HomeMy WebLinkAboutComp Plan Chapter 3 - Rural Growth MgmtDeschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management
Table of Contents
Rural Development……………………………………………………….. 3-2
Natural Hazards.………………………………………..………………… 3-7
Public Facilities and Services……………………………………….….. 3-12
Transportation System Plan.………..………………………………….. 3-20
Economy..………………………………………………………….…….. 3-59
Recreation…………....………………………………………………….. 3-69
Destination Resorts..…………………………………..……………….. 3-73
Housing….…………………………………………….………………..… 3-78
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Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Rural Development
Rural Development
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Goals
1. To preserve and enhance the open spaces, rural character, scenic
values and natural resources of the County.
2. To guide the location and design of rural development so as to minimize
the public costs of facilities and services, to avoid unnecessary
expansion of service boundaries, and to preserve and enhance the
safety and viability of rural land uses.
3. To provide for the possible long-term expansion of urban areas while
protecting the distinction between urban (urbanizing) land and rural
lands.
Policies
The policies needed to accomplish the identified goals were largely developed
by the Overall Citizen Advisory Committee during its deliberations on the
preliminary plan. It was obvious that some policies were needed to pull the
various resource and management chapters together and to fill in some gaps
so that an integrated and cohesive plan was available.
Rural Development policies are meant to pertain to all non-urban areas (areas
outside urban growth boundaries) and are the basic policies to be followed in
guiding rural growth. Specific resource or management policies from other
chapters shall augment these policies so that the plan must be viewed as an
integrated whole rather than a series of individual chapters.
Residential and recreational development.
1. Because 91 percent of the new County population will live inside an
urban area, with only 3,039 new rural lots required, and in light of the
17,377 undeveloped rural tracts and lots as well as the energy,
environmental and public service costs, all future rural development will
be stringently reviewed for public need before approval. As a guideline
for review if a study of existing lots within three miles of the proposed
development indicates approximately 50 per cent or more of those lots
have not had structures constructed thereon, then the developer shall
submit adequate testimony justifying additional lots in that area. This will
permit development in areas where such is needed (other policies
considering energy, public facilities, safety and other development
aspects shall also be considered) while restricting future division in areas
where many undeveloped lots already exist.
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2. To further restrict subdivision outside urban areas the minimum parcel
size shall be 10 acres, except where other policies supersede this
minimum (see Unincorporated Communities, Rural Service Centers,
Agriculture and Forest Lands).
3. Cluster or planned development offers significant savings to the
developer because of reduced roadway, utility and construction costs.
Public costs to serve cluster developments are also usually lower.
Therefore, to encourage cluster and planned developments, rather than
parcelization, the county shall permit smaller lot sizes and the continued
use of special lot size requirements in cluster and planned developments
in rural residential exception areas.
4. Cluster and planned developments shall maintain a minimum of 65 per
cent of the land in open space, forest or agricultural uses compatible with
the surrounding area and the development area. The open space of the
development may be platted as a separate parcel or in common
ownership of some or all of the clustered units; however, the open area
shall not be subject to development unless the whole development is
brought inside an urban growth boundary. Also, service connections
shall be the minimum length necessary and underground where feasible.
Roads may be private roads and shall meet County standards.
5. Destination resorts are important elements of the local economy. These
developments shall not be permitted in exclusive farm use districts
except in EFU-20 and EFU-40 zones pursuant to the County’s
Destination Resort Siting Map and Destination Resort Siting Combining
Zone and in forest districts only in the F-2 zone pursuant to the County’s
Destination Resort Siting Combining Zone. They may be allowed in the
County’s rural areas if compatible with the environmental capabilities of
the site, near existing transportation and utility facilities, consistent with
the rural character of the area, and unlikely to create undue public
service burdens.
6. Other than as outlined in Policy 5 and the Goals and Policies set forth for
Destination Resorts, no further recreational (seasonal) subdivision will be
approved in rural areas.
7. Parcels legally existing at the time of this plan’s adoption shall continue
to function as legal lots and will not be unduly affected by the new lot
size.
Commercial and industrial development
8. Within one mile of acknowledged urban growth boundaries, use of the
planned or cluster development concepts shall permit development in
Multiple Use Agriculture or Rural Residential zones (not under a
combining zone which would prevent such) with a minimum lot size or
equivalent density of one unit per five acres.
9. Temporary on-site processing and storage of either mineral and
aggregate materials or agricultural products shall be permitted as
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appropriate, in order to support the continued productivity of the County's
natural resources.
10. Certain industrial uses, such as research and development facilities
(requiring quiet and open surroundings) and manufacturers of hazardous
materials (requiring long distances between the plant and neighbors) are
more suitably located in rural areas. The County shall consider making
provision for such uses as the need is found to exist (see Tumalo).
11. Certain industrial uses, such as research and development facilities
(requiring quiet and open surroundings), wrecking or salvage yards and
manufacturers of hazardous materials (requiring long distances between
the plant and neighbors) are more suitably located in rural areas. The
County shall consider making provision for such uses as the need is
found to exist (see Tumalo).
a. To ensure that the uses in the Rural Industrial zone on tax lot 16-12-
26C-301 are limited in nature and scope, the Rural Industrial zoning
on the subject parcel shall be subject to a Limited Use Combining
Zone, which will limit the uses to storage, crushing, processing, sale
and distribution of pumice.
12. Because large scale recreation facilities cannot normally be
accommodated in urban areas, uses such as motor cross tracks, rodeo
grounds and livestock arenas shall be conditional uses which may be
approved in rural areas adjacent to existing highways and other public
facilities.
Other
13. Construction on open lands shall be in a manner least intrusive to the
aesthetic and natural character of those lands and neighboring lands
(fences and access roads shall not be considered structures).
14. Because there have been problems in obtaining community centers in
some areas, centers approved on the original subdivision plat or
development plan shall be permitted uses in rural residential zones.
15. Due to the more dispersed pattern of dwellings in rural areas the notice
requirement area for public hearings on quasi-judicial land use actions
shall be larger than in urban areas.
16. More effective dog control program should be considered by the County
to counter existing problems.
17. Pre-existing status shall be granted to subdivisions and partitions with at
least preliminary approval and buildings with at least an issued building
permit at the time of plan adoption by the Board of County
Commissioners.
18. All development in Deschutes County shall comply with all applicable
state and federal rules, regulations and standards.
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Rural Development
Background
The primary duty of this comprehensive plan is to guide growth and
development in rural Deschutes County. The Rural Development section is
intended to promote an integrated plan by tying together other specific plan
sections that deal with resource lands and growth management. (Urban
growth management is found in the comprehensive plans of Bend, Redmond
and Sisters, in conjunction with the Urban Growth Management chapter of this
plan.)
Growth
When this plan was written in 1979, Deschutes County was the fastest
growing county in Oregon. This provided positive changes, such as improved
social, cultural and economic opportunities. However, there were also negative
changes, such as traffic congestion, loss of scenic views, and rising taxes to
pay for public services.
By the year 2000 the county expected to have about 128,200 residents. The
population was anticipated to be distributed with 84,000 in the Bend Urban
Area, 23,093 in the Redmond Urban Area and 2,135 in the Sisters Urban
Area. La Pine was expected to have incorporated and reached an urban area
population of 3,620. That left a rural population of 15,350 people, up from an
estimated 1979 rural population of 8,300.
To accommodate the new rural population 3,039 lots (assumes 2.32 persons
per household) were determined to be required. As of January 1, 1979, there
were 17,377 undeveloped rural tract and recreational lots in the county. The
majority of those lots were in the La Pine area, so it was understood that new
lots may be needed in other rural locations. Still, the number of existing
undeveloped lots indicated that the County should give serious review to any
proposal for further rural development.
Land use
The predominant rural land uses in 1979 were open spaces, pasture and
limited crop production, livestock production, natural resource utilization and
wildlife cover. There was also residential use and some commercial and
industrial activity in the rural service centers. Unfortunately, the unrestrictive
zoning permitted in the rural service centers allowed incompatible adjacent
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Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Rural Development
land uses and did not provide the needed services for the surrounding rural
areas.
In 1979 much of the development that occurred locally was the standard
parcelization of land into small (less than 10 acres) lots. It was noted that this
dispersed pattern was often costly to serve, wasteful of energy, land and
resources, unaesthetic and destructive to rural character. Demand for rural
recreational or residential land was seen as being provided most efficiently
through planned developments.
Resorts such as Black Butte Ranch, or dude ranches, were thought to be
economically and socially desirable land uses, when located and developed
consistent with the capabilities of the land and the abilities of various public
and private agencies to serve that area.
Originally, recreational subdivisions were also
seen as a benefit to the County, since the non-
resident landowners would be contributing to
the county tax base. This probably resulted in
areas like La Pine subsidizing other portions of
the county. However, by 1979 the recreation subdivisions were filling up with
retirees and younger people seeking less expensive building lots. The result
was a need for services in areas far from existing service facilities and in
subdivisions where roads and other improvements were meant only for
seasonal and limited use. The concern was that the recreational subdivisions
might need to be subsidized by other areas of the county.
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Meanwhile, with the exception of La Pine rural service center, residents were
expressing concern that higher levels of development would be incompatible
with the existing rural nature of the area. The residents recognized the need
for limited and controlled growth, but wanted to maintain the rural character of
their communities.
Based on an understanding of the effects of sprawl and the state requirements
to focus growth in urban areas, the Overall Citizen Advisory Committee that
was participating in the writing of this plan, determined that the comprehensive
plan would have to address the issues of containing urban sprawl and
protecting the rural character of the county. Goals and policies were created to
guide development into appropriate patterns.
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Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Natural Hazards
Natural Hazards
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Goal
1. To protect life and property from natural disasters and hazards.
In order to accommodate the new population anticipated for Deschutes County
in a safe and beneficial manner, a number of policies have been prepared for
implementation.
Policies
Review
1. Provision shall be made in County land use regulations to assure
proposed developments will receive a review of potential natural hazards
(stream flooding, flash flooding, landslides, wildfires, etc.) and that
sufficient authority exists to modify or deny applications where such
hazards exist.
Flooding
The flood hazard areas of Deschutes County are subject to periodic inundation
which may result in loss of life and property, health and safety hazards,
disruption of commerce and governmental services, extraordinary public
expenditures for flood protection and relief, and impairment of the tax base, all
of which adversely affect the public health, safety and general welfare.
These flood losses are caused by the cumulative effects of obstructions in
areas of special flood hazards, which increase flood heights and velocities,
and when inadequately floodproofed, elevated or otherwise protected from
flood damage, also contribute to the flood loss.
2. In order to accomplish the purposes of this plan, the Zoning Ordinance
shall provide for:
a. Restricting or prohibiting uses which are dangerous to health, safety
and property due to water or erosion hazards, or which result in
damaging increase in erosion or in flood heights or velocities.
b. Requiring that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities which
serve such uses, be protected against flood damage at the time of
initial construction.
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c. Controlling the alteration of natural flood plains, stream channels and
natural protective barriers, which help accommodate or channel
floodwaters;
d. Controlling filling, grading, dredging and other development which
may increase flood damage; and
e. Preventing or regulating the construction of flood barriers which will
unnaturally divert floodwaters or may increase flood hazards in other
areas.
3. No structures shall be allowed in areas except areas of shallow flooding.
Fill should be allowed in the flood plain only to the extent that it is
necessary to allow for utility facilities and stream bank stabilization which
cannot be located outside of the flood plain. All uses which could have
any effect upon the hazards set forth above shall be conditional uses and
subject to rigorous review to insure that use of the flood plain is only a
last resort to allow necessary facilities and some beneficial use of pre-
existing lots of record.
4. No new parcels shall be created which would allow the construction of
new dwelling units in the flood plain.
5. Only variances to dimensional standards of a lot or setback restrictions
shall be considered. No use variance or variances to the minimum
standards established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
shall be allowed.
6. The areas of special flood hazard identified by the Federal Insurance
Administration in a scientific and engineering report entitled "The Flood
Insurance Study for Deschutes County", with accompanying Flood
Insurance Maps, is hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a
part of this Ordinance. The Flood Insurance Study is on file at the
Deschutes County Community Development Department Planning
Division.
7. The Flood Plain Zone shall include all areas designated as "Base Flood"
areas by the Flood Insurance Study for Deschutes County. When Base
Flood data has not been provided in accordance with the Flood
Insurance Study for Deschutes County, the basis for establishing the
Flood Plain Zone shall be based upon any base flood information or
floodway data reasonably available from a federal, state or other source.
Drought
8. Plans (public and private) shall consider and reflect the effect of drought
on the proposed projects.
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Fire
9. Design public use areas, such as parks, recreation sites and picnic
areas, so that fires starting in them cannot escape to development or to
surrounding wildlife.
10. In timber, rangeland or other appropriate areas subdivisions and other
types of development should plan for fire truck access to within 16 feet of
lakes, ponds, streams or other water sources.
11. For easy resident evacuation and ready access for fire and emergency
equipment all new subdivision or other major land development shall
provide at least two different ingress-egress routes.
12. To accommodate heavy firefighting equipment, cul-de-sacs shall be
limited to 600 feet in length and terminated by a paved turnaround not
less than 38 feet in diameter, unless another equally protective
alternative is provided which is acceptable to the County and fire fighting
agencies responsible for fire control in that area.
13. Bridges shall be constructed to meet the requirements of the appropriate
fire district, as to width and weight standards, so as to assure access for
heavy firefighting equipment.
14. All existing roads shall be maintained by either the appropriate public or
private agency or by the development residents unless an adequate
alternative route is provided so as to not deny access beyond the
subdivision for firefighting equipment.
15. To avoid delays in responding to fire calls all roads, streets, and
buildings shall be designated by name or number clearly visible from the
main travel roadway, before occupants move in. This will include the
installation of street and road signs of durable and permanent materials
at all intersections in the subdivision.
16. The Uniform Building Code provides adequate fire protection for
residential construction but the County should adopt the Uniform Fire
Code to assure adequate fire protection for commercial and industrial
construction and support establishment of fire protection facilities in
accordance with recommendations of the National Board of the Fire
Underwriters in appropriate areas.
17. When subdivision or developments are created in the County, a
minimum width for a fuel break, as determined by the local fire authority,
shall be required by the County to be constructed and maintained around
all buildings or structures, so as to reduce structural exposure to flames
and radiant heat.
18. During preliminary subdivision review, the Planning staff, in coordination
with the fire district and/or other firefighting agencies, shall indicate
whether or not the development plan has adequately provided for fire
protection. Annexation to or contract with a fire district or creation of a
new fire district or private firefighting agency may be required conditions
for development approval.
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19. All development in Deschutes County shall comply with all applicable
state and federal rules, regulations and standards.
Additional standards for firefighting facilities can be found in the Public
Facilities and Services Chapter.
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Natural Hazards
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Background
When this plan was writtten, Statewide Planning Goal 7: Natural Hazards, was
seen as an appropriate goal for the County. Natural hazard areas may be
defined as areas subject to natural events that are known to result in death or
to endanger works of man, such as stream flooding, wildfire, ground water,
erosion and deposition, landslides, earthquakes, weak foundation soils and
other hazards unique to local or regional areas.
