City appoints BURA Committee & Other Big News for the BCD
As the City of Bend moves forward with its “Core Area" Planning, we are preparing for the next steps in engaging the community to advocate for a vibrant, healthy, and resilient mixed-use neighborhood through the BCD Initiative.
Central Oregon LandWatch was awarded a $100,000 grant from Meyer Memorial Trust to continue the BCD Initiative's work building broad support for policies and programs that promote the community’s vision for a vibrant, healthy, and resilient mixed-use neighborhood in the Bend Central District. Read our press release here.
Last night in their role as the Urban Renewal Agency, Bend City Councilors appointed 13 people (and two alternates) to the Urban Renewal Advisory Board. This committee will work with City of Bend consultants and staff to evaluate the potential for funding Core Area projects and programs through a new urban renewal area. Each appointee fills a particular role, which are listed below.
The BCD Initiative will be engaged in this committee's planning process as it moves forward early next year.
BURA Advisory Board Appointees
Adam Bledsoe – Finance
Bart Bowen – Multi-Modal Transportation
Elise Jones – Business Owner
Tim Page – Resident
Dennis Pahlisch – Builder (Dennis lives outside the Bend city limit. Nominated due to special expertise in residential building)
Michelle Rhoads – Cascade East Transit
Whitney Swander – Social Services
Dale VanValkenburg – Local developer
Robin Vora – Former member of UGB committee
Craig Davis – At Large community member (Craig lives outside the Bend city limit. Nominated due to experience with S. Waterfront in Portland)
Jim Landin – At Large community member
Sonja Porter – At Large community member
Steve Porter – At Large community member
Two Alternates:
Tim Neville
Zak Sundsten
City-wide Transportation Planning
Multiple highly important planning efforts are currently underway to planBend's transportation system through 2040. On Tuesday, the Citywide Transportation Advisory Committee reviewed analysis of many proposed projects to address regional needs. View a map of those projects here.
Next Tuesday, December 11th, the committee will be making decisionsabout which of those projects will move forward as regional priorities. They will also discuss whether a connected bicycle network should be added to the list, and consider updating metrics (called “mobility standards”) for how well our system performs to better take into account other goals (including safety, access to employment, availability of transit, biking, and walking, and cost to build and maintain) and not just "how long a car has to wait at an intersection."
Please support these concepts by submitting public comment to: kswirsky@bendoregon.gov or attending the meeting:
CTAC Mtg. #8: Draft citywide transportation framework
Tuesday, December 11th
1 - 5pm
Bend Municipal Court
555 Northeast 15th Street
More info: https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/citizen-committees/citywide-transportation-advisory-committee