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Local business owner tells CAB high change‑of‑use costs and permitting block small ventures
Summary
John Kish, a long‑standing plant‑shop operator and theater producer in Bend's core, told the Core Area Advisory Board that change‑of‑use fees, permitting complexity and infrastructure upsizing are preventing small local businesses from expanding or launching, urging city staff for flexible, interim solutions.
John Kish, a business owner in Bend's Central District, told the Core Area Advisory Board that while demand for his theater and plant shop is strong, regulatory costs and permitting barriers threaten local entrepreneurs.
Kish described five‑ and eight‑year milestones — including a five‑week sold‑out musical run that attracted more than 1,400 people — and then outlined obstacles he said are common for new small businesses. "What they're all running into is the change of use price... change of use of $50,000 difference," he said, describing how seemingly small operations face large System Development Charge (SDC) bills and infrastructure upsizing requirements that can make projects financially infeasible (transcript paraphrase and quote).
Board members and staff discussed which levers could reduce those barriers. Community Development staff explained that sidewalk, accessible‑parking and service‑lateral requirements can stack up under the city's minimum development standards (MDS) and that code amendments would be required to change those triggers. Staff also confirmed there is an expedited‑review policy already used for affordable housing that could be adapted for priority core‑area projects.
CAB asked staff to evaluate two complementary approaches: (1) create or design a TIF‑funded program to defray SDC/change‑of‑use costs for targeted adaptive‑reuse projects, and (2) draft a city code amendment evaluating MDS triggers in the core area so small change‑of‑use projects are not automatically subject to costly upgrades. City legal and finance staff cautioned that some options require council action and public notices but said programmatic approaches through CAB/BURRA spending plans are feasible.
Kish's testimony helped frame several of the board's subsequent policy recommendations; CAB asked staff to return with program and budget options in January. The board did not enact a program at this meeting but instructed staff to pursue concrete proposals for council consideration.