When this plan was written in 1979 Deschutes County had identified only a
few areas of geologic or topographic hazard. At that time it was noted that the
two most likely hazards in the county were stream flooding and wildfire. Floods
had done significant damage along the Little Deschutes River and Whychus
(Squaw) Creek with similar potential along the Deschutes and Dry Rivers. In
1988 stronger flooding policies were added to address flooding concerns.
In 1979 it was noted that the most obvious
natural hazard was wildfire. Each year, several
fires occurred locally. Some were nature-caused
(lightning) but many were human induced. The
subdivisions scattered throughout the forested
areas of the county, particularly in the Lodgepole
Pine stands, increased the likelihood of fire and
the risk of people being hurt or killed. Inadequate access, inappropriate
building materials, insufficient fire-fighting equipment and personnel and a
naturally dry climate exacerbated wildfire hazards being a serious threat to
residents of Deschutes County.
The major fault which runs through the county (Brothers Fault) was believed
by state geologists to be stable. Landslides were scarce and largely located in
the national forest, although there was some potential in the Hampton Butte
area. Rarely, rockfalls had been noted in rimrock areas. Some potential for
flash flooding existed near Millican and Brothers, however little conflicting
development was anticipated in those areas. Finally, drought was a little
understood hazard. Central Oregon is a semi-arid climate subject to many
years without adequate precipitation. Planning which does not consider the
effects of these dry years could create serious problems.
In this plan, further discussion of water issues can be found in the Water
Resources section (page 2-22) and the Deschutes River Corridor section
(page 2-25).
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Public Facilities and
Services
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Goal
1. To plan and develop a timely, orderly and efficient arrangement of public
facilities and services to serve as a framework for urban and rural
development, and thereby a system or plan that coordinates the type,
location and delivery of public facilities and services in a manner that
best supports the existing and proposed land uses.
Policies
General
1. Public facilities and services shall be provided at levels and in areas
appropriate for such uses based upon the carrying capacity of the land,
air and water, as well as the important distinction that must be made
between urban and rural services. In this way public services may guide
development while remaining in concert with the public's needs.
2. While clear distinctions are not always possible between urban and rural
services, those facilities (such as sewage treatment plants, water
systems, schools and fire stations), which are necessary to service
concentrations of people shall be known as key facilities and shall be
located in urban areas or in rural service centers, if necessary, to meet
the needs of existing rural residents. Key facilities shall be built to
encourage urban, rather than increased rural, residential development.
Rural services such as sheriff's patrol, snowplowing, schools and school
busing shall be kept at levels adequate to meet public needs but not in
excess to encourage additional development. Rural Service Centers are
a logical location for future rural key facilities so that services may be
used and constructed in as efficient a manner as possible (see Rural
Development Chapter). Key facilities outside urban areas or Rural
Service Centers shall be discouraged unless the facility is needed to
serve existing development, is at the most efficient and economic
location and is consistent with the capabilities of the land and the
planned growth of the County.
3. Future development shall depend on the availability of adequate local
services in close proximity to the proposed site. Higher densities may
permit the construction of more adequate services than might otherwise
be true. Cluster and planned development shall be encouraged.
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4. The County shall prepare a Capital Improvements Plan which considers
the costs and benefits of construction at various sites. Sites which are
less expensive in the long run shall be given priority to less efficient sites.
5. Deschutes County shall encourage the formation of special service
districts to serve rural needs rather than becoming involved with serving
those needs. The County will foster coordination and mutual planning
between the County, special districts, utility companies and service
corporations. This shall include common trenching where appropriate.
6. Deschutes County shall coordinate with the cities and other service
providers in urban areas to assure that all urban services are provided in
an equitable manner and construction phased, based upon the time
required to provide the service, the reliability of the service, the financial
cost, and the levels of service needed. All services shall be provided
consistent with the provisions of all other required services.
7. Because of the increasing cost of development which must be borne by
local residents, the County shall investigate various methods to control or
obtain funds for providing new public service levels. This investigation is
to include review of a Systems Development Charge. The County shall
conduct a review of systems development charges for areas outside the
urban growth boundary by January 1, 1995.
Utilities
8. Utility companies shall be offered an opportunity to comment on their
ability to serve proposed developments.
9. New development shall not be located so as to overload existing or
planned facilities, and developers or purchasers should be made aware
of potentially inadequate power facilities in rural areas.
10. When feasible all utility lines and facilities shall be located on or adjacent
to existing public or private rights-of-way so as to avoid dividing existing
farm units, and transmission lines should be located within existing
corridors as much as possible.
11. Power generation sites shall be landscaped and the site plan reviewed
as part of the conditional use applications.
12. Electrical substations shall be a permitted use in all appropriate zones
with final approval based upon County Planning Department acceptance
of a detailed site plan. Minimum lot sizes shall not apply to substations,
but adequate area for equipment, storage, buffer and potential expansion
shall be required.
13. All new development shall be consistent with adopted sewage plans, and
new community systems in urban areas shall be designed to fit into the
municipal system. Also, in urban areas, where connection to a sewer
system is not appropriate now but will be required in the future, dry
sewer lines may be required for future use (this does not apply in larger
lot subdivisions where no future sewers are anticipated).
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14. Mutual agreements between the County and the cities shall assure
sewer and water systems are extended in a planned manner.
15. Sewage treatment plants offer both problems and opportunities. To
decrease the impact of noise and odor a large buffer area shall be
required. The treated sewage (both septic tank sludge and municipal
water) should be used as a resource and drill hole disposal discouraged.
16. Well marked recreational vehicle dump stations are needed locally and
the County shall encourage such facilities in parks, service stations and
other appropriate locations.
17. The capability for County land to be annexed into a city shall depend
upon the availability of adequate services, such as water.
18. Metering of existing and future water systems shall be fostered.
19. Oregon Water Wonderland Unit 2 Sewer District. Through County file
nos. PA-02-5 and ZC-02-3, the Board of County Commissioners
approved a zone change for certain property in Section 25 of Township
20 South, Range 10 E.W.M. to Rural Residential with a Limited Use
Combining Zone. The Board adopted the Limited Use Combining Zone
to limit the uses that could be established on the subject property to
those approved through its written decision dated March 28, 2003 and
listed as follows: a sewage treatment facility, effluent ponds, ground
application of treated effluent, agricultural use, and propagation and
harvesting of a forest product.
Solid Waste
20. Existing solid waste sites should be protected and either expansion
areas or new sites found. The Solid Waste Management Plan shall serve
as the major document for site determinations.
21. In order to discourage open burning and to encourage recycling the
County shall continue to offer a no-cost dump service and to consolidate
dumping.
Law enforcement
22. Because of the difficulty in providing County-wide sheriff's patrol all future
development shall be reviewed for the adequacy of police protection.
23. The County will seek to improve rural police protection, including the
development of sheriff's substations, where feasible.
Schools
24. In light of existing problems with providing school facilities all new
development shall be reviewed for its impact on the schools. Substantial
expansion of school bus routes shall be discouraged, and the County
shall require the dedication of adequate land for new schools required to
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meet the needs generated by major new developments. In addition, the
County shall consider designating appropriate County lands for school
sites.
25. Plans for schools shall consider the policies within the Oregon State
Standards.
Oregon State School Standards
Enrollment Minimum Site (acres)
Elementary Schools 550 10
Intermediate Schools 800 20
Senior High Schools 1300 30
Source: 1979 Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
26. School districts shall cooperate with other affected agencies for efficient
construction of recreation facilities (i.e., bike paths) and other public
facilities.
27. School district boundaries should be regularly reviewed to best serve
County residents.
Fire
28. Land for a fire station shall be dedicated in large developments.
29. The minimum diameter for water distribution mains on which fire
hydrants are located shall be six inches.
30. Hydrant spacing should not exceed 1000 feet with minimum fire flow of
500 gallons per minute on subdivisions or developments with a
population density of 2 or less single family units per acre; on
subdivisions or developments where population density exceeds two
single family dwellings per acre, hydrant spacing should not exceed 500
feet with a minimum fire flow of 750 gallons per minute. Where structural
considerations warrant, additional requirements should be considered.
Urbanizing area standards shall be those of the incorporated city. In rural
fire protection districts final determination of standards will be made after
discussion with the R.F.P.D.
31. Water source or storage shall have a capacity to support the required fire
flow for a period of two hours in addition to maximum daily flow
requirements for other consumer uses. Refer to "Water Supply Systems
for Rural Fire Protection" NFPA Pamphlet #1231, 1975.
32. Fire protection and law enforcement agencies should strictly enforce
solid waste disposal ordinances.
33. Fire stations should be built in an architectural style that will blend into
the area of location.
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Health
34. Assured health care for Deschutes County residents is an important
public and private service. The County shall encourage and support
public health programs for low income families and regular school health
programs, as well as services like Home Health Care, and services to
the elderly, disabled, blind and juveniles such as day care and foster
homes. County support may be in the form of allocations from the
County budget, political support, appropriate zoning or other useful
action.
35. Adequate hospital and medical facilities shall be encouraged and County
plans will consider the effect of incompatible land uses, noise and
pollutants, as well as transportation and other factors, on these services.
36. Provisions for adequate cemetery sites shall be made, and alternative
designs which conserve lands shall be encouraged.
Other
37. Adequate access to good public library service is important to many
residents of Deschutes County and actions to assure such access shall
be fostered.
38. Any major irrigation waterway within 100 feet of a proposed development
shall be placed in a pipe at the developer's cost to protect young children
from the hazard, subject to engineering feasibility and approval by the
irrigation district.
39. All development in Deschutes County shall comply with all applicable
state and federal rules, regulations and standards.
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Public Facilities and
Services
Background
When this plan was written in 1979, the high growth rate made the provision of
public services a major issue. Adequate services at the right locations result
from planning, hard work and money. Yet, the growth rate at that time made it
difficult to keep up with the demand. This was aggravated by a growing
reluctance to pay the higher taxes necessary to obtain public services. In
addition, the scattered low-density development that had occurred in some
areas was inefficient in supplying services, which meant that the needed
facilities were excessively expensive or could not be provided.
Utilities
In 1979 it was noted that utility services could be provided most easily and
least expensively when development occurred in and around areas with
existing utility lines. The plan also discussed large lots, which required long
lines and higher costs. Large lots were also seen as often discouraging later
re-division into smaller lots.
Of all public facilities (aside from roads) the extension of sewer and water
service was considered the most important to planning in 1979. Decisions as
to where and when services would be provided could significantly reduce the
costs of these, and other, services.
Small community sewage systems were seen as having problems because of
isolated peak use, which resulted in a discontinuity of waste. Often these
systems were not properly operated or maintained. Once a breakdown
occurred, correction of the problem was difficult or uncertain. However, places
such as Black Butte, Sunriver and Juniper Utilities were working well because
many homesites were served and the expense was acceptable to the families
involved.
Water is crucial to public health and safety and
must be protected from contamination by waste
discharge, poor well construction and high
concentration of septic tank systems. When this
plan was written this protection had not always
been in place. Additionally, small water systems
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were thought to have difficulty with maintenance and operation. One proposal
which was discussed was the idea of metering water to reduce use and costs.
Law enforcement
In 1979 there were frequent complaints about inadequate police protection
and a check of national averages indicated that in 1978 the County was eight
officers short of equaling the national average of 1 officer per 1,000 citizens. At
the rate of growth being experienced, and especially in the light of the
construction of such facilities as shopping centers, many additional officers
and support personnel were thought to be needed. In 1977 alone all types of
crimes increased 12 percent for the County Sheriff's Department. Increases in
the cities were even higher. Yet, levies to obtain more Sheriff's officers were
rejected by the voters.
Schools
One of the basic problems with larger amounts of residential development is
that it rarely pays in property taxes for the services that must be provided. This
is particularly true for the most expensive public facility--schools. Additional
permanent residences require more facilities and teachers. When this plan
was written, much of the new development had been provided for seasonal
recreation and was therefore not likely to require schools. However, the
County was realizing that much of the seasonal development was becoming
full-time residences. This forced the school districts to seek additional funds
for new buildings and more teachers. In addition, costs rose because many of
the new residences were in rural areas and required ever more expensive
busing.
Fire (Also see Natural Hazards Section page 3-7)
In many areas of the County in 1979 no fire agency was responsible for fires.
To solve this problem fire districts were often formed in rural areas or fire
protection contracts signed with fire protection agencies. However, even when
fire districts existed, the annexation of new developments could take over a
year and the Bend Fire District had at times been forced to put a moratorium
on any new annexations because of facility shortages.
Many people assumed fire protection was available from Federal or State
agencies, but these offices have no authority or responsibility on private lands.
Usually they are not trained to fight structural fires, and in the winter their
firefighting equipment is drained and stored away.
The lack of proper controls to reduce fires in subdivisions, the inadequacy of
firefighting equipment and training, and the need for more cooperation and
mutual aid agreements between the various agencies was an increasing
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concern to firefighting agencies. Proper planning and subdivision control was
seen as critical in dealing with the situation.
Health
County health departments have important impacts on local development.
Concern about water quality and available health facilities, as well as needs
generated by different types of development, were seen to bring the health
and planning functions together. To maintain timely approvals, new employees
were required. Sometimes people can be substituted for facilities as when
Home Health nurses provide older people an opportunity to stay at home
rather than requiring the construction of new hospital or nursing home units.
When this plan was approved, there was a sufficient supply of local nursing
home units.
Hospitals were also being affected by new community growth, such as the
traffic impact on St. Charles Hospital emergency operations from Mountain
View High School. In 1979, each of the County's hospitals were preparing
master plans to guide growth.
Solid Waste
In 1992 the County added text to this plan related to solid waste. Historically,
the County had six landfills. Three of the landfills (Alfalfa, La Pine and Fryrear)
were closed in 1988, 1989 and 1990 and replaced with transfer and recycling
stations. A fourth landfill, Negus, was slated to be closed in 1992 and replaced
with a transfer recycling station. The two remaining landfills, Knott and
Demolition, were intended to remain open and were expected to have a useful
life until approximately 2010.
The Knott landfill receives the transfer and recycling waste from the four
transfer stations. The Demolition landfill receives wood and demolition
material. According to the Public Works Department's 1992 calculations, 24
percent of the waste stream was being diverted from burial at the landfills
through composting at the landfill site, the bottle bill, and the recycling of tires,
cardboard, aluminum, oil, glass, newsprint, appliances, office and computer
paper and plastic milk jugs.
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Transportation
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Note: The goals and policies in this section were written separately and do not
match the formatting of the rest of the comprehensive plan. The goals here are
numbered sequentially and the policies are sequential under each goal.
Coordination and Implementation of the
Transportation System Plan (TSP)
Goals
1. Achieve an efficient, safe, convenient and economically viable
transportation and communication system. This system includes roads,
rail lines, public transit, air, pipeline, pedestrian and bicycle facilities. The
Deschutes County transportation system shall be designed to serve the
existing and projected needs of the unincorporated communities and
rural areas within the County. The system shall provide connections
between different modes of transportation to reduce reliance on the
single-occupancy vehicle.
