Making Bend a College Town (2014, how much, neighborhoods)

[BendLocal]

Making Bend a college town; OSU-Cascades forms citizen committees to prepare for expansion

[Steve Pickering]

It could happen. I don't think it would be any worse than the Californication it has experienced.

[kapetrich]

Interesting read, thanks.

[kapetrich]

Opposition is growing against the OSU-Cascades location: Bend OR Bust: OSU-Pumice Pit opposition growing

It's good to note that most of the opposition is not against a 4 year campus in general, but the particular location choice which I think, personally, has merit. In my view there are 'better' locations for the 4-year, but I also understand why they choose the site they did.

[BendLocal]

Great article.

The group lists six areas of concern. They include:

1) Increased traffic in already congested area.
2) Inadequate campus parking that will spill over into surrounding neighborhoods.
3) Limited affordable housing for students.
4) Single family housing being converted to student housing.
5) The pumice pit is unsafe and unhealthy.
6) Expansion to the north on the adjacent land that what once a demolition landfill will be too costly to ever develop.

[Dry Side]

The opposition group has little chance stopping the currently submitted OSU Cascade site plan from being approved. The site plan will be evaluated only on the existing land use laws. The laws specifically spell out the permitted uses for the land and structures allowed and how much parking is required. The city will not be able to consider future proposed expansion and it's impact. The city will not be able to consider housing costs. OSU has hired those who have successfully been through the land use process many times.

I hear so many saying Juniper Ridge. Sure it's a great location, but ODOT says not one bit of development can occur there until $20M+ is spent on road infrastructure. Basically this has terminated any development there.

Lastly if not OSU developing a university at this site, eventually this land would be developed with other residential and/or business creating as much or more traffic.

[BendLocal]

Originally Posted by Dry Side

The opposition group has little chance stopping the currently submitted OSU Cascade site plan from being approved. The site plan will be evaluated only on the existing land use laws.

Public opposition can and does change development even when it's technically permitted under the law.

Originally Posted by Dry Side

I hear so many saying Juniper Ridge. Sure it's a great location, but ODOT says not one bit of development can occur there until $20M+ is spent on road infrastructure. Basically this has terminated any development there.

Yet estimates are that OSU will be spending as much if not more to mitigate the problems associated with the pumice pit.

Originally Posted by Dry Side

Lastly if not OSU developing a university at this site, eventually this land would be developed with other residential and/or business creating as much or more traffic.

I disagree. No other use that I can think of will result in the large traffic increase due to 4000+ off campus students and the staff needed to run the university.

[Dry Side]

Public opposition can and does change development even when it's technically permitted under the law.

Can you provide an example of this in the City of Bend where a legal site plan was submitted?

I stand by my assertion that the site plan for the permitted use of a school at the proposed location will be approved by the City of Bend. City staff works closely with the applicant and their development folks (in this case OSU) to make sure all the requirements are met. They may make small changes, but picking another site location will not be their mandate.

Now it is quite possible the opposition group can slow the development down by appealing the city approved site plan to the state land use board and then on to the state supreme court. Something that would be very expensive for the opposition group.

[kapetrich]

Originally Posted by Dry Side

Can you provide an example of this in the City of Bend where a legal site plan was submitted?

I stand by my assertion that the site plan for the permitted use of a school at the proposed location will be approved by the City of Bend. City staff works closely with the applicant and their development folks (in this case OSU) to make sure all the requirements are met. They may make small changes, but picking another site location will not be their mandate.

Now it is quite possible the opposition group can slow the development down by appealing the city approved site plan to the state land use board and then on to the state supreme court. Something that would be very expensive for the opposition group.

I agree with you Dry Side. I do not see this site/plan not getting permitted for the same reasons you listed.

To me, these dissenters are an important part of the process and our community. While they may not change the broad stokes of the projected, OSU Cascades will, in the least, try and minimize this type of 'backlash' as it is, at times, in their best interest too. OSU will likely make gestures showing that they acknowledged peoples concerns with symbolic and conciliatory acts that won't make the most die hard opponents happy, but will pacify the more reasonable as they really just want to be heard and have their reasonable concerns acknowledged to some degree. The most fundamental opponents won't be happy unless OSU chooses a different location, but that's not going to happen and is a loosing hand at this point in the game anyway.

[BendLocal]

A lot of opinions being posted as facts here. We have no way of knowing what OSU will do if they are met with overwhelming public opposition to the current site.