News & Updates

Posted on

Bend Park & Rec District 2012 Local Government Grant

March 31, 2012

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
Local Government Grant Program
Attention:  Michele Scalise
725 Summer Street, NE, Suite C
Salem, OR 97301

Re:  Bend Park and Recreation District 2012 Local Government Grant Application

Dear Ms. Scalise,

The Old Bend Neighborhood Association supports the Bend Park and Recreation District’s 2012 Local Government Grant application to help fund the development of Miller’s Landing Park.

The grant will assist the district in providing close to home, recreational opportunities for residents of the Old Bend Neighborhood as well as satisfying expressed community demand for additional access to the Deschutes River and to the Deschutes River Trail.  Some of the features and benefits of the park development include:

  • An extension of the Deschutes River Trail that will provide an off-street trail connection  for walking, running and cycling and an enhanced route for community events
  • The provision of group and individual picnic sites that have consistently scored high in community surveys
  • Year-round restroom facilities that will provide a clean, safe option for park visitors and Deschutes River Trail users
  • A new beach/river access that will provide healthy, active recreation for  children and families and  additional access for kayakers, canoeists and other river users
  • Protected riparian areas and extensive native plantings that will enhance habitat for wildlife and facilitate nature observation

Developing the Miller Landing property as a park has been a priority of the Old Bend Neighborhood Association and we support the Bend Park and Recreation District’s effort to develop the Miller Landing property.

Sincerely,

The Old Bend Neighborhood Association

Posted on

Park district takes a first step

The Bend Park & Recreation District took a timid step toward putting a $31 million bond measure on the November ballot to develop large-scale projects and buy more land.

While the wish list hasn’t been finalized, some projects could include an ice rink, a passageway for floaters and boaters at the Colorado Avenue dam, upgrades to the Deschutes River Trail, and an analysis of how to address sedimentation buildup in Mirror Pond.

On Tuesday, the park district board of directors said it supported the idea of asking voters to approve a property-tax-funded bond measure, but admitted there’s still a lot of research to do.

“This is a very preliminary, very big, ugly, scary step,” Board Chairman Ted Schoenborn said. “Well, I shouldn’t say it’s ugly, but it is big and it is scary.”

The $31 million bond measure would be paid back through property tax assessments. According to district officials, an assessment for the average homeowner would be less than $50 a year.

In addition to a nearly $20 million list of possible construction and development projects, directors discussed an $11 million list of potential property acquisitions. That discussion took place during an executive session that was not open to the public.

If any land acquisitions were a part of a bond measure, Park District Executive Director Don Horton said that property information would almost certainly be revealed. In general, he said the district is looking at property that bolsters the Deschutes River trail system and add to the amount of open space that’s available, particularly for regional parks such as Shevlin Park.

Director Ruth Williamson expressed the most apprehension about the bond measure. She was concerned about whether it was the right economic climate and wanted to make sure the district was ready to undertake such an “ambitious” proposal.

“If we’re going to do this,” Williamson said, “we (need to) understand that we’re going to have to give this 150 percent, nothing less, to give this a chance.”

The park district last considered a bond measure in 2004. At that time, the district wanted a new tax to pay for a $25 million indoor recreational facility and pool on Bend’s west side similar to Juniper Swim & Fitness. The bond would also include $5 million to renovate the Juniper pool facilities.

Ultimately, district officials decided not to put that measure on the ballot. Survey results at that time showed there wasn’t much support among voters.

The district recently hired a firm to poll residents about whether they would support a new park district bond measure. The results were mixed, with some officials describing the support in terms of a traffic signal that’s stuck somewhere between yellow and green. There was also more support for conservation projects rather than the expansion of recreation facilities.

Based on these results, the survey firm told the park district that it would “clearly be challenging” to pass a bond measure, but “there does appear to be a path to success.”

The district has until September to craft ballot language for a bond measure. In the meantime, district officials said they will continue to look at the best way to approach a bond measure, and work with the community to come up with a project list they think would pass.

Source: The Bulletin

Posted on

Letter to Bend Parks & Rec Board

To the Bend Park & Recreation District Board of Directors:

The Old Bend Neighborhood Association recently reorganized and is meeting on a monthly basis. We have elected new board members. The OBNA will be using our new website (www.oldbend.org) and social media to inform the community on local issues and happenings.  Our website will serve as an archive for related materials including articles, references, and editorials.  We are currently focusing on Mirror Pond and have a large amount of information on its history, uses, and issues posted at www.oldbend.org.  You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/oldbend.

At our March meeting, we unanimously voted to support the concept of Bend Ice pursuing an ice skating rink at the old Mt Bachelor parking lot. While, technically, the proposed location is not in the boundaries of our neighborhood association, as the saying goes, “we can see the parking lot from our neighborhood.”  We believe the ice rink is an unmet need in our city and appreciate the Bend Parks and Recreation board’s initial support of this project.

We understand that the board members are exploring the idea of a bond issue in order to meet some very important community needs.  We appreciate that an undertaking of this magnitude necessitates a great deal of study and reflection on the part of the board of directors.   Understandably, we cannot take a stand on a bond issue that does not exist; however, we support the basic tenets (as we understand them) of the recent survey.  As one of the neighborhoods bordering the Deschutes River, we agree with the polling numbers supporting protection of this waterway.  Parks, trails, and water purity, are all issues we support. In addition, we agree with the desire to create safe passage for canoers, kayakers, floaters, and fish at Colorado Avenue Dam and to maintain and improve hiking, biking, and walking trails and parks in the District.