2. Have an ongoing transportation planning process and maintain a
transportation plan that meets the needs of the County and its residents.
The transportation plan and facilities of Deschutes County shall be
coordinated with the plans and facilities of incorporated cities within
Deschutes County, adjacent counties and the State of Oregon.
Policies
1. Deschutes County shall:
a. Identify local, regional and state transportation needs;
b. Develop a transportation plan that shall address those needs;
c. Review and update the plan every three to five years;
d. Continue to coordinate transportation planning with local, regional
and state plans by reviewing any changes to Deschutes County local
transportation plans, regional transportation plans, the Oregon
Transportation Plan and ODOT’s State Transportation Improvement
Plan (STIP); and
e. Continue public and interagency involvement in the transportation
planning process.
2. Deschutes County shall notify ODOT concerning:
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a. All land use proposals or actions that would create access onto a
state highway or add >100 ADT to any County road intersection with
a state highway;
b. Any proposed land use or development within 500 feet of a state
highway or public use airport within the County; and
c. Required ODOT road approach permits.
3. Deschutes County shall protect approved or proposed transportation
project sites through:
a. Access control measures;
b. Review of future large development and transportation projects that
significantly affect the County’s transportation system; and
c. The imposition of conditions of approval on developments and
transportation projects that have a significant effect on the County’s
transportation system.
4. Deschutes County shall coordinate local plans and land use decisions
with state transportation plans, including the Oregon Transportation Plan,
modal plans and corridor plans. These plans provide ODOT policies and
performance standards for statewide highways within Deschutes County.
The statewide plans also provide the framework for access management
on state facilities to protect the capacity and function of the highways.
5. The lead agency for transportation project review in Deschutes County
shall be:
a. Deschutes County for projects outside UGBs;
b. The affected city for projects within the UGBs; and
c. The State of Oregon, Deschutes County and affected cities on
projects involving state-owned facilities.
The County shall have a list of transportation projects, adopted by the Board of
County Commissioners in accordance with the policies set forth below.
6. The initial Transportation Project List shall be set forth in Table 5.11.T1
of the Transportation System Plan adopted as part of the Resource
Element of the Comprehensive Plan. The Board shall update the
Transportation Project List periodically by resolution adopted by the
Board, without need of a formal amendment to the TSP.
7. New transportation projects shall be included on the County’s
Transportation Project List. A transportation project proposed for addition
to the list shall be subject to an individual land use review only if
applicable administrative rules or land use regulations require such
review.
8. Transportation or development projects that require a plan text
amendment or a conditional use permit may be required to fulfill
conditions or implement mitigation measures before approval is granted.
Mitigation and conditions may include, but are not limited to:
a. Improvement of surrounding roads;
b. Limits on level of development;
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c. Revision of development placement;
d. Addition or redesign of access;
e. Addition of traffic management devices such as traffic signals,
medians, turn lanes or signage; and/or
f. Improvements that reduce transportation impacts.
9. Deschutes County acknowledges that land use designations have a
significant impact on the overall transportation system and any
alterations shall be completed with consideration to traffic impacts on the
County road system.
10. The findings of compliance with applicable statewide planning goals,
acknowledged comprehensive plan policies and land use regulations,
shall be coordinated with the preparation of any Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) required for a proposed transportation facility that is
identified on the Deschutes County Transportation System Plan.
Arterial and Collector Roads - General
Goal
3. Establish a transportation system, supportive of a geographically
distributed and diversified industrial base, while also providing a safe,
efficient network for residential mobility and tourism.
Policies
1. Deschutes County shall:
a. Consider the road network to be the most important and valuable
component of the transportation system; and
b. Consider the preservation and maintenance and repair of the County
road network to be vital to the continued and future utility of the
County’s transportation system.
2. Deschutes County shall not add any miles of new road to the system
unless the following issues are satisfied:
a. The need for the road can be clearly demonstrated;
b. The County can financially absorb the additional maintenance
requirements;
c. The condition of the road proposed for acceptance into the County
system must meet County road standards;
d. An accrued benefit can be shown to the County’s economic growth;
and
e. An overall increase in efficiency in the County road network can be
demonstrated.
3. Deschutes County shall make transportation decisions with consideration
of land use impacts, including but not limited to, adjacent land use
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patterns, both existing and planned, and their designated uses and
densities.
4. Deschutes County shall consider roadway function, classification and
capacity as criteria for plan map amendments and zone changes to
assure that proposed land uses do not exceed the planned capacity of
the transportation system.
5. Roads in Deschutes County shall be located, designed and constructed
to meet their planned function and provide space for motor vehicle travel
and bike and pedestrian facilities where required.
6. Deschutes County shall manage the development process to obtain
adequate street right-of-way and improvements commensurate with the
level and impact of development. New development shall provide traffic
impact analysis to assess these impacts and to help determine
transportation system needs. The guidelines for traffic impact analysis
shall be located within the Deschutes County Road Standards and
Specifications document upon its adoption.
7. Transportation system improvements in Deschutes County shall comply
with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
8. Transportation safety in Deschutes County shall improve for all modes
through approved design practice and sound engineering principles.
9. Deschutes County shall acquire the necessary right-of-way through the
development process to correct street intersections, substandard road
geometry or other problems in order to improve the safety of a road
alignment, consistent with constitutional limitations.
10. Deschutes County shall support efforts to educate the public regarding
hazards related to travel on the transportation system.
11. Deschutes County shall support public and private efforts to acquire
right-of-way for new secondary access roads to isolated subdivisions.
Arterial and Collector Roads - Access Management
Goal
4. Establish an access management system adequate to protect the quality
and function of the arterial and collector street system.
Policies
1. Deschutes County shall designate access and land uses appropriate to
the function of a given road.
2. Deschutes County shall require new development to minimize direct
access points onto arterials and collectors by encouraging the utilization
of common driveways.
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3. Wherever practical, access to state highways shall be provided via
frontage roads, alternative local roads or other means, rather than direct
access to the highway.
4. A non-traversable median on state highways shall be installed by ODOT
when operational or safety issues warrant installation. Directional breaks
in the median shall be provided as needed to allow safe traffic operation.
5. Access requests onto Deschutes County arterials and collectors for new
partitions, subdivisions and commercial and industrial development shall
be processed with the following access management classification
system in mind:
a. Public road access spaced at no less than every 500 feet on arterials
and 300 feet on collectors.
b. If either safety or environmental factors, or the unavailability of
adequate distance between access points requires placing access
points at lesser intervals, then access will be denied or the best
alternative placement will be chosen. On road segments that are
already severely impacted by numerous access points or on road
segments which abut exception areas, adherence to the above
standards may be either unreasonable or counterproductive to infill
of exception areas. In such cases, these standards may be relaxed
by the County Road Department Director to accommodate the
aforementioned special conditions.
Arterial and Collector Roads - Functional
Classification
Goal
5. Designate access and land uses appropriate to the function of a given
road.
Policies
1. Deschutes County shall coordinate the County Transportation System
Plan with the transportation system plans of the cities of Bend, Redmond
and Sisters. The County shall emphasize continuity in the classification
of roads and appropriate design standards for roads that link urban areas
with rural areas outside the urban growth boundaries. Prior to the
finalization of any UGB amendment, the County and affected city shall
agree on the functional classification and design standards of County
roads within the proposed UGB area.
2. Deschutes County shall request the transfer, or an agreement to transfer
with specific timelines and milestones, jurisdiction of County roadways
within the urban growth boundaries to their respective cities at the time of
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annexation. County policy also directs that any developer of property
who proposes annexation and who has frontage on a road that does not
meet city standards shall have the primary responsibility for upgrading
the road to applicable city specifications. Roads shall be upgraded prior
to or at the time of annexation, or the developer shall sign an agreement
with the city to upgrade the road, at the time of development. Transfer of
road jurisdiction shall require the approval of both the County and
affected city in accordance with the provisions in ORS 373.270.
Arterial and Collector Roads - Road and Street
Standards
Goals
6. Develop and adopt a document or chapter of Road Standards and
Specifications that shall control all aspects of construction related to
roads, pedestrian walkways and bicycle facilities occurring outside
designated urban growth boundaries in Deschutes County.
7. Develop and adopt criteria for the requirement of various levels of traffic
analysis for each new rural development. The traffic analysis
requirements shall be located in the Road Standards document.
Policies
1. After County adoption of the Deschutes County Road Standards and
Specifications document, all new Deschutes County rural roads and
reconstructed rural roads shall be built to those identified standards. In
the interim, rural road dimensions outside of the unincorporated
communities of Terrebonne and Tumalo shall match the requirements
set forth in Table 5.2.T1, which replaces current Table “A” located in Title
17 of the Deschutes County Code. The City of Sisters Road
Development Standards shall apply within the Sisters Urban Area. The
Road requirements for the unincorporated communities of Tumalo and
Terrebonne are governed by the previously adopted tables included in
Appendix G of the Transportation System Plan located in the Resource
Element.
2. Road, pedestrian and bicycle projects occurring in unincorporated areas
within urban growth boundaries shall be governed by the respective
city’s road and street standards. Those requirements shall be
coordinated between the city, the County and the applicant during the
land use process according to procedures to be identified in the
Deschutes County Road Standards and Specifications document.
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Arterial and Collector Roads - Road Management
System
Goal
8. Maintain the County road network pavement in good to excellent
condition.
Policies
1. Deschutes County shall continue to maintain and preserve the County
road network through its pavement management system which guides a
program of paving, repairing, reconstruction, drainage clearance and
vegetation control.
2. After safety-related issues, the highest volume road segments shall be
the next priority for County road maintenance and repair.
3. If and when gravel or dirt roads are paved by the County, the main
controlling criteria shall be: density of surrounding development, traffic
volumes, road classification, gap filling, potential school bus routing
efficiency and emergency evacuation potential.
Arterial and Collector Roads - Level of Service
Goal
9. Maintain a level of service of “D” or better during the peak hour
throughout the County arterial and collector road system over the next 20
years.
Policy
1. Deschutes County shall continue to monitor road volumes on the County
arterial and collector network. The County Road Department shall
continue to be the department responsible for monitoring volumes and
shall strive to count each arterial and collector at least once every four
years. The Road Department shall periodically examine the traffic
volumes to identify level of service deterioration.
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Arterial and Collector Roads - ODOT State Highways
Goal
10. Maintain the current arterial and collector system in the County and
prevent degradation of the capacity of the system.
Policies
1. Deschutes County shall monitor County arterials and collectors to help in
the determination of when road improvement projects are necessary.
2. Deschutes County shall continue to work with the ODOT and the Cities
of Bend, Redmond and Sisters to coordinate solutions to highway and
non-highway road issues that cross over jurisdictional boundaries.
3. The County shall establish requirements and adopt standards for
secondary access roads to isolated rural subdivisions.
Arterial and Collector Roads - Bridges
Goal
11. Maintain a safe and efficient network of bridges on County roadways.
Policy
1. Deschutes County shall monitor the condition of County bridges on a
regular basis, and perform routine maintenance and repair when
necessary. The County shall also explore additional funding sources
when major reconstruction or replacement of bridges is necessary
Arterial and Collector Roads - Truck Routes
Goal
12. Develop a plan of designated truck routes.
Policy
1. Deschutes County shall require that long-haul, through trucks be limited
to operating on Principal Arterial and Rural Minor Arterial roads as
designated in the County transportation network, except in emergency
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situations and when no reasonable alternative arterial road is available
for access to commercial or industrial uses.
Arterial and Collector Roads - Hazardous Material
Routes
Goal
13. Develop a plan of designated hazardous materials (NRHM) routes.
Policy
1. Deschutes County shall work with ODOT to determine the feasibility of
designating NHRM route(s) through Deschutes County.
Arterial and Collector Roads - Facility Safety
Improvement
Goal
14. Maintain a safe and efficient network of roadways.
Policy
1. Deschutes County shall maintain a prioritized inventory of safety-
deficient facilities on the County road network and give highest priority to
correcting safety issues.
Public Transportation – Special Transit Services
Goals
15. Enhance the opportunity for intermodal connections throughout the
County transportation system.
16. Increase the existing level of special services provided.
17. Establish rural transit service for Deschutes County residents.
18. Decrease barriers to the use of existing services.
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Policies
1. Deschutes County shall work with ODOT, the cities of Bend, Redmond
and Sisters, and transit service providers to study countywide rideshare
facility needs, and investigate public transit possibilities including
potential transit stops for a regional or commuter-based transit system.
Those possibilities shall include bus and rail, and if economically
feasible, the County shall seek such services as are found to be safe,
efficient, and convenient in serving the transportation needs of the
residents of Deschutes County.
2. Deschutes County shall continue to work with special service providers,
ODOT, and the cities of Bend, Redmond and Sisters to secure additional
funding as well as increase promotion of those special transit services
that may be underutilized.
3. Deschutes County shall monitor the needs of the transportation
disadvantaged and attempt to fill those needs.
Bikeways and Pedestrian – General
Goals
19. Adopt a Countywide system plan for bike and pedestrian facilities which
provide access to various destinations within unincorporated
communities and between urban areas and unincorporated communities.
20. Provide and maintain a safe, convenient and pleasing countywide bicycle
and pedestrian system that is integrated with other transportation
systems.
21. Establish bicycle safety, education and enforcement programs for all
ages, improve riding skills, achieve observances of traffic laws,
increased awareness of cyclist’s and pedestrian rights, and monitor and
analyze bicycle accident data to determine safety problem areas.
Policies
1. Deschutes County shall coordinate local plans for pedestrian and bicycle
facilities with the 1995 Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. The
statewide plan provides a framework for a local bicycle and pedestrian
system and design standards.
2. Deschutes County shall require bike facilities at locations that provide
access within and between residential subdivisions, schools, shopping
centers, industrial parks, and other activity centers when financially
feasible.
3. Deschutes County shall:
a. Balance the plan with a variety of facilities to meet the needs of
different cyclists;
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b. Plan for bicycle access between the County’s urban and rural areas;
c. Develop a bikeway system, to be updated yearly and including a
map for the public that describes the opportunities for bicycling in
Deschutes County;
d. Establish priorities for facility construction and maintenance based
on need and resource availability;
e. Evaluate the plan regularly to monitor how well the facilities meet the
goals of the Plan;
f. Upgrade rural road shoulder widths to County standards during road
modernization or maintenance projects involving overlays as funding
allows;
g. Require bicycle and pedestrian facilities to satisfy the recreational
and utilitarian needs of the citizens of Deschutes County;
h. Make potential use, safety and the cost of bikeway construction, the
primary considerations when designing specific bikeways;
i. Emphasize the designation of on-road bikeways, where conditions
warrant due to safety reasons and the cost of construction and
maintenance of separate bike paths;
j. Expend resources for the maintenance of existing bikeways and to
keep pace with the development of new bikeways;
k. Designate that the Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian
Advisory Committee facilitate the coordination of all bicycle and
pedestrian planning in the County to assure compatibility;
l. Designate that the Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian
Advisory Committee assure that the Plan remains up-to-date and
that implementation proceeds according to the Plan;
m. Work with affected jurisdictions to acquire, develop and maintain a
series of trails along the Deschutes River, Tumalo Creek, and the
major irrigation canals so that these features can be retained as a
community asset; and
n. Adopt standards for trail system right-of-ways and trail improvements
that are based on the type of planned trail use and reflect the
standards of the 1995 Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
Bikeways and Pedestrian - On-Road Route Selection
Goal
22. Coordinate on-road County bikeways with known existing and proposed
state and city bikeways.
