‘We’re bringing three different housing types’ : Bend city councilors OK nearly 600-unit housing project

(Update: Adding video, comments from the mayor, developer president)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Bend city councilors took testimony at a public hearing Wednesday evening and unanimously approved changes to plans for a development that will include nearly 600 homes of various types and a smaller commercial area.

The Wildflower development is plannedon about 32 acres at the corner of Southeast 15th street and Wilson Avenue. The developer said the goal is to start building by next spring.

"They need to make some amendments to the plan to do that," Mayor Melanie Kebler said Thursday. "So they brought that to council after it went through the planning commission. And then we decided last night to move that master plan forward" -- although the planning commission had recommended denial of the changes because they reduce the commercial/mixed-use area by about five acres.

Bend city councilors initially approved in 2015 the concept plan for the Wildflower Master Planned Development, featuring a variety of housing types. But the project didn't proceed until new owners, the Seattle-based Evergreen Housing Development Group, bought the parcel early last year.

The group's president, Jim Stephens, told us what to expect.

"I think it's a little bit unique," he said, "because we're bringing three different housing types, we're bringing apartments, we're bringing cottages, essentially, which are single family and duplex homes that are for rent. We also have some townhomes, which will have attached garages as well." 

The property abuts a natural area and is set to include trails linking the Coyner and Larkspur trails. It is currently tough to access because of unrelated construction in the area.

Stephens said there will be a second reading of the ordinance in a few weeks before city council.

"And then we go into the site plan approval process, so it's just a more detailed review of our project and the site plan," Stephens said. "We think we have another meeting with the neighbors before we submit that site plan application, and then and then we formally submit it to the city."

Evergreen Housing Development would then need to apply for a building permit to begin construction. 

Kebler said, "I think it will provide a nice little neighborhood hub, while also providing a lot of different kinds of middle income housing in that area as well." 

Before the council was a proposal to redesignate and relocate about five acres of "mixed employment" to "residential medium density" in the master-planned development. That change still leaves 1.4 acres of mixed employment-designated land available for commercial and a mix of other uses.

More than a dozen people testified for or against the requested zoning changes Wednesday evening, all speaking of the need for housing in the city and several expressing concern about a homeless camp now on part of the property.

But a Central Oregon LandWatch representative supported the Planning Commission's recommendation to deny the developers' request, urging that a larger area for mix of retail and commercial uses still be required and noting the success of NorthWest Crossing.