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 Council.

What staff and the applicant presented

• Staff (Aaron Henson, senior planner, and Colin Stevens, community and economic development director) summarized the legal and plan framework, saying the site must comply with seven comprehensive plan policies tied to the Southwest expansion area and with Title 2 (master plan) standards in the Bend Development Code. Staff described required off‑site mitigation and engineering reviews, and noted the proposal includes a 3.6‑acre neighborhood park to be acquired by Bend Park & Recreation District.

• The applicant’s project team (AKS Engineering & Forestry and Home First Development) described the master plan layout: mixed‑use neighborhood and commercial frontage along Highway 97, multifamily development between Atwood Drive and the highway, townhomes and detached housing, a network of multi‑use paths and an internal phasing plan. The applicant’s affordable‑housing partner (Home First) said it had applied for and been awarded state funding on the basis of a financing model that assumes only 10% of required units are set at 30% AMI rather than requiring that all required units be at 30% AMI.

• Traffic consultant testimony and the staff report identified off‑site improvements needed to mitigate peak‑hour trip increases. Key items include a mini roundabout at Atwood/Ponderosa, a mini roundabout at Ponderosa/Poplar, buffered bike lanes on Ponderosa from the highway to Mahogany, a multi‑use path along the master‑plan frontage, rebuild of Golden Rain Boulevard to local standards with a multi‑use path, and a developer contribution (proportionate share) toward future roundabouts at Lodgepole/Brookswood and Brookswood/Murphy.

Public comment and recurring concerns

More than a dozen residents spoke during the two hearings (the comp‑plan text amendment and the master plan). Recurring concerns included:

• Local transportation capacity and pedestrian safety: speakers described missing sidewalks, low walkability scores in the area, recent crashes and traffic stress on Ponderosa and adjacent collectors. Testimony urged the commission and staff to prioritize sidewalks and safe routes to school.

• Emergency access and fire safety: several speakers urged additional emergency egress from the neighborhood (Rocking Horse access was discussed repeatedly); commissioners asked staff to assess whether additional emergency access or fire‑related mitigations are feasible.

• Distribution of affordable housing: residents noted several affordable developments within a mile of the site and urged the city to distribute affordable housing across Bend, not concentrate it in the southwest quadrant.

Commission deliberation and amendments

Commissioners spent considerable time on transportation, emergency access and the scale of new development near established neighborhoods. After deliberation the commission approved a motion to recommend City Council adopt the Ponderosa master plan and its implementing Bend Development Code amendments (staff findings in the record). The commission also approved two subsidiary requests (amendments to the recommendation):

1) Direct staff and the applicant to continue reviewing and, if appropriate, refine the off‑site transportation mitigation package to respond to public concerns and explain those refinements to City Council. The commission approved this direction by voice vote.

2) Request that staff pursue discussion with Deschutes County and affected property owners about options for an emergency access connection near Rocking Horse Road and report back; the commission approved that request by voice vote as well.

Votes and next steps

The commission’s main recommendation — to forward the Ponderosa master plan to City Council with a recommendation for approval — passed by voice vote; the two subsidiary requests described above were also approved. Staff will forward the full record and commission recommendation to City Council for the statutory public hearing and final decision; staff also agreed to continue coordination with the applicant, Bend Park & Recreation District, ODOT and Deschutes County on implementation details. A commission member will present the recommendation to council at the scheduled hearing in mid‑February.

Ending

Commissioners and staff acknowledged the plan supplies a large number of affordable units and the infrastructure mitigation package addresses many but not all community concerns. The commission’s supplemental requests aim to give City Council clearer options and additional information on transportation and emergency access before the council takes action.