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Policies
1. New public and private land developments in Deschutes County shall
accommodate and tie into the bicycle system, and shall provide their
residents and employees with appropriate bicycle facilities.
2. County arterials and collectors may use shoulder bikeways or shared
roadways. These bikeways shall be upgraded to bike lanes when
highway reconstruction occurs and the traffic volumes warrant lanes.
3. Deschutes County shall facilitate safe and direct bicycle and pedestrian
crossings of arterial roads.
4. On-road bikeways shall be constructed in accordance with the
specifications set forth in the 1995 Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
Bikeways and Pedestrian - Off-Road Route Selection
Goal
23. Identify a system of off-road paved multiple use paths to be included in
the County transportation system.
Policies
1. Developers in Deschutes County are encouraged to design paths that
connect to the countywide bikeway system and that provide a direct
route for commuters. In some cases, it may be appropriate to relax a
requirement, such as for a sidewalk on one side of a residential street, in
favor of a comparable bike path in the development. However, the use of
a bike path shall not change the on-road bikeway requirement for
arterials and collectors.
2. Deschutes County shall facilitate mountain bike routes and the creation
of paved off-road multiple-use paths. The County shall identify routes
and incorporate them into its transportation system where appropriate.
Particular attention shall be given to obtaining and keeping rights-of-way
for uninterrupted routes linking areas within the County. Natural corridors
such as rivers, irrigation canals, ridges and abandoned roadway and rail
lines shall receive special attention. Proposed developments may be
required to provide such identified rights-of-way as part of their
transportation scheme in order to maintain the integrity and continuity of
the countywide system.
3. The County shall work with local agencies and jurisdictions to acquire,
develop and maintain those sections of trail that are located outside of
UGBs, but are part of a trail plan or map that has been adopted by the
local jurisdiction and the County.
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4. Off-road paved multiple use paths shall be constructed in accordance
with the specifications set forth in the 1995 Oregon Bicycle and
Pedestrian Plan.
Bikeways and Pedestrian - Facility Requirements
Goal
24. Maintain the existing development requirements for bicycle facilities in
Deschutes County.
Policy
1. Deschutes County shall maintain and update as necessary the existing
ordinance requirements for bicycle facilities found in Title 18.116.031, or
such other location that it may be moved to within the Deschutes County
Development Code.
Airports
Goal
25. Protect the function and economic viability of the existing public-use
airports, while ensuring public safety and compatibility between the
airport uses and surrounding land uses for public use airports and for
private airports with three or more based aircraft.
Policies
1. Deschutes County shall protect public-use airports through the
development of airport land use regulations. Efforts shall be made to
regulate the land uses in designated areas surrounding the Redmond,
Bend, Sunriver and Sisters (Eagle Air) airports based upon adopted
airport master plans or evidence of each airports specific level of risk and
usage. The purpose of these regulations shall be to prevent the
installation of airspace obstructions, additional airport hazards, and
ensure the safety of the public and guide compatible land use. For the
safety of those on the ground, only limited uses shall be allowed in
specific noise impacted and crash hazard areas that have been identified
for each specific airport. Protecting the privately owned, private-use
airports, with three or more based aircraft, will be accomplished by
development of specific land use regulations for these types of airports.
The function and economic vitality of privately owned, private-use
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airports with two or fewer based aircraft will also be accomplished
through land use planning. Each airport’s specific level of risk and usage
shall be used to guide the continued safe aeronautical access to and
from these airports considering the type of aircraft approved to use the
airfield.
2. Deschutes County shall:
a. Continue to recognize the Redmond (Roberts Field) Airport as the
major commercial/passenger aviation facility in Deschutes County
and an airport of regional significance. Its operation, free from
conflicting land uses, is in the best interests of the citizens of
Deschutes County. Incompatible land uses shall be prohibited on the
County lands adjacent to the airport;
b. Cooperate with the cities of Bend, Redmond and Sisters in
establishing uniform zoning standards, which will prevent the
development of hazardous structures and incompatible land uses
around airports;
c. Through adoption of appropriate zoning restrictions, take steps to
ensure that any proposed uses shall not impact airborne aircraft
because of height of structures, smoke, glare, lights which shine
upward, radio interference from transmissions or any water
impoundment’s or sanitary landfills which would create potential
hazards from waterfowl to airborne aircraft;
d. Through adoption of appropriate zoning restrictions, allow land uses
around public-use airports that will not be adversely affected by
noise and safety problems and will be compatible with the airports
and their operations;
e. Work with, and encourage airport sponsors to work with the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) to enforce FAA-registered flight
patterns and FAA flight behavior regulations to protect the interests
of County residents living near airports.
f. Adopt zoning restrictions to ensure that developments in the airport
approach areas will not be visually distracting, create electrical
interference or cause other safety problems for aircraft or persons on
the ground. In addition, efforts shall be made to minimize population
densities and prohibit places of public assembly in the approach
areas;
g. Continue efforts to prevent additional residential encroachment
within critical noise contours or safety areas without informed
consent;
h. Specifically designate any proposed airport facility relocations or
expansions within County jurisdiction on an airport master plan or
airport layout plan map, as amended, and establish the appropriate
airport zoning designation to assure a compatible association of
airport growth with surrounding urban or rural development;
i. Maintain geographic information system (GIS) mapping of the Airport
Safety Combining Zones and provide timely updates;
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j. For those airports in Deschutes County without adopted master
plans, the County shall, as a minimum, base any land use decisions
involving airports on LCDC airport regulations, upon adoption of
those regulations by LCDC, which implement HB 2605;
k. Participate in and encourage the County-adoption of airport master
plans for all public use airports and at least an airport layout plan for
the remaining ODOT-recognized airfields in Deschutes County;
l. Encourage appropriate federal, state and local funding for airport
improvements at public-owned airports; and
m. Discourage future development of private landing fields when they
are in proximity to one another, near other public airports and
potential airspace conflicts have been determined to exist by the
Federal Aviation administration (FAA) or ODOT Aeronautics.
Railroads
Goals
26. Maintain the existing levels of freight rail activity throughout the County
while also encouraging expanded usage by commercial and industrial
companies.
27. Increase the safety of existing at-grade crossings and work towards the
eventual replacement of all at-grade crossings with gate-protected or
grade-separated crossings.
Policies
1. Work cooperatively with affected local jurisdictions and railroad operators
to reduce land use conflicts and increase safety at all at-grade crossings;
2. Encourage efforts to improve the condition of rail lines throughout the
County in order to retain the effectiveness and competitiveness of freight
rail;
3. Not endorse the abandonment of any rail lines unless they are to be
converted to trail use through the federal “Rails to Trails” program. Once
converted, the trails will be incorporated into the County Bikeway/Trail
System;
4. Not endorse any activities that would diminish existing rail service; and
5. Work cooperatively with affected local jurisdictions, businesses and
railroad operators to protect all rail spurs that currently serve businesses
or have the potential to serve freight rail uses from abandonment or
incompatible zoning.
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Transportation System Management (TSM)
Goal
28. In order to optimize the carrying capacity of the County road system,
provide cost effective transportation improvements and implement
strategies that shall improve the efficiency and function of existing roads.
Policies
1. Deschutes County shall adopt land use regulations to limit the location
and number of driveways and access points on all collector and arterial
roads.
2. Deschutes County shall ensure that land use actions support the access
management policies of the Oregon Department of Transportation
(ODOT) along state highways.
3. Deschutes County shall implement transportation system management
measures to increase safety and reduce traffic congestion on arterial and
collector streets, and protect the function of all travel modes.
4. Deschutes County shall promote safety and uninterrupted traffic flow
along arterials via the following planning considerations:
a. Clustering of all types of development and provisions for an internal
traffic circulation pattern with limited arterial access shall be
encouraged;
b. A minimum setback of 50 feet from arterial rights-of-way shall be
required;
c. Recommendations on speed limits shall be forwarded to the State
Speed Control Board.
Transportation Demand Management (TDM)
Goal
29. Reduce peak hour traffic volumes on County roads and diminish the
exclusive use of single-occupant vehicles
Policies
Deschutes County shall:
1. Encourage businesses to participate in transportation demand
management efforts through the development of incentives and/or
disincentives. These programs shall be designed to reduce peak hour
traffic volumes by encouraging ridesharing, cycling, walking,
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telecommuting, alternative/flexible work schedules and transit use when
it becomes available;
2. Work with business groups, large employers and school districts to
develop and implement transportation demand management programs;
3. Continue to support the work of non-profit agencies working towards the
same TDM goals as Deschutes County;
4. Encourage programs such as van or carpooling (rideshare) to increase
vehicle occupancy and reduce unnecessary single-occupant vehicle
travel;
5. Continue to pursue the development of park and ride facilities and
consider the siting of a rideshare facility, based on identified needs,
when realigning County roadways, considering the sale of surplus
property, or reviewing land use applications for developments that could
benefit from such a facility;
6. Pursue the development and utilization of telecommunication
technologies that facilitate the movement of information and data;
7. Support efforts to educate the public regarding the actual costs related to
travel on the transportation system and encourage transportation
demand management alternatives; and
8. Establish and make available a transportation demand management
program to County employees, to serve as a role model for the
community.
Deschutes County Transportation Project List
Goal
30. Have an annual review of the Transportation Project List for the
purposes of prioritizing, adding or deleting projects.
Policies
1. The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners shall review the
Transportation Project List annually to add, delete, and/or reprioritize
projects, and may do so by adoption of a resolution.
2. The County Board of Commissioners has the authority to add projects to
the list at any time if whole or partial private sector (developer) funding
becomes available through the land use process, and the potential
financial benefit to the County can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of
the Board.
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Transportation
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Background
The State of Oregon requires cities and counties to prepare 20 year plans for
their transportation facilities. These Transportation System Plans (TSPs)
assess existing conditions, forecast future traffic volumes, identify deficiencies
and propose and prioritize mitigations or projects. These plans cover all
modes: air, automobile, bicycle, pedestrian, pipelines, rail, etc.
In 1998 a new TSP was adopted and summarized in this comprehensive plan.
The complete TSP, including background documentation, facility inventory and
forecast data as well as a list of prioritized short and long-term projects, can be
found in the Resource Element.
Based on the TSP, the Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan Transportation
section identifies through goals and policies how best to efficiently move
people and goods throughout the County. It is meant to provide a
transportation system that meets the needs of Deschutes County residents,
while also considering regional and state needs. This section also reflects
existing land use plans, policies and regulations that affect the transportation
system.
Transportation needs within the Urban Growth Boundaries of each
incorporated city are addressed by those cities respective comprehensive plan
transportation chapters.
In 2008 the County initiated a project to update the County’s Transportation
System Plan, intended to coordinate with the Comprehensive Plan update.
Transportation System Plan
In late 1994, the County initiated work on a long-range transportation system
plan (TSP), which was a requirement of OAR 660-12, the Transportation
Planning Rule (TPR or Rule). The State of Oregon approved the Rule in 1991.
The purpose of the Transportation System Plan is to guide the development of
a safe, convenient and efficient transportation system that promotes economic
prosperity and livability for all County residents.
As required by the TPR, Deschutes County developed the standards and
policies in the Transportation System Plan (TSP) that comply with the
requirements to provide a multi-modal approach to solving transportation
issues. The Rule identifies the specific actions required of jurisdictions based
on their population. For most urban areas, the Rule requires an alternatives
analysis to compare various new project options versus an alternative that
proposes to build only existing funded and committed projects. Many of the
PPrrooffiillee
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alternatives have goals such as an increase in mode split share and reduced
vehicle miles traveled (VMT). These goals are measurable in many urban
areas or areas with a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), but not in
rural Deschutes County. The logical alternative choices in the County were to:
1. Pursue an alternative that programs only the identified projects in the
current County Major Roads Capital Improvement Plan (MRCIP) and
gradually shifts funding from new capital projects to more preservation
and maintenance. Over time, capital improvements to address traffic and
safety problem areas will proceed on a prioritized basis. The long-term
effect is that preservation and maintenance of the existing system
becomes a higher priority than relieving congestion and solving safety
issues. This is often referred to as the “no build” alternative.
2. Adopt a “build” alternative, which tries to keep pace with anticipated
growth by focusing funding on building capacity-enhancing and safety
oriented projects, while also attempting to maintain the existing road
network.
3. Adopt a combination alternative, as recommended in the Deschutes
County Transportation System Plan (TSP, located in the transportation
chapter of the Resource Element), which includes a mixture of new
projects to enhance roadway capacity, improve safety while also
maximizing preservation and maintenance. The alternative also shifts
emphasis to non-auto modes as much, as is practical to meet the intent
of the Transportation Planning Rule (TPR).
This Plan balances the need to reduce the reliance on single occupant
vehicles given the County’s needs, geography and demographics, with the
need to solve safety and operational problems. At the same time, the system
needs a significant effort in maintenance over the next twenty years to
preserve the investment already made by the community. Additionally, the
Plan encourages ridesharing, telecommuting and eventually fixed-route transit.
The TSP makes recommendations regarding short-term and long-term
transportation projects on state and County facilities that will be needed over
the next 20 years.
The project list was based on:
1. Evaluating the capacity of the County road system and the state highway
network within Deschutes County
2. The results of state accident database analysis
3. Input from the County Road Department
4. Efforts to enhance alternative modes of transportation through
compliance with the Transportation Planning Rule
5. The input received from the citizen review committee (County Planning
Commission) and the public outreach process in general
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The identified projects were prioritized based on the following criteria:
1. Most Important: Solving safety problems
2. Important: Maximizing the use of pedestrian and bicycle facilities;
Location of schools and fire stations; Project cost per average daily trip;
Anticipated traffic volumes (2016)
Based on the requirements of the Transportation Planning Rule (TPR),
Deschutes County has established an ongoing procedure to periodically
analyze, prepare and plan for the transportation needs of Deschutes County
residents and visitors. Goals and policies (see above section for Goals and
Policies) are intended to implement the Deschutes County Transportation
System Plan, and thereby meet the requirements of the TPR.
