City of Bend invites public to open house on 261-acre Stevens Road Tract development

(Update: Adding video interview with Senior Planner Damian Syrnyk, KTVZ.COM Poll)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Bend community is invited to an informational open house Thursday evening to learn more about the Stevens Road Tract planning amendments that will help guide how 261 acres of land in southeast Bend will be developed.

The open house will take place on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Caldera High School, with light refreshments. The public is welcome to send written comments about the amendments starting Oct. 19 and up through the end of a public hearing before the City Council, set for Dec. 6.

In 2021, the state Legislature passed a unique bill that allows Bend to bring 261 acres of land on Bend's southeast corner, into the Urban Growth Boundary, called the Stevens Road Tract.

The property is the eastern portion of a 640-acre parcel east of 27th Street and the Stevens Ranch Master Plan property.   

The plan envisions a complete mixed-use community, with housing, businesses, schools, parks and trails. Twelve acres will be dedicated deed-restricted affordable housing. Also, six acres must be dedicated for affordable housing that is made available first to community members who are teachers or otherwise work for the public school system.

“This is a unique opportunity for our community to make land available for a complete community,” said City Councilor Anthony Broadman. “With a focus on ensuring educators and working families in our community can better afford to live in Bend.” 

Before these homes and businesses can be built, the Bend City Council must approve a set of planning amendments related to the Stevens Road Tract.

These planning amendments spell out not only where these uses will be, but how it should be done once a developer buys the land. It will help guide the developer to develop a master plan and to build in a way that makes sense and creates complete communities.

For example, the planning amendments include an inventory of natural resources on site, so developers can consider significant trees and rock outcroppings as they design. The amendments will guide developers to not just build housing, but build it in a way so that area is a walkable, mixed-use and well-connected community. 

Questions and public comments can be directed to Senior Planner Damian Syrnyk at dsyrnyk@bendoregon.gov.

To learn more about the Stevens Road Tract, head to bendoregon.gov/stevens-tract.