Bend council approves first reading of sweeping development‑code updates, including bike parking and open‑space clarifications

The Bend City Council on Nov. 5 approved on first reading a comprehensive set of updates to the Bend Development Code that staff said will clarify administrative procedures, modernize select design standards and adjust review pathways for certain tree‑ and fuel‑reduction activities in special overlay areas.

Planning staff presented the package, which includes: reorganized interpretation and determination procedures; a new minor replat (Type 1) process; clear rules for similar‑use determinations; expanded short‑ and long‑term bicycle‑parking options (including provisions for oversized bicycles and cargo bikes); a proposed reduction in rear setbacks in low‑density residential zones; and streamlined extension periods for phased site‑plan and land‑division approvals.

The package also proposes procedural changes in two overlay zones. Staff recommended a Type‑1 review option for “fuel breaks” (thinly‑managed fuel‑reduction work) in the Deschutes River waterway overlay and in the upland Areas of Special Interest (ASI), a change staff said would align those processes and allow faster approval for limited forest‑health work. Planning staff said they will continue a separate, more comprehensive Waterway Overlay District cleanup at a later date.

The public hearing drew multiple speakers who urged protection of public access to open space. Several commenters and councilors asked for clearer guarantees that open‑space acreage required in master plans (10% of gross area) remain useable and accessible to residents and the public, not counted as inaccessible drainage basins or fenced areas. Planning staff and the planning commission said the intent since the master‑plan rule’s 2017 adoption has been usable public or private open space, and the proposed amendments aim to clarify—not remove—that obligation. The planning commission recommended approval by a 7–0 vote.

Council members also debated whether public agencies—particularly Bend Park & Recreation District and the city itself—should be exempt from the Type‑1 review when conducting fuel‑reduction work on land they manage. Commissioners said they recommended a consistent process for public agencies and private owners so that community resources receive comparable oversight; some councilors said they were open to revisiting exemptions, but the commission’s recommendation did not include blanket agency exemptions.

Council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance on first reading and directed staff to return for a second reading on Nov. 19 with an effective date currently planned for Dec. 19. Councilors asked staff to scope a future work session to examine broader open‑space policy and the interaction of state housing laws with local planning (a separate agenda item earlier in the meeting).

— Sources: Planning staff presentation and public hearing, Bend City Council, Nov. 5, 2025; planning commission recommendation (7–0).