Envision Bend enters public phase for Bend Vision Project with survey, workshops, events

(Update: Adding video and comments from the press conference)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) --The Bend Vision Project has completed the "quiet phase"- interviewing community leaders, "connectors, recruiting project partners, and researching trends -- global, national and local.

Four people spoke at Tuesday evening's news event to kick off that next, more public phase.

Laura Fritz, Envision Bend executive, told us how many people have been interviewed so far.

"We have interviewed about sixty community leaders and connectors," Fritz said. "We've talked to many, many of our organizations within our community already. There are some themes that are pretty -- pretty common. Of course, affordability is one of those."

I asked Zak Boone, an Envision Bend board member, what he thinks of Bend's current direction.

"There are tough challenges," Boone said. "But the more we can bring folks together -- we have a lot of smart folks, we have a lot of engaged folks, we have a lot of folks in this community that have been here long before I've been here. I've been here for 16 years.

"I think bringing those folks together makes some of those challenges less daunting. I don't think of it as things that are broken right now. I think they're things we need to pay attention to and watch carefully, and get as many as people together as possible."

The Bend Vision Project is an effort to envision a better future for Bend and what the community wants Bend to look like the upcoming years. During the launch week, there will be events, workshops and prize giveaways.

One of the launch event's panelists, Gwenn Wysling, the Bethlehem Inn's executive director, said, "As we are working together, I think it's the intention and the purpose with which we as a community look at these problems and come up with solutions."

There's also a survey, both in English and Spanish at https://envisionbend.org. It takes 10 minutes to complete. The goal is to reach as many people as possible. For the next three to four months, Envision Bend will be getting your opinions on the wants and needs for Bend's future.

Here is the schedule of Envision Bend events during Launch Week:

• Participation at Oregon Adaptive Sports’ Bike Night, 4 to 7 p.m., July 13, at Pine Nursery Park,
3750 N.E. Purcell Blvd., Bend
• Bend Vision Project ‘Listen & Envision’ public virtual workshop, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., July 14, via
Zoom (pre-register required https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/bend-vision-projects-listenenvision-workshops-752749)
• Participation at the Central Oregon Latino Partnership Program’s Conexiones event, 4:30 to
6:30 p.m., July 14, at The Environmental Center, 16 N.W. Kansas Ave., Bend
• Participation at the Alpenglow Park grand opening with a pop-up tent, 4 to 8 p.m., July 15, the
park is located at 61049 S.E. 15th St., Bend

Here's a 'snapshot report' released Tuesday evening on the group's findings so far: