Deschutes County Commissioners voted March 20, in a 2-1 vote, to look for an alternative location for the Wilson Avenue Housing Program. The property, which serves male clients on supervision with Deschutes County Parole and Probation, garnered a lot of input from neighbors and community members who were unhappy with the location and the public notice process.
Neighbors near the property at 640 Wilson Ave started a petition in December to sell, relocate or repurpose the property, which gathered over 1,400 signatures. A group of eastside Bend residents has also been documenting City and County transitional housing and shelter facilities, noting a high concentration in Larkspur and on the east side of Bend, including this housing program.
After a lengthy public testimony from neighbors of the housing program and Bend residents, County Commissioners deliberated on whether to continue discussions about the property or make a decision.
Commissioner Patti Adair announced that the board would make a motion, rather than discuss options at a later meeting. Adair brought up economic disparities in the community and felt it was unfair to place the program in this neighborhood.
She also noted that the property was originally supposed to be 1,000 feet from a park. The property the County purchased ended up being less than 1,000 feet from Kiwanis Park.
"It's really unfortunate that the rules keep changing," she said at the meeting.
Commissioner Phil Chang said at the meeting that he would like to continue discussions. "I think it would be premature to vote on this before we have a fiscal plan."
When it came to the vote, Commissioners Tony DeBone and Adair both voted yes to find a new location. "We in the County need to do better," said Adair. "I would really like to have this moved somewhere else."
Chang voted no, stating that he wanted more information about how the County would purchase a new property and address neighbor concerns about a new location. "I don't really understand how the proposal to move the location doesn't just land us in this exact same place," he said.
After making a final vote, County Commissioners agreed to come back in April to discuss the next steps.
