Deschutes County commissioners plan hearing, appear ready to sharply limit housing at any new destination resorts

(Update: Adding video, comments from county commissioners)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Deschutes County commissioners had staff preparation Monday afternoon for a public hearing set for Wednesday on rules that would not allow new destination resorts within 24 miles of Bend's urban growth boundary to include any new homes, other than those needed for staff or management.

And it appears all three are ready to make that change happen.

The board held the work session two days before the hearing to consider a request by Central Oregon LandWatch earlier this year that the county make a text amendment to its Destination Resort (DR) Combining Zone (File No. 247-22-000835-TA).

The proposed amendments would add language from Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 197.455(1)(a), which would limit residential uses to those necessary for the staff and management of the resort at any new Destination Resort allowed within 24 air miles of an urban growth boundary population of at least 100,000 -- in this county's case, Bend.

Commissioner Patti Adair told us after Monday's meeting what she expects to hear: "Per our emails, and per my phone calls, most people are saying we're beyond any more destination resorts."

The change was requested by Central Oregon LandWatch earlier this year. The nonprofit asked the county to make a change in regulations for destination reports so that they no longer are tied to creating housing, and to match state law on the matter.

Commissioner Phil Chang also feels it's time for the change: "Destination resorts (are) a policy tool that was created in the 1980s to help rural, economically distressed communities and people bring investment, and homes and visitors to their area."

The amendment change would see resorts within 24 air miles of an urban growth boundary with an existing population of 100,000 or more not be allowed to provide residential uses, except those limited to what necessary for the staff and management if the resort.

Adair told NewsChannel 21, "I feel like we have excellent destination resorts here in Deschutes County, and do we really need any more? No."

Chang echoed Adair's sentiment. "This is not the community that it was back in the 1980s, when we were reeling from the contraction of the timber industry. We have a diversified economy now. Our population has exploded since the 1980s. And we don't really need destination resorts to bring people here and to drive economic growth."

Commission Chair Tony DeBone also appears to be in support of the rule change, which would only apply to new resorts, not existing nor previously approved ones.

The county Planning Commission took public testimony and voted 3-1 in March to recommend commission approval of the proposed limit.

The full record is located on the project webpage.

On another topic, commissioners on Monday discussed and agreed to support a plan to move oversight of the Coordinated Houseless Response Office from the county to the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council. The move comes in the wake of the resignation of the office's first director, Cheyenne Purrington.

Chang said the top priority needs to be producing a strategic plan for the region's homeless efforts, something all appear to agree is a pretty tall order.