Summary of Neighborhood Meeting on changes to Treeline & Discovery West Master Plans to shift location of multi-unit housing

Pahlisch Homes and Brooks Resources held a joint meeting with neighbors on May 12th to discuss modifying the plans for what are labeled as Master Plan Areas 1, 2, and 3 in the Bend Comprehensive Plan. 

• Master Plan Area 1 is the Brooks development known as Discovery West, which already has an approved master plan. 
• Master Plan Area 2 is the Pahlisch development called Treeline, which also has an approved master plan. 
• Master Plan Area 3 is located between the other two; the proposed modifications would add it to the Treeline master plan. 

While becoming part of the Treeline master plan, the development of Area 3 would be branded separately and would be called Collier. (See images below.)

The Comprehensive Plan calls for a specific minimum and maximum number of dwelling units in each area, including required townhomes and either duplexes, triplexes or multifamily apartments (D/T/MF). The proposed change would shift 59 D/T/MF units from Area 3 (Collier) to Area 1 (Discovery West). To make room for these units, 1 acre of land zoned Mixed Employment and 1 acre zoned Commercial Limited would be rezoned as Residential Mixed Use. The required maximum number of dwelling units in Area 3 would be reduced from 136 to 77, while Discovery West would grow from 650 to 709.

The Comprehensive Plan also requires that 20% of the D/T/MF units in Area 3 be affordable housing units. That requirement would also shift to Discovery West.

In explaining their reasoning for the change, the developers thought it would improve walkability to locate the higher-density units closer to the area in Discovery West with businesses and services. It would also allow easier access to a major road (Skyliners Road), without traffic from those units having to flow through one of three subdivisions (Discovery West, Northwest Crossing, or Treeline). The Collier development is not expected to have direct access to Skyline Ranch Road, a major collector that will run along the edge of the development, due to a steep slope adjoining the road.

Left unsaid is that 2 acres of land intended to provide jobs and neighborhood services would be lost. Also, the Collier development, with only 77 homes, instead of 136, would be able to have larger lots, with expected higher property values. The result is to shift economic value from the community (jobs, small businesses, convenient services) to the developers of Area 3 (higher-priced homes). The question for the community and the Bend Planning Commission and City Council is whether that is a fair tradeoff.

Neighbors attending the Zoom webinar expressed concerns about traffic, including construction traffic, through adjoining subdivisions, and the lack of an exit from the Collier development to Skyline Ranch Road. The expected long delay in the completion of Skyline Ranch Road between Skyliners Road and Shevlin Park Road was also a concern, especially as it relates to both school traffic and the potential need to evacuate in the event of a wildfire.

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