Bend residents give Mirror Pond plan early thumbs up
The first of several public meetings Thursday seeking community feedback revealed widespread support for a new plan surrounding Mirror Pond and the downtown Bend riverfront.
A short presentation led by Bend Park and Rec reminded attendees about the plan released a few weeks ago that calls for redevelopment of the downtown waterfront area to raise funds for a new water impoundment to preserve Mirror Pond.
You can read more detail about the proposal in our earlier story here: http://www.ktvz.com/news/will-parking-lots-rescue-mirror-pond/29648062
Following the presentation and a question-and-answer session, people were asked to mark where they fall of a continuum between supporting and disproving the plan. Overwhelmingly, the chart showed attendees liked the new idea.
While there was broad support of the vision, Bend residents also expressed skepticism for whether the plan was feasible.
Questions were raised whether redevelopment could cover the bills for the pond, how much the total project would cost and the uncertainty of one major player in the project: PacifiCorp — the owner of the aging and leaky dam holding back the water that forms Mirror Pond.
“There is some frustration,” said Bend resident John Schwechten. “I’d like to know more about what Pacific Power is thinking, and of course that isn’t available unless they release that information.”
Officials with PacifiCorp have offered interest in divesting ownership of the dam and the water rights to another entity, if that is what the community wants. The company has stated that drawing power from the old dam is probably no longer worth the upkeep for it.
A few audience members were not keen to the new plan, including Bend resident Shari Rodmaker, who lives in a rental home on the edge of Mirror Pond’s east side. She told NewsChannel 21 that her home falls within the boundary for the area the Mirror Pond committee proposes redevelopment.
“So there’s my house, there’s my neighbor’s house which is also gone, and I noticed on the plan Journey Church is also gone, and those are pretty big chunks of land,” Rodmaker said.
The plan has also received criticism because it calls for removing the two Mirror Pond parking lots downtown. However, officials have said the parking would be replaced with even more added spaces.
Project spokesman and Bend Park and Rec Executive Director Don Horton said the plans will only move forward if the group finds widespread community support.
He said any development would likely come in phases and would probably take about 20 years to complete.
Horton added that development revenue would not be the sole source of funding. He said the city and park district will likely have to kick in some money as well.
More public meetings are scheduled for January.
You can find out more about meetings and how you can weigh in here:
