OSU-Cascades advisory groups filling in the details

The OSU-Cascades Campus now being built on Bend’s Westside has created a long range development plan, and now citizens are helping to flesh out the details.

The university created four community advisory committees. For the past two months, they’ve worked to craft their plan, and on Thursday evening they presented each one.

The four committees focused on themes of sustainability, health and wellness, arts and culture and community integration. Each was made up of faculty, students and community members.

One committee member we spoke with said people can expect comprehensive feedback that each group has really worked hard for. The Arts and Culture Committee, for example, already feels Central Oregon has a great art community that this campus can enhance.

“What we don’t have is something as utilitarian and flexible as a professional rehearsal place,” Tower Theatre Executive Director Ray Solley said. “The idea to have a place where the community can come for exhibits and showcases and rehearsals — something as utilitarian as that — really is a cultural experience.”

The Community Integration Committee highlighted commuting not only to and from but around the campus, and said they hope much of that travel can be “auto-free.” They thought of creating a ski lodge on campus that would include educational, commercial and recreational uses.

“And the campus is integrated — not isolated from the community — inviting public use,” Richard Ross said. “One thing we discussed is that these two principles apply on the campus, near the campus, in neighborhoods around the campus, and they apply regionally.”

One part of their presentations included a “good neighbor” concept.

Traffic, parking issues and living on campus are areas they say specific task forces will be focusing on in the coming months.

The committees are giving their ideas to the design time. As they work over the next 17 months, they’ll go back to these advisory committees to make sure they integrate all recommended elements.

Advisory group meeting agendas, presentations and materials can be found at http://osucascades.edu/4/community-engagement.