Arterial and Collector Roads
County Road Network
The findings in the TSP conclude that the County road network currently in
place, except for several specific road segments, should be adequate to serve
the County needs over the next twenty years. Given the rural nature of
Deschutes County and the fact that the majority of new development will take
place on existing lots with existing access, few additional roads are
anticipated. New road corridors to isolated subdivisions and new roads linking
urban and rural areas are the main exceptions. Any new roads that will be
created most likely will be the result of new developments and would therefore
be part of land use development review or would be for secondary access or
emergency ingress/egress to isolated subdivisions. Unforeseen large
developments such as destination resorts normally have a private road system
but their impacts to the County road network would be assessed at the time of
land use approval.
The majority of road-related projects will consist of safety-related or other
upgrades, maintenance and repair. Upgrades, maintenance and repair should
be actively pursued to maintain the integrity of the system and not jeopardize
the current conditions. Pedestrian, bicycle and transit modes of transportation
require wider, smoother roadways. These improvements also benefit
automobile and truck traffic by making the roads safer and more efficient. The
main purpose of the County-owned road network is to move people and goods
as efficiently as possible between and to the incorporated cities in the County,
not as a means of increasing urban scale developments in the unincorporated
communities of the County. The County recognizes the importance of having a
natural and seamless transition of jurisdiction for County roads within urban
growth boundaries to their respective city jurisdictions as the cities continue to
grow.
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State Highways
Each of the Access Oregon Highways (AOH) in Deschutes County has a
specific role in the statewide transportation network, as well as the County
system. The 1991 Oregon Highway Plan specifies the design, access
management and level of service requirements that need to be applied to
these highways. Deschutes County supports ODOT policy to develop
highways through a “four-phased” approach. The four phases of development
take place incrementally as the traffic volumes increase and the level of
service decreases. Beginning with a standard two-lane rural highway, the
improvement phases are as follows:
1. Addition of passing or climbing lanes
2. Widening to a four-lane section
3. Adding grade-separated interchanges and raised medians
4. Develop full grade-separated interchanges and frontage roads
Through a coordinated analysis effort between ODOT and County staff, the
probable locations of future passing and climbing lanes on the state highways
in Deschutes County were identified. Also identified were the four-lane
extension to Highway 97 from La Pine south to Highway 31, along with the
probable locations of future grade-separated interchanges. The projected
conceptual highway lane additions and interchanges are shown on Figures
5.2.F1 and 5.2.F2 in the Transportation chapter of the Resource Element.
Actual locations and design would be the result of detailed engineering work
occurring during project development. No signals are appropriate on state
highways outside of UGBs, Terrebonne or La Pine. Instead, as intersections
develop safety or operational problems, they shall be grade-separated,
restricted or closed (where there is alternative access).
The following descriptions identify the roles the state highways are expected to
play in Deschutes County over the next twenty years.
US Highway 97
Congestion on Highway 97 has been mostly a problem within the communities
of Bend and Redmond, due to the increasing volumes of truck traffic combined
with local traffic generated by the rapid growth experienced in recent years.
The Highway 97 Strategy (Appendix D of the Transportation chapter of the
Resource Element) contains the goals and policies that govern the future
development of the Highway 97 corridor. Outside of urban areas, the highway
is characterized by two, three, and four-lane sections. The ultimate plan is for
a continuous four-lane section to be built throughout the corridor, except for
the sections through unincorporated communities such as Terrebonne. In
those communities, traffic calming and pedestrian safety are more important
than through traffic movement. In most cases, the time delay to drivers
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passing through the small rural communities is insignificant compared to the
overall travel time along the corridor.
Highway 97 is considered a Category 2 access management facility outside of
urban areas, except for the specific sections through the communities of
Terrebonne, Wickiup Junction and La Pine which are Category 4 (definitions
can be found on page 17). The Category 4 section in Terrebonne extends
from Lower Bridge Way south to 11th Street. The section in Wickiup Junction
extends from Drafter Road south to Burgess Road. The La Pine section
extends south from 1st Street to 6th Street. The Terrebonne section has
already been redesigned to be pedestrian-friendly by the eventual inclusion of
sidewalks, landscaped strips, bulbed intersection corners and a center
median. The La Pine section will be studied in 1998 as part of an approved
state Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) grant. The La Pine
section will be challenging due to the existing four-lane section through the
community. Issues regarding Highway 97 in Deschutes County include:
1. The increasing traffic volumes north of Terrebonne, especially at Lower
Bridge Way
2. Traffic calming through Terrebonne, Wickiup Junction and La Pine
3. Local road and direct driveway access onto the highway
4. North and south connections to the Redmond “bypass”
5. The needed grade-separated interchange at South Century Drive
(Sunriver)
6. The excessive speeds through the rural communities
7. The possible grade separation between Yew Avenue and Deschutes
Junction
8. The opportunity to enhance the parallel local road network to redistribute
local trips that would otherwise need to use the highway (such as paving
FS Rd. #41 between Sunriver and Bend)
US Highway 20
The ODOT Highway 20 corridor planning process is currently underway, and
not expected to be completed before this TSP is adopted. However, policy
direction and identified projects resulting from the corridor work can be added
to the County’s adopted TSP when completed.
The Tumalo section was studied (with Terrebonne) in 1997 as part of an
approved state Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) grant. The
community focused on the need to reduce accidents and ease the burden of
crossing three lanes of high-speed traffic on Highway 20. The high volume of
truck trips in the Tumalo area is seen as a contributor to the overall problem,
and is not anticipated to diminish during the next twenty years.
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Highway 20 is considered a Category 3 access management facility west of
the Sister’s UGB, Category 4 within Sisters (similar to Terrebonne), Category
2 between Sisters and the Bend UGB, and Category 4 east of the Bend UGB.
The critical areas of the corridor are:
1. The increasing traffic volumes west of Sisters that may necessitate
additional passing lanes
2. The intersection of Cook Avenue in Tumalo which will require an
eventual grade separation
3. Safety problems at the intersection of the Old Redmond-Bend Highway,
which will also require an eventual grade separation
4. Local road and direct driveway access onto the highway between Sisters
and Bend
5. Improvements to the Powell Butte Highway intersection if land uses
intensify at the Bend Airport and/or accelerated growth occurs in Crook
County
Oregon Highway 126 (OR 126)
With the completion of the Cline Falls interchange in 1997, there are few
transportation issues remaining or anticipated on this facility. No new
interchanges or medians are proposed. The primary issues are related to the
highway as it passes through the City of Redmond. Areas outside of the
Redmond UGB that could develop problems include:
1. The intersection of Helmholtz Way if rapid development in and around
Redmond continues
2. Access to a possible new state park expansion at Cline Falls
3. Local road and direct driveway access onto the highway between Sisters
and Redmond
4. The substandard section east of Redmond
5. The connection of 74th Street to the Cline Falls interchange
Other Oregon Highways (OR 27, OR 31, OR 370 & OR 372).
The remaining highways in the County are not considered AOH facilities, and
as such, do not warrant the same priority for projects nor are they anticipated
to carry significant traffic volumes. Each of these highways, except for OR 27,
is currently considered a Category 4 facility. None has identified high accident
rates or safety problems. With the exception of OR 370 (O’Neil Highway),
none has much direct private access or potential for intensified land use.
There are no plans to pave OR 27 which is considered a Category 6 facility.
Deschutes County recognizes that Crook County is incrementally paving a
new road extending south from their industrial area towards Deschutes
County. Ultimately this new road may connect to Highway 20 west of OR 27
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near Millican. When and if this new road connects to Highway 20, ODOT may
choose to designate this new route as OR 27.
Access Management
Roads accommodate two types of travel: local travel and through traffic.
Arterial streets are intended for through movement of traffic while local roads
are designed to give direct access to the abutting properties. Collector roads
provide a link between the local and arterial roads, balancing accessibility and
function. Historically, the state and local governments corrected many
congestion problems by constructing new bypasses, grade separations or
major street improvements. However, such solutions are expensive and are
fast becoming infeasible under current funding levels.
Arterial roads without access management can over time become overused
for short distance trips and local access to property. Land use changes along
these overburdened arterials results in increased trip generation and traffic
conflicts, as businesses normally desire to locate on high traffic arterials. The
lack of adequate access management and insufficient coordination of land use
development, property division and access review can contribute to the
deterioration of both the arterial and collector road network. Traffic signals,
new road approaches and driveways can decrease speed and capacity, and
increase both congestion and hazards. Access management includes the
control of vehicular access to major roadways. Partial access control, which is
often found on major arterials and highways, is provided by limiting or
prohibiting driveway access, left turn movements and cross traffic at
intersections. These limitations increase the capacity of an arterial to carry
through traffic at the desired speeds without requiring the addition of more
travel lanes. Coordination, planning and proper policies can help avoid these
problems and costly solutions.
Functional Classification
Functional classification describes how the public road system should operate.
Roads are grouped by their similar characteristics in providing mobility and/or
land access. Within the County, there are six rural road classifications and
nine urban classifications. Further coordination is needed between the County
and cities in Deschutes County regarding the functional classification of
County roads within city limits and urban growth boundaries. Currently, the
County maintains approximately 123 miles of roadway within city limits and
urban growth boundaries. The County lacks funds to upgrade these roads to
city urban standards. Strengthening and revising Urban Growth Management
agreements with cities may be an effective way to pursue tight coordination on
this important issue and reduce the long-term financial burden to the County.
As an example, the County and the City of Bend have agreed that as of July 1,
1998, all roads within the Bend UGB will become the responsibility of the City
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of Bend. This shift reduces the County’s urban road mileage by approximately
70%.
The following changes to functional classification are identified on the
Deschutes County Transportation Plan Map, designated as Exhibit “A” to
Ordinance No. 98-044, and also identified on the more detailed maps located
in the Transportation System Plan which is part of the Resource Element of
the Comprehensive Plan.
Bend TSP - The draft Bend Transportation System Plan is proposing only one
change in functional classification to a County road within the UGB. However,
with the recent management agreement, this road will become the jurisdiction
of the City of Bend. The functional classification of all other roads that cross
the Bend UGB between the City and the County have been coordinated.
Yeoman Road from 18th street east to the outer (ultimate) urban growth
boundary is currently classified as either a future or current arterial depending
on segment. It is proposed to change to a corresponding future and current
collector.
Redmond TSP - The draft Redmond Transportation System Plan proposes
several classification changes to County roads within and around the UGB.
The Redmond TSP also splits the existing arterial classification into two new
categories, “major arterial” replaces “principal arterial” and “minor arterial”
replaces “arterial”. The collector category is also changed by creating a
“Major” and “Minor” classification. The difference is that bike lanes are not
required on “Minor” collectors. The designation of County roads outside of
UGBs shall remain consistent with the County functional classes of Rural
Arterial and Rural Collector. The County shall require at least a four-foot
shoulder bikeway along those sections of road within the County that are
extensions of designated Minor Arterials and Major Collectors on the
Redmond Plan.
1. Rural Arterial to Rural Collector
a. Hemholtz Way (43rd) between Maple Avenue and Obsidian Avenue.
b. Northwest Way north of Maple Avenue
c. Maple Avenue between Hemholtz Way (43rd) and Northwest Way
(27th)
2. Rural Collector to Rural Arterial
a. 27th Street between Maple Avenue and Hemlock Avenue
3. Other Changes
a. 9th Street classification as future arterial north of Maple Avenue /
Negus Way is eliminated
County Roads - Several roads within the rural areas of the County road
network are in need of reclassification. The reclassification of these roads is
warranted based on either their current and projected average daily traffic
(ADT), or planned functional role in the transportation network. In most cases,
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a projected level of service “D” or worse triggered the change from collector to
arterial. One exception to this is the reclassification of Forest Service Road
#45. This road is expected to have high peak seasonal use between Sunriver
and Mt. Bachelor, and should therefore be reconstructed to a rural arterial
standard.
Several roads currently classified as arterial are recommended to revert to
collector status because they don’t have a projected level of service of “D” or
worse, and serve as a parallel route to a state highway. The original
Transportation Element of the County Comprehensive Plan made several
recommendations as to reclassifications at that time. As time has passed,
some of these roads have not experienced the anticipated traffic while others
are playing larger roles than originally planned due to accelerated
development pressure. The County emphasis is for County roads to remain
rural, have lower traffic speeds, and reduced cost to upgrade, repair and
maintain.
New local roads for secondary access to rural isolated subdivisions have been
identified as part of the Regional Problem Solving Project. In some cases,
there is an existing dirt road across private or government land, but no
dedicated right-of-way. Figures 5.2.F3a and 5.2.F3b of the Transportation
chapter of the Resource Element identify proposed new roads as “corridors”,
subject to future engineering and design, rather than specific alignments. The
Sunriver Business Park is also in need of a future secondary access or
intersection treatment such as a roundabout. With increasing development of
commercial uses in the Park along with the increasing traffic volumes on
South Century Drive, the single entrance/exit onto South Century Drive will
become inadequate. Any solution may be problematic due to the established
development pattern, the electric substation location, the forest-zoned land,
and the Harper town site to the south. Figure 5.2.F3c in the Transportation
chapter of the Resource Element identifies possible solutions to the problem
by establishing a new access to Huntington Road. In the interim, an upgrade
project to South Century Drive is identified in the Project List in the
Transportation chapter of the Resource Element. The project would add a
continuous two-way center turn lane from the entrance at Sunriver to the
intersection at Spring River Road.
Roads classified as ”future” in Figures 5.2.F4a-5.2.F4e of the Transportation
chapter of the Resource Element are currently in need of either dedicated
right-of-way, paving to County standard or both. The County makes the
following changes in functional classification based on the current and
projected traffic volumes, as well as the need for coordination between
jurisdictions:
1. Upgrade Functional Class - Rural Collector to Rural Arterial
a. Baker Road from US 97 to Brookswood Blvd
b. Burgess Road from US 97 to Day Road
c. South Century Drive from US 97 to Spring River Road
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d. Cline Falls Highway from OR 126 to Second St. (Tumalo)
e. Spring River Road from South Century Drive to FS Road #45
f. Forest Service Road #45 from Spring River Road to Century Drive
2. Upgrade Functional Class - Rural Local to Rural Collector
a. Stevens Road from Bend UGB to Ward Road
b. Nelson Road from Waugh Rd. to Powell Butte Highway
c. Billadeau Road from Ward Rd. to Arnold Market Rd
d. Reed Road from US 97 to Darlene Way (edge of La Pine
Community)
e. Hunnell Rd. from Tumalo Rd. to Bend UGB
f. Rogers Rd. from Old Redmond-Bend Hwy. to Hunnell Rd
3. Upgrade Functional Class - Rural Local to Future Rural Collector
a. Lazy River Drive to Tamarack Drive
b. Tamarack Drive from Lazy River Dr. to 4th Street
c. 4th Street to Whittier Drive
d. Whittier Drive to La Pine State Recreation Road
e. Solar Drive to Milky Way
f. Upland Road from Milky Way to Savage Drive
g. Savage Drive from Upland Road to Winchester Drive
h. Winchester Drive From Savage Drive to Browning Drive
i. Browning Drive from Winchester Drive to Stagestop Drive
j. Stagestop Drive from Browning Drive to Bonanza Lane
k. Bonanza Lane from Stagestop Drive to South Century Drive
l. Sunrise Blvd. from Day Rd. to Burgess Rd
4. Downgrade Functional Class - Rural Arterial to Rural Collector
a. Holmes Road from OR126 to Lower Bridge Way
b. OB Riley Road from Bend UGB to Johnson Market Road
c. Lower Bridge Way from Holmes Road to 43rd Street
d. Deschutes Market Road from US 97 to Bend UGB
5. Downgrade Functional Class - Rural Collector to Rural Local
a. Horse Butte Road from Knott Road to end
b. Arnold Market Road from Rickard Rd. to Billadeau Road
Road and Street Standards
Historically, County road and street standards and specifications have been
located in various places throughout the County Zoning and Subdivision
Ordinances, making it a difficult task to implement standards uniformly and
update them as needed. The County pledges to create a separate standards
and specifications document, which will enable the County to periodically
update or change specifications or road project procedures without a
Comprehensive Plan amendment. The likely location for the new document or
chapter will be in Title 12 (Road Department) of the Deschutes County Code.