As one of two neighborhoods that border Mirror Pond, we are also concerned that a bond issue could include a “fix” for Mirror Pond.  We believe this would be premature. Specifically, we do not believe options for Mirror Pond has been sufficiently studied.  In addition, it is our hope that the chosen path in dealing with this complex issue will include a long-term solution, and not a temporary fix.

Thank You,

Old Bend Neighborhood Association
Board of Directors

Posted on

Information was needed before public input on Mirror Pond

A number of recent articles in the local news media illustrate citizen concerns about the Mirror Pond sedimentation problem. Issues include lack of progress toward a solution, conflicting community values and lack of community involvement in the decision-making process. These concerns are valid, but the Mirror Pond Steering Committee would like to offer some clarification.

To begin, the river bottom at Mirror Pond is owned by different private individuals, Bend Park & Recreation District and Pacific Power. This information was not utilized in previous sediment management efforts, but ownership information is absolutely critical for determining key stakeholders and jurisdictional authority. Determining parcel ownership has required a significant investment of the committee’s resources.

Fragmented ownership and lack of clear jurisdictional authority for Mirror Pond complicate funding. The city of Bend does not have an ownership stake in the pond, nor is it responsible for the dams that regulate flows and sediment transport in the river. Similarly, while BPRD owns parcels that extend into the river, it does not operate dams. Both parties have committed funds and time to support the process, but those funds are not sufficient to “fix” Mirror Pond.

A recent letter to the editor suggested that Mirror Pond required a collaborative approach, something the MPSC has pursued from the beginning. Several committee members met with the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency responsible for management of Wickiup Dam, in an attempt to secure its participation. The BOR claims that Mirror Pond is outside its jurisdiction, citing a lack of scientific evidence linking management of the dam with increased sedimentation in the river. Without a federal legislative directive, BOR will not participate in the process.

The Pacific Power dam at the Newport Avenue Bridge is a barrier to downstream movement of sediment. Sediment transport is a normal function of rivers, and where there are dams, sedimentation will occur upstream. Advocates for a free-flowing river recommend dam removal and restoring the river to its natural course. I’m personally sympathetic to this idea, but reality in this situation is a bit more complicated.

Removing the Pacific Power dam eliminates Mirror Pond, but there is strong opposition to this idea. Additionally, dam removal shifts the sediment problem downstream to North Unit Dam, part of the federal Deschutes Project. Achieving an ecologically relevant, free-flowing river would entail removal of this dam as well, which would require federal legislation and addressing North Unit Irrigation District water rights. These options are theoretically possible but they greatly expand the complexity and expense of addressing the sedimentation issue.

There is some concern in the community that the MPSC has committed to a flawed process. To be clear, the MPSC has not made binding decisions — financial or otherwise — that restrict our approach to Mirror Pond. How the committee proceeds will largely be determined by the results of upcoming conversations with permitting agencies, specifically the Department of State Lands and Army Corps of Engineers, and by interactions with the community.

The committee has not pursued community engagement up to this point because there were substantial information gaps pertaining to permitting requirements, parcel ownership and costs for conducting appropriate studies to support the decision process. We now have that information.

The MPSC is committed to working with the community to determine the desired future condition for Mirror Pond, studying the alternative options for achieving that vision and developing funding mechanisms that will ensure long-term success. At this time the committee is shifting emphasis to community involvement, beginning with several questions pertaining to Mirror Pond on the upcoming BPRD survey. The MPSC will use information from the survey to develop a more comprehensive community outreach process that will inform the decision approach. We look forward to working with the community in the coming months.

— Matt Shinderman, on behalf of the Mirror Pond Steering Committee and Bend 2030.

Source: The Bulletin

 

Posted on

Local companies step up to landscape Bend roundabouts

Two prominent Bend companies are teaming up to help the City keep its signature roundabouts looking beautiful.

Brooks Resources Corporation and William Smith Properties, Inc. will donate their resources to landscape Bend’s 20 roundabouts that include public art. The Bend Foundation, established by Brooks-Scanlon, Brooks Resources and their shareholders, and Art in Public Places will also participate in funding the project. The City has cut back on landscaping expenses over the past several years due to budget reductions and has relied on a volunteer program to do the work.

“On behalf of the City, I want to thank Brooks Resources and William Smith Properties for their civic pride and dedication to the quality of life in Bend,” said City Manager Eric King. “This type of public/private partnership shows the tremendous community spirit that exists in this city.”

After landscaping work is completed, the two companies will create recommended maintenance requirements for the roundabouts that volunteers will be able to follow in the future.

Brooks Resources Corporation has created some of Central Oregon’s most recognizable real estate communities, including NorthWest Crossing, a joint venture with Tennant Developments, North Rim, RiverWild, Awbrey Butte, Awbrey Glen, and Mount Bachelor Village Resort.

William Smith Properties developed the Old Mill District and has provided support to more than 100 local and regional non-profit organizations since 2000.