SE Bend tiny home development causing controversy

A tiny home development off Benham Road in southeast Bend is slated to go on a 3.1-acre parcel that wraps around an already-existing neighborhood.

A total of 22 tiny homes and three “common houses,” along with a new access road, are set to go in, if the plan is approved by the city.

Keith Caldwell is one of the neighbors who is not sure about this new development.

He said Thursday that putting in a drastically different style of home in an already established neighborhood could lead to some issues.

“I don’t see how what they are going to do here, or planning to do here, is going to work,” Caldwell said. “From the standpoint of traffic, garbage pickup, storage, sharing of the common ground, folding of our HOAs (homeowners associations) together.”

The homeowners living nearby said when they bought their homes, they were told 12 townhomes would be going in the area.

Several said they feel like the change was made without the other homes in the area in mind.

Joanna White-Wolff is another neighbor who is concerned with the impact this new development might have.

She said that while the city of Bend has listened to their concerns, she feels they failed to disclose to her the $12,000 appeal process if the tiny houses are approved.

“The city of Bend has not been transparent in their plan,” White-Wolff said. “They have not put out information that is helpful for us to know. Had I known ahead of time it was going to cost $12,000, I would have been having rallies. I would have been passing out papers in the middle of Bend.”

But not all of the neighbors are against the new development.

One said he is for the tiny houses, if they are done in a nice way, where access and storage are not issues for the people already living there.

This project is still in the proposal stage, and if approved by the city’s Planning Department, in mid-December, 22 tiny homes will go up on the empty lot.