Century Drive neighbors unhappy with new subdivision

Eleven acres off Century Drive on Bend’s Westside have been approved for the development of a 65-lot subdivision, but not everyone is happy about it.

In particular, people living on Bachelor View Road, and in Sunrise Village, both of which are neighborhoods off Century Drive. But their complaint is not with the developer, it’s with the way the city approved the development.

Brooke Blackwelder, who lives off Bachelor View Road, said Thursday, “I think they’re choosing a plan that works for them and works for the city. But there is a lot of growth in Bend, and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of concern with the traffic and safety issues that are going to ensue from that.”

Neighbors said they would like to see the city better address how people living in 65 more homes will impact traffic on Century Drive.

“If you sit here on a winter morning when people are heading up to the mountain, or if you try to get out in the afternoon, it’s not safe,” Blackwelder said. “It’s fast. Yyou come past Entrada, there’s a bit of a hill, there’s not always time to slow your speed if it’s icy. It’s dangerous.”

Despite their concerns, this area had already been zoned for subdivisions. And after conducting a transportation analysis, the city says safety shouldn’t be a problem, according to Planning Manager Colin Stephens.

“We looked at the intersection where Bachelor View Drive is going to hit Century Drive, and it met all the city standards for safety and operations, so no improvements were required by the city,” Stephens said.

Neighbors have 21 days to to appeal the decision to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals. If none is filed, the developer can begin submitting infrastructure plans for the subdivision.

Despite the frustration, neighbors aren’t surprised by the development.

“I think we all knew that land would be developed,” Blackwelder said. “Are we happy about it? Of course not. We want to keep our neighborhood the way that it is, but that’s just the way that it goes.”

In response to neighbors concerned with safety, Stephens said, “Wait until the development happens and we see what the traffic patterns look like, and it probably won’t be as bad as you anticipate.”

Do you believe Century Drive needs major improvements before more homes are built in the area? That’s the topic of our current KTVZ.COM Poll, found halfway down the right side of our home page.