Bend advisory group advances stormwater master plan, weighs centralized systems for denser development

City of Bend staff on Wednesday presented the draft stormwater master plan and used the Water Advisory Group meeting to press a policy discussion on how to manage stormwater as lot sizes shrink and infill increases.

The draft plan, which staff said must await a linked public facility plan before formal adoption, lays out 12 capital improvement projects to be implemented over the next 20 years and identifies program actions — including retrofits for failing UICs (underground injection controls), a major maintenance program, and updates to design standards — that could require new funding and operational capacity.

"The main purpose of the stormwater master plan was to identify ... our CIP program, particularly looking at improving the quality of stormwater runoff and reducing flooding," said Austin Sanhague, city engineering staff who led the presentation. The plan also documents level-of-service metrics staff intend to use in an upcoming stormwater rate study.

Why it matters

City staff warned that the traditional model — requiring each private lot to manage its own stormwater — is increasingly impractical as developers build smaller lots and attached housing. That difficulty prompted a sustained discussion about encouraging or requiring subdivision-level, privately owned but commonly maintained stormwater facilities (often managed by an HOA) or shifting some facilities to city ownership, and how to fund construction and long‑term maintenance.

What staff proposed and what was discussed

- Plan status and scope: Austin said the draft plan will be posted publicly and that adoption is delayed while the related public facility plan…