Planning commission reviews development agreement to allow ground‑floor townhomes behind North Bendway storefronts

The North Bend Planning Commission on the evening of the meeting reviewed a developer proposal and development agreement that would allow ground‑floor residential townhomes behind the first row of commercial storefronts along North Bendway in the Mountain View project.

The proposal covers a site plan the developer described as including about 8,000 square feet of commercial frontage on North Bendway and roughly 65 townhome units in 15 buildings. Under the draft development agreement, the developer would be permitted to locate residential units on the ground floor behind the primary commercial street frontage; the agreement would also include timing milestones that restrict additional residential building permits beyond an initial threshold until commercial construction has begun.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the project could add middle‑market housing and new retail space to the downtown area but raised questions about whether a contractual development agreement—rather than by‑right code changes—was the right tool, how the city would ensure the…