Board affirms hearings officer and approves Bend Park & Recreation District plan amendment and zone change for 279-acre park site

The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners affirmed the hearings officer’s recommendation May 20 and approved a plan amendment and zone change requested by the Bend Park & Recreation District for about 279 acres southeast of Bend, enabling the property to be rezoned to rural residential for development as a future regional park.

The parcel, addressed 60725 Arnold Market Road, was split‑zoned at the time of application with Service Mining and Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) designations. Bend Park & Rec told the board and staff that the intended use is a regional park; the hearings officer concluded that the proposed rezoning meets approval criteria and that the presence of mining‑disturbed areas and site‑specific soils and land‑use factors mean the property does not meet the state‑code definition of agricultural land requiring protection from rezoning.

Central Oregon Land Watch objected in the record, raising issues about reclamation status for mined areas and whether contiguous tax lots formed a farm unit. The hearings officer and staff found reclamation conditions and the submitted soil study supported approval and that the property was not suitable agricultural land. Commissioners reviewed six key issue areas identified in staff’s decision matrix and reached agreement, with votes recorded in the public record.

The board moved to affirm the hearings officer’s recommendation as the county’s decision. The roll call was recorded and the board directed staff to prepare necessary findings and ordinance language to finalize the plan amendment and zone change. Staff noted the application file numbers for public reference and that subsequent land‑use permits would follow applicable County processes.