Disputed south Bend footbridge plans could be getting new life with help of Deschutes County Commissioner Chang
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ)-- A proposed footbridge over the Deschutes River in southern Bend has created quite a lot of controversy since it was first suggested back in 2012. A group called Connect Bend is now hoping that endorsing candidates for this election might help finally get the bridge built.
"There's less investment in outdoor access in this area, and we want to turn that around. And you know, we need to do this now, so the future generations have it," Connect Bend Executive Director Royce Kallerud said Wednesday.
Funding for the footbridge was provided for in the voter-approved Measure 9-86. It would connect the Deschutes River trail in South Bend. But there have been several setbacks.
In 2017, some residents living near Bachelor View Road attempted to ban the bridge, seeking help from local legislators. A year later, they partnered with Oregon Wild to try to ban the bridge a second time and failed. The Bend Parks and Recreation District decided to shift focus in 2019 from the footbridge, but didn't cancel plans to build it.
A recent survey done by BPRD showed a majority of neighbors who participated support the footbridge, with 71% approval.
Connect Bend believes Commissioner Phil Chang's support can push state and local agencies to get the bridge built. The group has endorsed Chang's re-election bid.
"He sees past all the bureaucracy and red tape to what his constituents need and what they voted for," Kallerud said.
The commissioner says the criticism from opponents of the bridge argue can be answered with the right agencies' actions.
"I can add a community leader voice to the discussions to help us navigate this," Chang said.
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Here's Connect Bend's full press release:
BEND, May 7, 2024 – Community group Connect Bend has launched “Vote for Bridge Builders” – a bipartisan program to recognize candidates who support the Southern Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) footbridge project.
Connect Bend, a 501(c)(3) charity, advocates for the project.
“This program recognizes candidates who put their constituents first,” said Brent Stinski, a member of the Connect Bend board. “Politically this project is a slam dunk, with overwhelming public support. But bureaucratic hurdles and a NIMBY minority have stalled it. It’s time to move forward. We need representatives who are willing to stand up for what’s best for us all.”
Connect Bend launched the Vote for Bridge Builders Program with its endorsement of the reelection of County Commissioner Phil Chang. Moving forward the group will endorse candidates regardless of party affiliation, Stinski said.
Connect Bend Executive Director Royce Kallerud expressed excitement for Commissioner Chang’s nonpartisan reelection campaign.
“Most recently, Commissioner Chang stood up to keep a range of projects that help us to ride our bikes and walk in the new Transportation System Plan for Deschutes County,” Kallerus said. “If we’re looking for a results-oriented candidate who truly listens, look no further than Commissioner Chang. He’s uniquely skilled at doing what’s right for Deschutes County, based on good evidence, and has reliably led on this and other issues.”
Added Kallerud, “In conversations all over Deschutes County we’ve been heartened by the widespread bipartisan support for this project and our community’s ability to imagine the best future as we grow. We look forward to offering endorsements of all candidates who share Commissioner Chang’s leadership and ability to make decisions that improve the lives of his neighbors across the region.”
Eve Richer, also a member of Connect Bend’s board, added, “The footbridge project offers our representatives a rare opportunity to reach across the aisle. It will give underserved residents the ability to walk or bike instead of putting more traffic on our busiest roads. It will also bring extensive resources to a riparian zone that needs protection and attention.”
For more information about the southern UGB footbridge project, visit www.connectbend.org.
About: Connect Bend is a 501(c)(3) community group in Bend, OR.
Fact sheet: Footbridge Project in Southern Bend
Compiled by Connect Bend, May. 2024
In 2012 Bend passed $29 million Bond Measure 9-86, funding the Bend Whitewater Park, Pavilion ice skating rink, and the completion of a Deschutes River Trail from Tumalo State Park to Sunriver, including a pedestrian bridge in southern Bend.
The measure passed, with 52.11% in favor and 47.89% against (source: Deschutes County).
Last proposed footbridge plan would connect the existing river trail, running south of the Old Mill District on the eastern shore, to the Rimrock Trailhead area on the western shore (“Good Dog”) (source: BPRD).
Nine other Deschutes footbridges in and near Bend. Single-span construction would be similar to other recent bridges, e.g. Sawyer Park (source: BPRD).
Forest Service owns land of most recent proposed bridge site.
Last proposed site falls within state and federal scenic waterway protected zones. These statutes establish processes whereby new projects may move forward, such as the recent River Vale development project and a similar footbridge (completed in December 2023) on a section of the McKenzie River that is also designated as a protected river state and federal statutes.
At least 234 houses lie within the Oregon Scenic Waterway zone between the southern UGB to the zone’s end at the Arnold irrigation intake below Pine Drive (source: Connect Bend).
Approximately 15,000 residents in affected areas in Southern Bend and DRW (source: BPRD, also Connect Bend).
Proposed project would repair and protect damaged riparian areas on the western shore and add protections proposed by local environmental groups and government agencies to the larger area.
The bridge is included in the National Forest Service Alternative Transportation Feasibility Study.
A BPRD poll released in 2024 (n=840) found 71% of Bend residents in favor of the footbridge project, with 15% responding as neutral, 11% against, and 4% not sure (source: BPRD; poll results available). Support jumps to 76% in the southern half of Bend (with no increase in opposition).
In 2017 residents in Bachelor View Road private community, near proposed bridge site, campaigned to ban the project through HB 2027. Former Representative Gene Whisnant (R-Sunriver), whose district did not include the bridge site, tried a “gut and stuff” legislative maneuver, which failed in the Oregon Senate (source: Bend Bulletin).
In 2018 Bachelor View Road partnered with the lobbying group Oregon Wild, which sponsored HB 4029, which would ban the project. Measure failed in the Oregon Senate (source: Bend Bulletin). Fact check of Oregon Wild false statements is available at https://connect-bend.org/faq.
In 2019, BPRD deprioritized, but did not cancel, the footbridge project.
Connect Bend, a 501(c)(3) grass-roots organization, formed shortly thereafter.
