economic lands and improve the quality of the City’s land and water resources.
6-16 The Juniper Ridge District inside the Bend UGB will be used to help meet the long-term need for future industrial and employment development.
6-17 At least 30% of the total net buildable area of the portion of Juniper Ridge District inside the UGB should be reserved for sites of ten acres and larger in size.
6-18 The City will work to preserve prime industrial lands for industrial purposes and protect them from incompatible commercial and residential uses.
6-19 The community will attempt to diversify its industrial base.
6-20 Existing industrial operations are encouraged to reduce waste discharge levels and improve air quality conditions.
6-21 Industrial developments along highways will be subject to special development standards relating to setbacks, landscaping, signs, and outside storage.
6-22 Wherever industrial uses abut residential uses or residential zoning, special development standards relating to setbacks, screening, signs, and building height will be established for the industrial uses.
6-23 The City must replace lands designated for industrial land uses on the Comprehensive Plan map that are subsequently changed to non-industrial designations through adoption of an area plan. The City will ensure these lands are replaced either through a rezoning of land within the UGB and/or an amendment to the UGB to ensure an adequate supply of industrial land for industrial jobs.
Mixed Use Development
6-24 Mixed-use development may be regulated through one or more plan designations and zoning districts to encourage the development of a mix of employment, or a mix of employment and residential uses.
6-25 Mixed-use development will achieve the following purposes:
o provide a variety of employment opportunities and housing types;
o foster pedestrian and other non-motor vehicle access within and to the site;
o ensure compatibility of mixed-use development with the surrounding area and minimize off-site impacts associated with the development;
o ensure the site planning, access, parking areas and building designs are functionally coordinated and aesthetically pleasing; and
o where applicable, improve the natural conditions along the Deschutes River, and encourage access to and enjoyment of the Deschutes River.
6-26 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.
Commercial Development
6-27 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.
6-28 New employment districts with a mix of employment designations such as commercial, industrial, and mixed use may be created along Highway 97, Highway 20, and O.B. Riley Road.
6-29 The City will encourage development and redevelopment in commercial corridors that is transit-supportive and offers safe and convenient access and connections for all transportation modes.
6-30 New commercially designated areas are encouraged to develop with mixed-use centers to include housing, open space, commercial development, and other employment uses.
6-31 The City shall strive to retain and enhance desirable existing commercial areas and encourage property owners’ efforts to rehabilitate or redevelop older commercial areas.
6-32 Proposed Comprehensive Plan Map amendments for new commercial centers shall meet the location and size standards in the Comprehensive Plan text in addition to Plan amendment and/or zone change criteria.
6-33 All commercial developments shall be subject to development standards relating to setbacks, landscaping, physical buffers, screening, access, signs, building heights, parking areas, and design review.
6-34 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.
6-35 Unless otherwise approved through an Area Plan, new Convenience Commercial Comprehensive Plan designations should be limited to five acres and should be at least one mile from another commercial Comprehensive Plan designation.
6-36 Commercial developments that abut residential zones or residential uses shall be subject to special setback and screening provisions.
6-37 The City shall continue the revitalization process in the Central Business District through rehabilitation or redevelopment of existing areas.
6-38 The City will provide a process through the development code to review and approve exceptions to height limits where it supports City goals and policies.
6-39 Commercial development adjacent to arterial streets and highways shall be subject to City of Bend and/or Oregon Department of Transportation access management standards (as applicable) and shall provide for multimodal access.
6-40 The City will limit the amount of ground-floor residential development in the commercial zones and mixed employment zones to preserve economic lands for economic uses.
6-41 The City will monitor parking needs for commercial uses and set requirements at the lowest level to meet the community needs.
6-42 The City will write parking requirements to encourage walkable commercial development while providing for adequate parking.
Inclusive Economy
6-43 The City will work with public agencies and community partners to support solutions for houselessness. This includes finding ways to keep people in their homes, provide temporary transitional housing, increase the availability of affordable housing, and provide flexible shelter and housing options for people experiencing hardships due to economic instability and other legitimate reasons.
6-44 The City will help people experiencing houselessness through adoption of policies, with municipal and Development Code changes, funding, and collaboration with public agencies and non-profits to enable additional supports and services such as shelters and safe parking options.
6-45 The City will support and partner with local nonprofits and trained professionals as they provide direct services to individuals and families experiencing houselessness.