Bend ponders Third Street changes

The city of Bend held a public meeting Thursday night to discuss possible zone changes to Third Street from Revere to Burnside avenues.

The plans would create a more dense corridor, and less car and truck traffic.

“We really want to encourage people to bike or walk, rather than using a single-occupant car to get there,” said Bend Senior Planner Wendy Robinson.

The city is looking at an idea called MMA, or a Multimodal Mixed-use Area. The plan would change zoning in the district to encourage taller buildings, more retail and residential space and reduce off-street parking.

Thursday night’s meeting was the second of three for the public to weigh in.

“We want to really validate that concept’s either good, or maybe we should be looking somewhere else or do something else,” Robinson said.

Several people spoke out against the idea. One man, former ODOT regional manager Dale Allen, said the Bend Parkway was build for interstate travel and Third Street was designed for travel within the city.

He said he feels the zone change proposal would bottleneck traffic on Third Street.

For more information on the project CLICK HERE