The new document will reflect the County’s desire to no longer have urban
road standards, only rural road standards, including specific standards for the
unincorporated communities of La Pine, Terrebonne and Tumalo.
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Road Management System
Road management is an orderly scheduling of pavement preservation,
maintenance, repairs and improvements to meet serviceability goals and
provide safe, comfortable and economical transportation while striving to
achieve the best possible value from available funds. Routine maintenance
activities are carried out on a daily basis. Road sections requiring more
extensive work are prioritized and then selected for improvements based on
an evaluation of pavement condition.
Local road standards need to evolve over time as a given road experiences
more traffic. A dirt or aggregate surfaced road may be adequate for access to
individual properties. However, as additional properties begin to use that road
for access, it may no longer be adequate. At a certain point, the owners of
property using the road for access will need to join together and participate in
the improvement of the road through the formation of a special road district or
local improvement district.
Level of service
Levels of service (LOS) describe the service quality on two lane roads or
highways as determined by average travel speed, percent of time delay due to
the inability to pass, roadway capacity utilization, or intersection delay. LOS
ratings generally apply to collector and arterial streets only.
LOS is defined by a range of designations from “A” to “F”. LOS “A” is
completely unimpeded traffic flow while “F” is highly congested. Table 5.2.T2
in the Transportation chapter of the Resource Element identifies the
relationship between two-way average daily traffic (ADT) volumes, level of
service and the percentage of daily traffic that occurs during the peak travel
hours of the day (K factor) on two-lane highways. While several road
segments are expected to reach LOS “E” over the next 20 years, most County
roads will be at LOS “D” or better as long as population growth does not
exceed the projections. ODOT highway policies dictate that anything over LOS
“C” outside of urban areas is unacceptable. For rural highway segments in
Deschutes County, ODOT projects several to exceed LOS “D” over the next
20 years.
Maximum Average Daily Traffic Allowed for Various Levels of Service
K Factor Level of Service
A B C D E
Average Daily Traffic Volume (ideal conditions, i.e., level terrain,
etc.
10% 2,400 4,800 7,900, 13,500 22,900
Source: Deschutes County Resource Element
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Capacity
County Roads
Traffic volumes on County roads were estimated using a combination of
trending analyses and the Potential Development Impact Analysis work done
by ODOT for Deschutes County. It was assumed that any road segment with
fewer than 9,600-projected ADT in 2016 would operate at an LOS of “D” or
better, and that LOS “D” is acceptable for County arterial and collector roads.
Of all the County roads, only Baker Road (LOS “E”) leading into Deschutes
River Woods is projected to operate at worse than LOS “D” in 2016. Additional
roads approaching LOS “E” are located in the South County and include:
1. Burgess Road west of Huntington Road in La Pine
2. South Century Drive near Sunriver
These two road segments shall be monitored by the County Road Department
and counted at least every two years instead of the usual 4-year cycle.
ODOT State Highways
ODOT provides yearly traffic counts on all the state highways running through
Deschutes County. ODOT used historical growth rates based on the last
twenty years of traffic volume data. The yearly growth ranged from 0.0 to 11.4
percent.
It was also assumed that the number of access points remained constant.
Whereas the County road analysis related LOS directly to ADT levels, several
highway segments may have high ADT levels but a correspondingly low LOS
because of the presence of multilane and passing lane sections. Therefore,
the most important analysis tool for highway sections becomes the LOS value
rather than ADT. For multilane sections in the County, the forecasted traffic
volumes are well within the capacity limits through the year 2016. However,
several sections of the state highways will be reaching capacity thresholds for
two-lane sections. The sections projected to approach capacity and operate at
level of service (LOS) “D” or worse are:
1. Highway 126 through downtown Sisters and on either side of the City of
Redmond
2. Most of Highway 20/126 between the Jefferson County line, through
Sisters and Bend to Powell Butte Highway
3. Highway 97 from the Jefferson County line through Terrebonne and
Cottonwood Drive south to La Pine
4. Highway 372 from Bend to Dillon Falls Road on the way to Mt Bachelor
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Bridges
Deschutes County owns and manages approximately 120 bridges throughout
the County. The County Road Department performs routine maintenance and
repairs as necessary. Several of the bridges are signed for weight limitations
in the five to fifteen-ton range because they are structurally deficient. Five
bridges on higher volume roads are signed with 25-ton weight limits. Since the
recent replacement of the Fall River Bridge in 1995, no significant bridge
problems have been identified for correction or reconstruction.
Truck Routes
Currently Deschutes County has no designated truck routes or hazardous
materials routes on County roads. However, several roads are signed to not
allow trucks over a certain weight due to bridge limitations. Oregon is one of
the few states that currently allow oversized tractor-trailer vehicles referred to
as Longer Combination Vehicles (LCV’s) on certain highways. Two types of
Luvs, triple trailers and heavier double trailers (105,000-lb weight limit) are
allowed to operate in Oregon without a special permit. Truck traffic is generally
confined to industrial, commercial and surface mining areas. State highways
serve the majority of truck traffic and are most suitable for truck use. The
County shall continue to designate state highways as the desired through
truck routes in the County. The draft 1998 Oregon Highway Plan proposes to
designate U.S. 97 as a State Trucking Route. This designation could mean
that additional funds would be available for improvements to U.S. 97. Outside
of the state highway system, trucks should be limited to travel only on arterial
roads.
Hazardous Material Routes
The transport of non-radioactive hazardous materials (NRHM) is guided by
Part 397 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. The Federal
Department of Transportation defines hazardous materials (HAZMAT) and
regulates their packaging and shipping. ODOT designates the NRHM routes in
Oregon. Currently, there are no designated NRHM routes in Central Oregon,
which means HAZMAT can be transported through Deschutes County without
any restrictions. In order to establish a new NHRM route, the County would
need to work with ODOT to make findings on various federal criteria such as
population density and proximity to hospitals and schools. The creation of
NRHM routes requires a deeper understanding of the movement of these
shipments than is currently available, therefore no routes shall be designated
in this Plan. However, the County shall work with ODOT to determine if any
Deschutes County highways should be candidates for designation as NRHM
routes.
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Facility/Safety Improvements
In 1996, the grant-funded Deschutes County Safe Communities program was
initiated in an effort to reduce transportation-related injuries of all types.
Program staff used the state accident database, from the Accident Data Unit
at ODOT, to evaluate accident data for the period 1991- April 1995. During this
time period there were a total of 2,518 crashes reported on County roads and
highways outside of urban areas. Of the total number of accidents, 70 were
fatal, 1,073 involved injury (170 serious), and 1,375 were property damage
only accidents. Safe Communities staff has also identified the difference in
accident rates between the County in general and the rural areas.
Countywide, fatal accidents accounted for 1.2 percent of the total number of
accidents, while fatal accidents just in the rural area accounted for 2.8 percent
of the total. Injury accidents made up 4.4 percent of the County total, while in
just the rural areas; they accounted for 6.8 percent of the total. The Safe
Communities Group identified the process of reengineering high incident
areas, where the greatest number of accidents occur, as the most important
issue that should be addressed within the first year of the program. However, it
could also be argued that the number of accidents alone is not the only
indicator of need for corrective measures. A location with very high traffic
volumes and a high accident rate may be safer than a location with low
volumes but a high accident per average daily trip (ADT) rate. The “high
priority” projects in the Project List section of the Transportation chapter of the
Resource Element include improvement projects recommended to improve
safety.
Public Transportation
Special Transit Services
Fixed Route Transit
There is currently no traditional fixed-route local transit service in Deschutes
County. However, the Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort Super Shuttle does operate
during the winter months on a fixed-route and schedule. The County shall
continue to work with service providers such as Mt. Bachelor to secure
additional funding as well as increase promotion of their services.
Future Fixed-Route Transportation Options
In 1997, ODOT funded a study to address the issue of a fixed-route, commuter
shuttle transit system between Bend and Redmond. The Study includes a
commuter survey, information regarding potential ridership and costs. The
results indicated that the most feasible operation would be a 3-van system
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with reasonably direct routing and few stops. The travel time between Bend
and Redmond would average 30 minutes. The capital costs would be
approximately $150,000, with annual operating costs of $200,000. Average
daily ridership could average 100 if fares were $3.00 or less. Further study
would be required prior to implementation.
If the County were to establish a rural transit “district” to include a Bend-
Redmond shuttle, another potential transit route could be from La Pine to
Bend. Although no formal study has been done on this, similar results as the
Bend-Redmond Study would be expected. A major difference in a La Pine-
Bend shuttle would be the limited number of stops in La Pine and Wickiup
Junction, and a probable diversion to serve Deschutes River Woods.
To achieve its potential, a commuter shuttle service needs good connections
to sidewalks, bikeways, fixed-route transit and rideshare lots. Currently, there
is no fixed-route transit in Bend or Redmond. The sidewalk and bicycle
networks are generally fragmented and there are few rideshare lots. Because
of these limitations, a shuttle service should attempt point-to-point travel as
much as possible, which means working with larger employers to encourage
the service. Figure 5.3.F1 in the Transportation chapter of the Resource
Element identifies the potential routes and stops for a County rural transit
system.
The need for a public transit center has been identified and shall be supported
by Deschutes County. The center would include adequate parking and
restroom facilities, and provide the opportunity to transfer between multiple
intercity and local service providers. The most likely transit center location is in
Bend, but additional locations in Redmond and possibly La Pine/Wickiup
Junction may also be established. The County shall cooperate with ODOT and
local jurisdictions in establishing future transit facilities as needed.
Local Demand-Responsive Transportation
Deschutes County has a network of special transportation providers who serve
the elderly and disabled population. In most cases, the general public does not
have access to these special transportation services. There are several
providers of special transportation services in the County, ranging from public
to private, both profit and non-profit. The following are the existing service
providers in the County:
• City of Bend Dial-A-Ride
• Central Oregon Council On Aging (COCOA) Dial-A-Ride
• Opportunity Foundation of Central Oregon
• Residential Assistance Program (RAP)
• Disabled American Veterans
• Volunteer Services
• Central Oregon Resources for Independent Living
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• Access Express
With limited funding options, no significant expansions in these demand
responsive programs are planned. Short-term capital needs have been
identified for several dial-a-ride service providers and are included in the
Project List.
Intercity Bus and Passenger Rail
The following intercity bus services are planned to continue as the primary
(and only) public transit options in the County.
• Greyhound
• CAC Transportation
• The People Mover
• Porter Stage Lines
• Valley Retriever
The focus is to maximize the efficiency of these services as land use changes
occur. The County realizes it has no control over the market driven forces that
allow private transit providers to thrive or just survive. Increased emphasis
shall be placed on the transit/rideshare connections possible in the South
County as the population increases. The County will continue to work with the
cities of Bend and Redmond as they investigate the possibility of fixed-route
local transit systems. Without a local transit system to distribute trips, a
commuter system linking the rural and urban areas of the County is less likely
to succeed.
The Oregon Transportation Commission in November 1992 adopted the
Oregon Rail Passenger Policy and Plan. It provides a comprehensive long-
range plan for railroad passenger service in Oregon in coordination with the
Oregon Transportation Plan. Unfortunately, passenger rail service for Central
Oregon was ruled out as not being cost-effective. However, as conditions
change and the population of Deschutes County continues to increase, the
County will monitor the feasibility for future passenger rail service and work
with ODOT and the community on future transit/rail options.
Bikeways and pedestrians
In March 1992, the County adopted a Bicycle Master Plan as a resource
element of the Deschutes County Year 2000 Comprehensive Plan. The
Bicycle Master Plan provides recommendations for policies, classifications of
bike facilities, location of bike facilities, bicycle parking and other transportation
issues related to bike facilities. Many of the goals and objectives of that Plan
have been implemented and/or are still valid. With the adoption of the latest
version of the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan by the Oregon
Transportation Commission on June 14, 1995, portions of the 1992 County
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Bicycle Master Plan are no longer relevant. The new state Plan contains
several changes from earlier versions, which will have an effect on the
Deschutes County Bicycle Master Plan. The most significant change is the
new emphasis on pedestrian facilities, which were not addressed in the
previous Plan.
Based on need and road characteristics, all roads open for public use should
be considered for the potential to improve bicycling and walking. Facilities
should safely accommodate the majority of users. Roads designed to
accommodate cyclists with moderate skills will meet the needs of most riders;
special consideration should be given close to school areas, where facilities
designed specifically for children should be provided. Roads designed to
accommodate young, elderly and disabled pedestrians serve all users well.
Rural Bikeways
On most rural roadways, shoulder bikeways are appropriate, accommodating
cyclists with few conflicts with motor vehicles. In general, the minimum
shoulder widths recommended by Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan for
rural highways are adequate for bicycle travel. These standards take into
account traffic volumes and other considerations.
Shared roadways are adequate on low-volume rural roads, where motor
vehicle drivers can safely pass bicyclists due to the low likelihood of
encountering on-coming traffic. Shoulder bikeways can be added to roads with
high bicycle use, such as in semi-rural residential areas or close to urban
areas. It may be appropriate to stripe and mark shoulders as bike lanes near
schools or other areas of high use. Even adding minimal-width shoulders can
improve conditions for bicyclists on roads with moderate traffic volumes. On
roads with high use, it may be necessary to add full-width shoulders in areas
of poor visibility due to topography.
Rural Walkways
In sparsely populated areas, the shoulders of rural roads usually
accommodate pedestrians. There are, however, roadways outside urban
areas where the developing urban character creates a need for sidewalks,
such as on highly developed commercial strips or in residential clusters along
county roads or state highways.
How and where pedestrians cross arterial roads is potentially more important
that pedestrian travel along roads. Road volumes will dictate at what locations
special pedestrian treatments may be warranted. It is anticipated that much of
the focus will be on the state highways as they travel through rural
communities. These locations have the highest concentrations of pedestrians
and activity centers. Pedestrian treatments will be analyzed in concert with
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traffic calming strategies on the highways. Where sidewalks are not provided,
paved shoulders should be wide enough to accommodate both pedestrians
and bicyclists. Paved multi-use paths provided on one or both sides of a
roadway in a rural community may be appropriate for providing access to
schools. These paths will also serve the needs of young bicycle riders.
