BPRD challenges Big Sky Park expansion limits

Big Sky Park on the east side of Bend is a popular place to play, walk your dog, ride a bike and much more, and the Bend Park and Recreation District’s effort to expand it reaches a new round Monday evening, as the agency appealed some restrictions in a recent hearings officer decision.

Thursday we learned there’s some confusion on the Bend Parks and Recreation District’s updated master plan for the park. We looked into what’s going on and did some research into the proposed master plan.

The current park has a baseball, softball and multi-purpose sports fields, a playground and a privately run BMX track.

In January, Bend Park and Rec submitted a more than $4 million proposed expansion plan for the park to Deschutes County.

The updated master plan includes a new entrance on Hamby Road with shared access with Buckingham Elementary School, up to 200 more parking spaces, a new bike park and an update to irrigation needs. A new bike park also will include family trails, cross country trails, dirt jumps and a pump track.

However, the project may not move forward as planned because a hearings officer put limits on where in the park events can occur, after hearing concerns from neighboring residents.

Hearings Officer Dan Olsen approved the overall expansion but rejected a proposed slopestyle course, a planned amplified sound system and the addition of lighting for play fields and a radio-o-controlled race track. He also turned down plans for races or competitions at the tracks.

County Associate Planner Cynthia Smidt explained why the hearings officer limited the planned uses.

“To help minimize impacts to surrounding property owners to the north and also to the west. Especially to the north, to limit those events to not occur within 250 feet of the north property boundary,” she said.

Bend Park and Rec appealed that decision to county commissioners.

“We would like to have events going on at the park that would coexist well with the sports complex,” Big Sky Park Project Manager Perry Brooks said Thursday, “and the type of events we’re going to have will complement and be used in the off times that the (Luke Damon) Sports Complex is being used. ”

“And we really look forward to getting that information conveyed to the Board of Commissioners and having a determination as to how we proceed next week,” Brooks said.

Next Monday night, the expansion plans go to a public hearing before county commissioners, but that might not be the end of the process, as it could be appealed further, to the state Land Use Board of Appeals, by parties displeased with the final county decision.

Smidt said commissioners will hear testimony, as well as take written comments, then typically the record is kept open for a few weeks.

The public is invited to comment on the plans Monday at 6 p.m. at the county offices at 1300 Wall Street in Bend.

Click the following link to learn more about the park district’s plans: https://www.bendparksandrec.org/project/big-sky-park/