Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Growth Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bend lays out 20-year growth-plan process; tribes urge early consultation on water, cultural sites
Summary
City staff presented a 20-year growth-plan process covering housing, transportation, equity and climate resilience and warned of new state 'Goal 5' notice requirements; tribal leaders pressed for early, substantive engagement on water, archaeological sites and treaty-protected resources.
City staff described a long-range growth-plan process and invited tribal participation while tribal leaders stressed that land-use changes must respect treaty rights, archaeological resources and the region’s water constraints.
Brian Min, a city staff member who introduced the project, said the growth plan will address housing, jobs, transportation, equity and climate resiliency and is intended as a multi‑year effort (staff estimated a 20‑year planning cycle and noted the possibility of 50‑year horizons for some analyses).
Staff described three core decisions: (1) set future needs for housing and jobs, (2) assess whether the existing urban growth boundary provides capacity, and (3) decide whether to accommodate growth through increased density or UGB expansion. Staff said the shape of the city will drive transportation and infrastructure choices and that the plan must comply with state climate requirements.
Tribal participants urged early and meaningful consultation. City staff warned that new state ‘‘Goal 5’’ rules take effect Jan. 1, 2027, and noted a 35‑day notification requirement before a city council takes formal action on UGB changes. Staff said notices will be broadly distributed and encouraged tribes to participate early in the technical work.
Speakers discussed wildlife and open‑space effects, with questions about how mitigation or conservation measures would be applied where development affects migration corridors. Tribal speakers emphasized cultural values, the importance of protecting gathering areas and archaeological confidentiality; staff responded that some archaeological information may be kept confidential under rules designed to protect sites.
Water-supply staff described an integrated water-system master plan and conservation programs that aim to flatten demand even as the population grows; staff said new development must be serviceable by existing or planned infrastructure.
What happens next: staff invited tribal input on the shape of engagement, said they will coordinate with tribal staff for technical briefings, and noted that legally required notices for land-use actions will begin to appear as the process proceeds.
