A highly disputed development proposed in the Awbrey Butte neighborhood of Bend will face a final decision at the end of May, after more than two years. The City of Bend held a public hearing on April 4, discussing the proposal and listening to final in-person remarks about the development.
The proposal is for a four-story mixed-use development with 40 residential units, and approximately 5,557 square feet of commercial space. The 1-acre lot sits at the southeast corner of the intersection of NW Awbrey Road and NW Mt. Washington Drive.
The applicant first submitted the plan in June 2022. According to Renee Brooke, City of Bend planning manager, that previous application was incomplete, and the applicant ultimately let it become void. The current proposal was submitted in September 2023.
The well-attended April 4 hearing allowed people to submit final comments, which had to address applicable Bend Development Code standards and criteria and explain how they are or are not met.
The attempts to halt or alter this development, however, didn't start there. A website titled "Help Save Awbrey Butte" informs residents about the proposed project and highlights concerns the community members have. "Let's right-size, not oversize development," reads the website.
The site argues that the building will significantly increase density, traffic and safety issues, placing burdens on local services and changing the character of the butte. The website is run by the Save Awbrey Butte Organization, which describes itself as a grassroots organization of community members who "live in and love Bend."
Another effort to halt this proposal, created by members of the same organization, is a GoFundMe account called, "Save Compass Corner." The page, which has raised $7,205 of its $15,000 goal, aims to fund ongoing litigation to stop or modify the development. "Your contribution will help us do everything necessary to preserve our neighborhood and maintain traffic safety for all," reads the page.
The land use chair of the Awbrey Butte neighborhood association, Jeff Conrad, was one of the many who spoke up against the development at the April 4 hearing. One major complaint he's heard from neighbors is concerns about increased traffic on small, already congested, neighborhood roads.
According to Conrad, the street near the development is very steep. "All those extra vehicles are going to make that intersection even more dicey, more dangerous," Conrad told the Source Weekly.
A traffic report, prepared by Transight Consulting LLC and submitted into the development site plan, concluded that the project is forecasted to generate 363 new weekday daily trips.
Additionally, the proposal plans to include 59 total parking stalls, 54 of which are located on-site and five along the street frontage. Some are concerned about the lack of parking, given that the City of Bend got rid of its minimum parking requirement in February.
Nearby residents, like Pauline Wilson, worry that with so little parking, cars will spill over into the adjoining neighborhoods, making the roads even more crowded and unsafe.
Other concerns reference the height of the building as problematic. The height of the building is proposed to be 10 feet above the maximum allowed height given that it qualifies as "vertical mixed-use." "There's a minimum amount of commercial square footage they have to include in order for it to be considered a mixed-use building," said Brooke. "We believe they've met that baseline criteria," said Brooke.
According to the Save Awbrey Butte Organization, this would be one of the tallest buildings on Awbrey Butte. This would likely obstruct views for neighbors.
According to Brooke, there was citizen concern from the get-go with this project. "The neighborhood has been aware of this project for probably close to two years, so we have been receiving concerns that whole time," she said.
Despite the number of people hoping for a different proposal, others have spoken up about the need for more housing, regardless of the type or location. One Awbrey Butte resident submitted a comment in support of the project, stating that it would be a "good addition to the Awbrey Butte area."
A petition supporting the proposed development, sponsored by Bend YIMBY, had 223 signatures as of April 16. "We think that all neighborhoods in Bend should have housing of all shapes and sizes," states the petition.
Residents opposing the development say they support more housing, including apartments, but disagree with aspects of the proposal. "The project is ill-considered, it's oversized and inappropriate for that particular lot," said Wilson.
"We're not against developing this," said Conrad. "We have no problem with an apartment structure. In that area, with that typography, with the distances traveled, the extra cars on the road, we think two floors would be perfect."
The City hearings officer will issue a decision at the end of May. According to Brooke, hearings officers must rely solely on the Bend Development Code, development standards and approval criteria. "The hearings officer will look through all the applicable code sections and evaluate the project against those standards," said Brooke.
