Planning commission recommends Ponderosa master plan to City Council, asks staff and applicant to refine transportation plan and explore emergency access

The Bend Planning Commission on Jan. 13 voted to recommend that City Council adopt the Ponderosa major community master plan covering roughly 40.7 acres on the west side of South Highway 97 between Ponderosa Street and Rocking Horse Road. The commission approved the recommendation after hearings, public testimony and deliberation, and attached two requests: that staff and the applicant re‑examine the off‑site transportation mitigation package in light of public concerns, and that staff pursue discussions with Deschutes County and property owners about the feasibility of an emergency access connection near Rocking Horse Road.

The applicant, Ponderosa Estates LLC, proposes a mixed community with up to 371 housing units, including approximately 194 deed‑restricted units (about 52% of the total) and a neighborhood park. Staff said the master plan meets applicable state planning goals and Bend Development Code requirements provided the listed mitigations are made; the traffic analysis required several off‑site improvements and proportional contributions from the developer.

Why it matters: the master plan would activate land added to Bend’s urban growth boundary in 2016 and would create a large concentration of new housing — including deed‑restricted affordable housing — in the southwest portion of the UGB expansion. Public commenters raised safety, circulation and infrastructure concerns, and commissioners asked staff and the applicant to try to address those concerns before the matter proceeds to City…