Through the site plan review process, the County will continue to monitor
pedestrian facility design, and require appropriate facility designs to comply
with provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The TSP identifies policies, bike and pedestrian facility classifications, design
standards and construction and maintenance guidelines. Many of the design
standards apply to urban rather than rural areas. However, they are in this
plan because they may apply to specific projects, new neighborhoods, or
urban unincorporated communities. This TSP contains a list of suggested
improvements on the Deschutes County Road System to accommodate bike
and pedestrian facilities. Completion of these projects will considerably
enhance the network of bike and pedestrian facilities throughout the County.
The TSP recommends standards and design guidelines for bicycle and
pedestrian facilities set by the 1995 Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. All
traffic devices used in conjunction with bikeways are required to meet the
standards set forth in the national Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
(MUTCD).
On-Road Route Selection
The integrity and usefulness of the bicycle system mandates that future
development is designed with bicycling in mind.
Off-Road Route Selection
On-road bike facilities are generally preferred due to their lower cost and
easier maintenance. However, paved and unpaved off-road bike paths could
cater more to the recreational and fitness riders, and also offer an automobile-
free route for inexperienced and younger cyclists. Well-placed paths could
also serve commuting traffic. A paved multi-use path should be of sufficient
width to accommodate multiple user groups such as jogging strollers and
rollerbladers. The opportunity exists in Deschutes County to create off-road,
separate multiple-use paths in some circumstances:
1. Along maintenance “ditchrider” roads adjacent to main irrigation canals
2. Major utility easements
3. Short connector routes between adjoining subdivisions, and between
subdivisions and adjoining schools and parks
4. Abandoned roadways
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5. Additional bicycle paths within destination resorts and new recreational
communities now in the planning stage
6. Heavily impacted forest trails
Facility Requirements
The TPR has various requirements relating to bicycle facilities such as bike
parking amounts and areas, and employee considerations such as shower
and changing facilities. Most of these requirements have already been
implemented through Deschutes County ordinances, but are reinforced here
with goals and policies.
Airports
The continued operation and vitality of airports registered, licensed or
otherwise recognized by the Department of Transportation is a matter of State
and County concern. There are currently 18 registered airports in Deschutes
County. Four of these are public use airports; two of which, Bend Municipal
and Redmond Municipal-Roberts Field are publicly owned while Sisters Eagle
Air and Sunriver airports are privately owned. These airports have improved
(paved) runways, and offer a range of services, from the availability of
commercial passenger flights arriving and departing daily at Redmond
Municipal Airport, to the Sisters (Eagle Air) Airport which offers no services or
runway navigational aids.
The Redmond Airport, which is located completely within the City limits of
Redmond, is owned and controlled by the City of Redmond. It has a master
plan, which was updated in 1998 and adopted by the City. The Plan guides
the future land use(s) at the airport. The Master Plan includes an inventory of
existing facilities, land uses, aviation forecasts, a demand/capacity analysis,
airport layout plan and a development program.
Unlike the Redmond Airport, the Bend Municipal Airport is located outside the
Bend City limits and UGB, therefore the County has land use jurisdiction over
it. In order to guide airport land uses, the County adopted and utilizes the 1994
Bend Municipal Airport Master Plan, as amended in 2002 the “Supplement to
1994 Airport Master Plan” incorporated by reference herein. This is the guiding
document for airport planning and development. This document incorporates a
range of facility improvements for the Bend Municipal Airport over the 20-year
planning horizon (2021), including short, intermediate, and long-term projects
to improve safety and function at the airport.
Currently, LCDC has administrative regulations (OAR 660-13) which were
adopted in 1996. These regulations apply to airports that, in 1994, were the
base for three or more aircraft. However, with the passage of HB 2605, the
regulations were revised by the 1997 Oregon Legislature, which will require
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DLCD to update the rules to incorporate the changes made by the Legislature.
For purposes of this TSP, the County will not alter current land use regulations
in response to the current regulations (OAR 660-13) which have been revised
by the Oregon Legislature. While the content of the new regulations is not yet
known, the County policy shall be to develop ordinances to comply with the
new regulations once they are adopted by DLCD.
Railroads
See Goals and Policies
Waterways
A water-borne transportation plan is not applicable in Deschutes County.
Pipelines
Many miles of pipeline in Deschutes County currently carry power
transmission lines, cable television, telephone, natural gas, water and sewage.
The County encourages the continued use of pipelines to carry goods across
County boundaries and for distribution within the County.
Transportation System Management (TSM) and
Transportation Demand Management (TDM)
Although not urban, Deschutes County still has the potential to use several
TSM and TDM strategies in order to help preserve the function of major
County roads and state highways.
Transportation System Management (TSM)
TSM improvements focus on optimizing the carrying capacity of roads by
alleviating congestion and reducing accidents. Examples of TSM strategies
include:
1. Minimizing the number of access points
2. Channelization of turning movements
3. Creation of continuous turning and merging lanes
4. Raised medians
5. Signalization
An important aspect of TSM is that public agencies work closely with affected
businesses to fully evaluate impacts from changes to access. In addition, TSM
must account equally for the needs of all modes of travel, particularly that bike,
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pedestrian and transit movements and safety are not compromised in
exchange for improving roadway capacity.
Transportation Demand Management (TDM)
Unlike TSM strategies, which focus on physical changes, TDM targets driver
behavior, mode choice and employers to lower the traffic demands on the
roads, especially during the peak travel times of the day. Examples of TDM
strategies include:
1. Alternative or flexible work schedules
2. Ridesharing/carpooling
3. Transit use
4. Bicycling/walking
5. Parking management
6. Working at home/telecommuting (teleworking)
TDM strategies often involve and education and promotion effort to encourage
changes in single occupant driving behavior. Therefore, TDM strategies
require a concerted community and/or employer effort and commitment to
realize the greatest results. A “tool box” of TDM strategies suitable for Central
Oregon is included in Appendix M of the Transportation chapter of the
Resource Element. Also significant is that, of all the different strategies used to
relieve congestion, TDM efforts in Bend, Redmond, Sisters, Prineville, and
Madras can all affect the County and each city because of the employee
commute patterns throughout the tri-county area.
Deschutes County Transportation Project List
The list of expected transportation projects needed over the next twenty years
is provided in the Transportation chapter of the Resource Element. The
projects chosen were a result of:
1. Analysis of County roadway accident data provided by the state
2. Using capacity analysis on County roads based on the forecasted growth
3. Knowledge and experience of the County Road Department
4. Public input
5. Efforts to enhance non-auto modes of transportation to conform to
requirements of the State Transportation Planning Rule (OAR 660-12)
The project list is broken down into two categories:
1. A list of previously-committed projects, which in most cases, the County
has an obligation to fund and/or construct
2. A prioritized detailed project list of the remaining needs in Table 5.11.T1
of the Transportation chapter of the Resource Element
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The method used to prioritize the projects involved a criteria-ranking system.
The complete ranking matrix is located in Appendix J of the Transportation
chapter of the Resource Element. Categories were created then divided up by
level of importance as follows:
1. Most Important: Solving safety problems
2. Other Important Criteria Included: Maximizing the use of pedestrian and
bicycle facilities; Location of schools, parks and fire stations; Project
cost, cost per average daily trip (ADT); Pavement condition index;
Anticipated traffic volumes (2016).
Safety related issues were automatically placed at the top of the list, then were
ranked by cost and future traffic volumes within their category. Projects that
add or enhance bicycle and pedestrian facilities and/or have access to
schools, parks or fire stations, received extra credit. The rankings for each
category were added together to result in a numerical score or “rank total”.
The lower the “rank total” number was, the higher the project was rated. The
rankings for bike and pedestrian projects within the communities of
Terrebonne and Tumalo were defined by a community planning process that
took place in 1996-’97, and were to be used as general guidelines.
Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Economy
Economy
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Goals
1. To diversify and improve the economy of the area.
2. To enhance and maintain the existing natural resource, commercial and
industrial segments of the local economy.
Policies
Tourism
1. The importance of tourism to the local economy is well known, but there
also exists considerable potential for strengthening and improving this
segment of the economy. The County shall assist in the development of
a long-range plan to encourage tourism (including destination resorts)
and recreation locally (see Recreation Chapter for additional
information). This study will include consideration of the impacts likely to
be created by increasingly expensive gasoline.
2. Private commercial activities consistent with other County policies which
enhance tourism shall be encouraged by the County.
3. The County shall encourage the development of a convention center and
multi-purpose civic auditorium in Bend to further encourage additional
tourism. The County's support may include providing County-owned land
should that be determined to be appropriate and legal.
4. Consistent with policies in the Recreation and Open Space chapters,
cooperation with Federal and State agencies shall be sought by the
County in preserving and developing, as appropriate, scenic and
recreational resources.
5. Improved transportation to winter recreation areas shall be encouraged
by better snow removal on roads to such areas, as well as by seeking
programs providing alternative transportation methods.
Natural resources
6. The County shall protect agricultural land to assure continued agricultural
production and the benefits to tourism (see Agricultural chapter).
7. Where consistent with other County policies on open spaces and tourism
Deschutes County shall support Deschutes National Forest land use
alternatives which stabilize or increase the annual allowable cut.
Reforestation of the national forest is of particular importance. The
County will continue to support the concept of multiple use.
GGooaallss && PPoolliicciieess
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8. Deschutes County shall support additional Wilderness Area only if there
is no significant reduction to the annual allowable harvest, or when it can
be shown that the added Wilderness Area will result in local economic
benefits equal or greater than those available from the harvesting of the
timber.
9. The County shall encourage the development of alternative additional
uses for non-metallic minerals (non-aggregate materials only - see
Surface Mining chapter).
Land
10. Adequate lands for commercial and industrial requirements shall be set
aside (see Rural Development and Urbanization chapters).
11. In order that local residents have adequate employment the County shall
encourage programs that appropriately increase employment
opportunities and assist, where feasible, public plans and programs to
develop industrial land.
12. While medium and heavy industry which meets State and Federal
pollution standards shall be accommodated, the County shall seek and
encourage only non-polluting (most likely light industry) manufacturers
which are compatible with existing air and water quality.
13. Deschutes County and the City of Bend will explore the feasibility of
using the BLM land adjacent to the northern boundary of the original
Bend Urban Growth Boundary, and fronting on the east side of Highway
97, as future industrial land. The County shall work with the BLM to
protect this land for possible industrial use until a final land use
determination is made.
14. Publicly owned land is a community resource that should be used as
trading stock and otherwise to implement this plan thereby assisting and
meeting the community's future needs.
15. Where there is a demonstrated public need for conversion of public land
to private use, the County should continue to sell such land at public
auction.
16. Deschutes County shall cooperate with other local agencies in the
preparation of a County-wide economic development plan and as an
interim plan shall adopt as part of this plan the Deschutes County Overall
Economic Development Plan.
17. Deschutes County recognizes that the City of Redmond may need
additional land for future industrial use. Thus, the 909 acres within
County jurisdiction immediately to the south of the Redmond Airport,
located outside of the Urban Growth Boundary, and further described as
the southern half of Sections 27 and 28, and that portion which lies to the
west of the COI North Unit Canal in the southern half of Section 26, all in
Township 15 South, Range 13 East, shall be considered for future
industrial use. The County will take the necessary steps to preserve this
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area and preclude development which would be incompatible with
industrial development.
Rural Commercial
18. Land use regulations shall ensure that the uses allowed are less
intensive than those allowed for unincorporated communities in OAR
660, Division 22 or any successor.
19. Rural Commercial zoning shall be applied to Deschutes Junction,
Deschutes River Woods Store, Pine Forest, Rosland and Spring River.
20. In Spring River, there shall be a Limited Use Combining zone.
21. County Comprehensive Plan policies and land use regulations shall
ensure that new uses authorized within the Deschutes Junction,
Deschutes River Woods Store, Pine Forest, Rosland and Spring River
areas do not adversely affect agricultural and forest uses in the
surrounding areas.
22. Zoning in the area shall ensure that the uses allowed are rural as
required by Goal 14, Urbanization, and less intensive than those allowed
for unincorporated communities as defined in OAR 660-022. New
commercial uses shall be limited to those that are intended to serve the
surrounding rural area or the travel needs of people passing through the
area.
23. New commercial uses shall be limited in size to 2500 square feet, or
3500 square feet, if for an agricultural or forest-related use.
24. A lawful use existing on or before November 5, 2002, not otherwise
allowed in a Rural Commercial zone, may continue to exist subject to the
county’s nonconforming use regulations.
25. An existing lawful use may expand up to 25 percent of the total floor area
existing on November 5, 2002.
26. The Rural Commercial zoning regulations shall allow a mixed use of
residential or rural commercial uses.
27. Residential and commercial uses shall be served by DEQ approved on-
site sewage disposal systems.
28. Residential and commercial uses shall be served by on site wells or
public water systems.
29. Community sewer systems, motels, hotels and industrial uses shall not
be allowed.
30. Recreational vehicle or trailer parks and other uses catering to travelers
shall be permitted.
Rural Industrial
31. To assure that urban uses are not permitted on rural industrial lands,
land use regulations in the Rural Industrial zones shall ensure that the
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uses allowed are less intensive than those allowed for unincorporated
communities in OAR 660, Division 22 or any successor.
32. Limited Use Combining zones shall be applied to the Redmond Military
(Tax lot 1513000000116), Deschutes Junction (Tax lot 161226C000301),
and Wickiup Junction (Tax lot 2110360000104) to ensure that permitted
uses are compatible with surrounding farm and forest lands.
33. Land use regulations shall ensure that new uses authorized within the
Rural Industrial sites do not adversely affect agricultural and forest uses
in the surrounding areas.
34. New industrial uses shall be limited in size to a maximum floor area of
7,500 square feet per use within a building, except for the primary
processing or raw materials produced in rural areas, for which there is no
floor area per use limitation.
35. A lawfully established use that existed on or before February 2, 2003, not
otherwise allowed in a Rural Industrial zone, may continue to exist
subject to the county’s nonconforming use regulations
36. A lawfully established use that existed on or before February 2, 2003
may be expanded to occupy a maximum of 10,000 square feet of floor
area or an additional 25 percent of the floor area currently occupied by
the existing use whichever is greater.
37. Residential and industrial uses shall be served by DEQ approved on-site
sewage disposal systems.
38. Residential and industrial uses shall be served by on-site wells or public
water systems.
39. Community sewer systems shall not be allowed in Rural Industrial zones.
Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Economy
Economy
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Working Draft Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
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Background
An understanding of the local economy is a basic step in the preparation of a
comprehensive plan. Economic analysis can aid in the understanding of
demographic trends, point out underutilized resources and ensure the
allocation of adequate amounts of land for various purposes at the correct
locations.
