By the Compass Points Editorial Team
Every city in Oregon is required to have a 20-year supply of land for housing and employment in their Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). State law requires that a city demonstrate the need for additional land (e.g. for housing, industrial development) before expanding their UGB. This “demonstration of need” must also show that the land currently inside the UGB cannot reasonably accommodate the 20-year supply. The City of Bend is nearing approval of its final Urban Growth Boundary scenario — a two-year process — scheduled to end April 2016.
The new scenario proposes to bring approximately 2,000 acres into the UGB and aims to address a variety of specific
technical issues and planning requirements established by the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) in
the remand following the previously proposed plan. Key objectives outlined for the revised proposal are to use land, public
infrastructure, and resources more efficiently by concentrating on urban density and encouraging development to promote
greater sustainability.
With our third quarter report showing continued positive net absorption across all product types, and Bend’s citywide
vacancy down, or unchanged as reported in the retail market, adopting an adequate plan to accommodate 20-years of projected
growth is critical. Whether 2,000 acres is enough to accommodate the increased demand for land and infrastructure for new
businesses and homes, or if the proposed scenarios for redevelopment will satisfy the LCDC’s requirements is still in
debate, but the City intends to complete local adoption of the amended UGB by April 2016 to complete the remand process by
the end of next year.
By the Compass Points Editorial Team Every city in Oregon is required to have a 20-year supply of land for housing and employment in their Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). State law requires that a city demonstrate the need for additional land (e.g. for housing, industrial development) before expanding their UGB. This “demonstration of need” must also show…