Among Bend City Council Work Session agenda items, was the UGB Expansion: Senate Bill 1537
(update: adding video; Bend City Councilor-Elect Steve Platt says current affordable housing plan won't cover middle income residents at a 60% AMI level)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Bend City Council began the phase of, site selection for the urban growth boundary expansion, under Oregon’s Senate Bill 1537, which is a significant initiative aimed at addressing the state’s growing housing crisis.
The bill includes provisions for a one-time expansion of urban growth boundaries, which aims to fast-track housing production in areas demonstrating critical need, where proposals like Jasper Ridge and Caldera Ranch are under consideration.
A Bend resident who chose not to appear on camera, says caldera ranch, located south of Knott Road and the Brosterhous Rd. intersection, is not suitable.
“We're concerned about leaving the area and in the event of a wildfire, because right now, just getting out of our neighborhood on that road is, you know, troublesome and adding 700 homes in that neighborhood with the expansion of the east, and with the expansion of the Stevens Ranch, it's we don't see a lot in the plan that talks about fixing the road. How do you get out in case of emergency?”
This resident also says, his woodside ranch home owners association is also opposed to the SE Bend site.
Other critics of the proposed expansion argue that such expansions may undermine existing land use laws and divert resources from urban centers.
I also spoke to Bend City Councilor-Elect, Steve Platt, who is expected to take office in January.
Tracee Tuesday: “When we talk about affordable housing for the middle income, does it really match our middle income folks here?”
Steve Platt: “It's a good question, sn't it? I think what I go back to often is to think about the folks that I teach with the folks, the educators, the folks that are helping make our schools run, and what I do know is that a brand new educator clocks in at about 60% of the area median income, and you have to teach somewhere around five years before you reach somewhere close to that 80% income level, and the houses that were proposed this evening generally start at the 80% AMI-Level, so I still think there's a gap.”
The outcomes of these proposals will depend on public feedback, adherence to the bill’s requirements, and the city’s ability to demonstrate ongoing need.
The initiative represents both an opportunity and a challenge in balancing rapid development with sustainability and equity goals.
