HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo 020712
MEMORANDUM
DATE: February 7, 2012
TO: Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners
Deschutes County Planning Commission
FROM: Peter Gutowsky, Principal Planner
Terri Hansen Payne, Senior Planner
MEETING: February 8, 2012 (Board work session)
February 9, 2012 (Planning Commission meeting)
RE: South County Plan Community Meeting Update
COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING AND A SOUTH COUNTY PLAN
Deschutes County has initiated a process to prepare a land use plan for the South County area.
During Comprehensive Plan update meetings in 2009 and 2010, South County residents expressed
interest in an area-specific plan to replace one titled Regional Problem Solving for South Deschutes
County, which has been in existence since the late 1990s. The South County Plan created through
this process will be adopted into the Comprehensive Plan, an official document adopted by the Board
of County Commissioners, which sets forth general long range goals and policies on future growth
and development, consistent with statewide planning regulations.
COMMUNITY MEETINGS
Public outreach began last week with two community “kick-off” meetings:
La Pine Senior Center January 31, 2012 6-7:30 p.m. – approximately 30 people attended
Sunriver Library February 1, 2012 6-7:30 p.m. – approximately 20 people attended
The public was asked to respond to the following questions:
What do you like about South County?
What South County issues need to be addressed?
What would you like South County to be like in 20 years?
What result(s) would you like to see from the South County Plan process?
What information do you need to assist in understanding the issues?
When responding to those questions, the public was asked to consider the following topics: growth,
land use, transportation, natural resources, recreation, public facilities, community needs
The discussion was informal, with staff facilitating and taking notes (Attachments 1 and 2). For
those that preferred responding in writing, the first four questions listed above were provided on a
-2-
questionnaire. Eight questionnaires were returned (Attachment 3). Finally, a wall exercise was
provided to generate discussion (results below).
Wall Exercise – both nights
Question 1: What one thing do you like best about South Deschutes County?
Peace and quiet
Caring, respectful community
Rural
Glad to see the improvement in support and cooperation by County
Rural and community cohesion
Question 2: What one South Deschutes County issue do you want to see addressed?
Access to health care
Emergency clinic
Mini hospital
What to do about non-paved roads, what to do about 6th Street and Highway 97, what to do
about 1st Street and Highway 97
Maintain side roads
Hazardous fuel reduction
Storm H20 drainage
Community trail system
Highway 97 – ODOT
Bus/train from Sunriver to Bend/La Pine
NEXT STEPS
A community partnership meeting is scheduled for February 21, 2012 from 5:30-8 p.m. at the La
Pine High School. Agencies that have a prominent presence in South County have been invited to
staff tables for an open house and provide an overview of their planning efforts. The City of La
Pine, Sunriver Resort and the Sunriver Owners Association have also been invited, because
although they will not be governed by the South County Plan, they have an integral role in the
future of South Deschutes County.
Attachments:
1. Community Plan notes 1-31-12
2. Community Plan notes 2-1-12
3. Questionnaires 1-31-12 and 2-1-12