When this plan was written in 1979 much of the information in this section
came from the Deschutes County Overall Economic Development Plan. At
that time, Deschutes County's economy was typical of a rural County
experiencing rapid growth and changing to a more urban economy. Resource
activities such as farming, timber and mining were diminishing. Agricultural
employment was down, although production was stable and gross farm
income was actually up. Timber and wood processing was still an important
economic element, although it was expected to decline in relative importance
as the character of the economy changed. Mining's importance was declining
and employment in that sector was seen as likely to remain fairly constant.
Besides resource uses, tourism and recreation were important industries in
rural Oregon, ranked second to timber as an income producer for the County.
The magnificent scenery, natural environment and numerous and varied
recreation sites made Deschutes County a popular vacation area. Much of the
initial and ongoing commercial investment was related to serving tourists.
Doubts were raised about the future of local
tourism due to questions about gasoline
availability, the loss of scenic attractiveness due
to development and the desirability of an
industry with relatively low wage rates.
Nevertheless, there was still an interest in attracting more tourism, especially
conventions.
The most dramatic changes occurring in Deschutes County's economic picture
were seen as related to local growth; contract construction plus the service
sector had grown dramatically. Wholesale and retail sales, as well as finance-
insurance-real estate, were also growing significantly. The only service
industry not increasing its relative importance was government, which was
declining as a percentage of those employed.
Manufacturing was growing in the County but at a slower rate than non-
manufacturing, partly due to the relative isolation of the area from major
markets. This was seen as something that might change as Redmond's
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industrial park was completed. Manufacturing was determined to provide
significant improvements in local incomes, although the resulting rise in the
cost of living could adversely effect those on low or fixed income.
In 1979 Bend was already the major service center in Central Oregon. The
increasing number of new shopping centers was expected to somewhat
enlarge Bend's market area and improve the community's position as a
regional trade center.
Both population and employment in Deschutes County were expected to
continue growing. A table of scenarios for future employment was provided in
the 1979 plan but has been removed from this update because it projected
employment to the year 2000 and as of the 2008 tune-up of this plan, the table
is no longer useful.
Rural Commercial – Deschutes Junction, Deschutes
River Woods Store, Pine Forest, Rosland and Spring
River
The Rural Commercial plan designation is applicable to residential and
commercial lands located outside unincorporated communities and urban
growth boundaries. The rural commercial uses and services in these areas are
limited in size and scope and are intended to serve the immediate rural area
and travelers passing through the area. Plan policies and zoning standards
restrict new commercial uses to those that are less intensive than those
authorized in unincorporated communities. The uses and densities are limited
by the zoning, thereby maintaining these areas as rural lands.
No new exceptions to Goals 3 or 4 or new non-resource lands were taken as a
result of the change in designation to Rural Commercial. The Rural
Commercial designation was only applied to acknowledged exception areas.
Periodic Review
As a part of Periodic Review (OAR 660-25), Deschutes County applied a new
comprehensive plan designation of Rural Commercial to Deschutes Junction,
Deschutes River Woods Store and Spring River.
The 1979 Comprehensive Plan designated the areas of Deschutes Junction,
Deschutes River Woods Store and Spring River as Rural Service Centers.
However, the new Unincorporated Communities Rule (OAR 660-022) has
defined “rural service centers” in such a way that these areas no longer qualify
as rural service centers. OAR 660-022 defines several types of unincorporated
communities and provides limitations on the types and sizes of uses permitted,
generally restricting uses that are inappropriate considering available water,
sewer, and transportation service, or uses that would tend to undermine the
Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Economy
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viability of nearby urban areas. During its review of lands identified as rural
service centers, the County determined that Deschutes Junction, Deschutes
River Woods Store and Spring River do not qualify as any of the four types of
unincorporated communities identified under OAR 660-022.
As part of Periodic Review, Deschutes County reviewed and updated the
County comprehensive plan and land use regulations for those areas.
Additionally, the Comprehensive Plan and zoning map boundaries for all of the
Rural Commercial areas were amended to comply with the requirements of
the administrative rules and to reconcile historic mapping inconsistencies
between the plan and the zoning maps.
The Rural Commercial plan designation and zoning brings each of these three
areas into compliance with state rules by adopting zoning to ensure that they
remain rural and that the uses allowed are less intensive than those allowed in
unincorporated communities as defined in OAR 660-022.
Post-Acknowledgment Plan Amendments
The County has also applied the new Rural Commercial plan designation to
the Pine Forest and Rosland commercial centers which have historically been
committed to commercial type uses and have served the area as such since
prior to the adoption of zoning regulations.
The owner of the Rosland commercial center sought approval of a post-
acknowledgment plan amendment in 2002. The amendment was sought to
confirm her right to continue to operate the commercial center as it has been
operated since 1973. The prior rural residential zoning failed to recognize the
commercial nature of this property. The center was recognized because it is
small and rural in character and would qualify for a goal exception as the land
is physically developed with rural commercial uses.
The owners of the Pine Forest commercial center sought approval of a post-
acknowledgment plan amendment in 2006 and the property was rezoned in
2007. The amendment was sought to confirm their right to continue to operate
the commercial center as it has been operated since 1970. The prior rural
residential zoning failed to recognize the commercial nature of this property.
The center was recognized because it is small and rural in character and
would qualify for a goal exception as the land is physically developed with a
rural commercial use and is needed for infrastructure to support the existing
commercial use.
Rural Commercial Designated Area Descriptions
The Deschutes Junction Rural Commercial boundary includes 1.77 acres,
bounded by Tumalo Road on the South, Highway on the East, with the
remainder surrounded by agricultural lands (EFU).
Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Economy
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Working Draft Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
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The Deschutes River Woods Store Rural Commercial boundary includes 4.99
acres bounded by Baker Road on the North, Highway 97 on the East, railroad
tracks and Cheyenne Road on the West and Morningstar Christian School on
the South. The surrounding land is zoned Rural Residential (RR-10). The
Deschutes River Woods residential subdivision is adjacent to this property.
The Pine Forest Rural Commercial boundary includes approximately 2.0 acres
bounded by Pine Forest Drive and Burgess Road. The remainder is
surrounded by exceptions land zoned RR-10.
The Rosland Rural Commercial boundary includes approximately 4.5 acres
near the intersection of Burgess and River Pine Roads. The remainder is
surrounded by exceptions land zoned RR-10.
The Spring River Rural Commercial boundary includes 9.16 acres bounded by
Spring River Road on the North, Lunar Drive on the East and additional
commercial and residential uses on the South and West. The surrounding land
is zoned Rural Residential (RR-10).
Land Use Planning
The existing land uses in all of the Rural Commercial areas are primarily
commercial with a few residences existing in conjunction with businesses. The
surrounding zoning is agricultural, forest, and Rural Residential.
The Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan designates Deschutes Junction,
Deschutes River Woods Store, Pine Forest, Rosland and Spring River as
Rural Commercial.
Rural Industrial
The purpose of the Rural Industrial designation is to recognize existing
industrial uses in rural areas of the county and to allow the appropriate
development of additional industrial uses that are consistent with the rural
character, facilities and services. The Rural Industrial plan designation is
applicable to industrial lands located outside unincorporated communities and
urban growth boundaries.
Periodic Review
In order to comply with state rules for Periodic Review (OAR 660-025),
Deschutes county has reviewed and updated the county comprehensive plan
and land use regulations for the rural industrial sites of: Redmond Military,
Deschutes Junction, Bend Auto Recyclers and Wickiup Junction. OAR 660-
022, the State Unincorporated Communities Rule, defines the types of
unincorporated communities and specifies that industrial uses be limited to
Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Economy
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buildings containing no more than 10,000 square feet of floor space. Rural
industrial uses outside of unincorporated communities must be less intense
than those allowed within an incorporated community.
Rural Industrial Designated Area Descriptions
The Redmond Military site consists of tax lot 1513000000116 and is 35.42
acres, bounded by the Redmond Urban Growth Boundary to the west and
Exclusive Farm Use lands surrounding the remainder of the property.
The Deschutes Junction site consists of the following tax lots:
161226CO00102 (15.61 acres), bounded by 161226C000111 (6.23 acres)
and 161226C000301 (6.12 acres). These tax lots are bounded by Deschutes
Market Road to the north and east and Highway 97 to the west, tax lot
161226CO00106 is bounded by Deschutes Market Road to the north, and
other rural industrial lands to the east, south and west. Tax lot
161226C000107 is bounded by Deschutes Market Road to the north, EFU
land to the west, and other rural industrial lands to the east and south.
Bend Auto Recyclers consists of tax lot 1712030000111 and is 13.41 acres,
bounded by Highway 97 to the west, and Multiple Use Agricultural lands to
east, north and south.
Wickiup Junction consists of tax lot 2110360000104 and is 12.67 acres,
bounded by Rosland Road on the southwest with forest lands surrounding the
remainder of the property.
Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Recreation
Recreation
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Working Draft Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Page 3-68 Draft 5-14-08
Goals
1. To satisfy the recreational needs of the residents of and visitors to
Deschutes County.
2. To maximize utilization of economic and personnel resources through
increasing intergovernmental and public-private cooperation in the
provision of recreation facilities and services.
3. To provide, concomitant with growth, sufficient uniformly distributed land
and facilities for park purposes throughout the County.
Policies
Coordination
1. Developmental cooperation and coordination should be maximized. On
significant projects, the originating agency should communicate in the
spirit of cooperation with other agencies regarding planning, acquisition,
development and operation of programs and facilities. The private sector
should be included to the greatest extent possible and should, whenever
possible, be responsible for the acquisition, development, operation and
maintenance of recreational facilities.
2. Rehabilitation, facility improvement or expansion and recreational
program from the State and Federal agencies shall be encouraged. A
County Recreation Committee with both private and public
representation should be the coordinator of such activities. Input from
groups with special needs should be encouraged so as to develop
appropriate programs, with tolerable impact to resources and
surrounding residents and wildlife. Park rehabilitation, replacement,
minor betterment, repair and ordinary maintenance activities which do
not significantly impact land uses will be allowed outright.
3. In order to obtain greater efficiency in providing services, local input to
State and Federal agencies on land management policies should
emphasize appropriate multi-use utilization.
4. The Oregon State Parks System Plan and Master Plans shall serve as
the State Parks guide for improvements locally, and act as the basis for
coordination and cooperation between State Parks and local recreation
agencies.
5. The County will continue to coordinate the various recreational needs for
the County and urban areas with the U. S. Forest Service, Bureau of
Land Management, State Parks Divisions, Bend Metro Parks and
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Recreation District, the Central Oregon Parks and Recreation District
and other recreation providers.
6. The County shall work with private and public agencies to develop a plan
to provide needed warming, restroom and parking facilities for existing
winter sports areas, as well as encouraging the designation of additional
areas. The plan should seek to combine cross-county skiing and snow
play areas, while separating these uses from snow mobiling areas.
Private and public provisions for additional downhill skiing areas
compatible with the environment should be sought and adequate
transportation to ski areas, utilizing methods other than automobiles,
should be developed.
7. The County shall assist State and Federal efforts to protect Oregon
Natural Areas and the U.S.F.S. Research and Experimental Areas.
Facilities
8. The following guidelines for assessing the adequacy of available parks
shall be established:
• Park Passive Areas and Neighborhood Parks = 2.5 acres per 1000
population
• Community Parks = 2.5 acres per 1000 population
• Regional Parks = 5.0 acres per 1000 population
9. The County shall require the dedication of land or fees for park purposes,
consistent with the preceding standards, as a condition of subdivision
approval. Developments with private recreation areas may be credited
against any dedication requirements, if public park standards are met
(including facilities under control of a legally established homeowners
association).
10. The most critical need for new parks occurs in urbanizing areas.
Acquisition and development of urban recreational areas consistent with
community growth shall be the responsibility of the local park districts
and cities. However, the County shall cooperate with recreation providers
in establishing zoning to protect existing parks from incompatible
adjacent uses, setting aside or acquiring suitable public land for park
purposes, and encouraging annexation into a park district of lands added
to an urban growth boundary.
11. Park districts and the cities, where no park district exists, shall seek to
acquire centrally located park areas, especially in high-density
neighborhoods. Joint use of the land for park use and such facilities as
schools or fire stations shall be encouraged.
12. Recognizing that streams, rivers, and irrigation canals are natural
attractors for recreation, the County shall encourage the development of
public multi-use trails along these features, in areas where conflicts with
natural resources would not result. Trails should be designed to
accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians, as appropriate to
the area.
Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Recreation
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Working Draft Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
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13. While some flexibility is required, once a park plan has been prepared
and adopted by local regulatory agencies, it shall remain as the
controlling document for guiding development of that park.
14. Depending on the determination of each community, the County shall
support local efforts for a public pool for each County-incorporated
community.
15. Unincorporated communities shall be encouraged to assess their
recreational needs and to identify lands required to serve those needs.
The County shall encourage civic organizations and public agencies
attempting to meet those identified needs.
16. The County shall provide the bicycle and pedestrian connections
between schools, residential areas, parks and other recreation
attractions, shopping centers, and other commercial and industrial
centers.
17. Because it is recognized that the over-use of the motor vehicle has
detrimental effects on the County, the use of bicycling, and walking, and
mass transit, carpooling, shall be encouraged as a means of accessing
recreation areas.
18. The State Parks Department shall be encouraged to include trailer
dumps and sanitary facilities in their development of the Juniper
Waysides between Bend and Redmond.
19. Recognizing the needs of recreational bicycling, the County shall
maintain or improve the quality of rural routes.
20. Public outdoor recreation facilities such as outdoor theaters are needed
to accommodate gatherings and other uses in each of the County's
major population centers.
21. To facilitate learning about and experiencing outdoor activities an
outdoor education camp is needed, and a sportsman's park (rifle,
archery, off-road vehicles, etc.) shall be designated near Bend.
22. The Oregon High Desert Museum is an example of the type of outdoor
education project that the County shall encourage.
23. Other specific needs to be met by public and private recreation providers
that have been identified are:
a. Additional camping and/or picnic sites at Sparks, Elk, Lava and
Cultus Lakes, as well as at Crane Prairie and Wickiup Reservoirs;
b. A group camping area at La Pine State Park;
c. A hiker's camp at Tumalo State Park;
d. More water sport opportunities;
e. Additional wilderness areas (as demand warrants and consistent
with the local economy and protection of fragile areas);
f. Maintenance of existing and identification of additional off-road
vehicle areas.
24. All development in Deschutes County shall comply with all applicable
state and federal rules, regulations and standards.
Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Recreation
Recreation
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Working Draft Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Draft 5-14-08 Page 3-71
Background
Recreation is important to people in Deschutes County due to both the
economic benefits of tourism and its contribution to local quality of life. When
this plan was written in 1979 the demand for recreation was anticipated to
increase along with the population. Planning was seen as a way to protect
recreational resources, accommodate more people and protect livability and
tourist dollars.
At that time, duplication or conflicting developments by governmental agencies
and private groups had resulted in fragmentation and inefficiency in the
recreational system. With ever growing funding problems, it was becoming
increasingly important that a well defined and coordinated recreation system
was needed. This section of the Comprehensive Plan was not meant to be
that detailed plan, but was meant to serve as an analysis of local needs and to
set into motion activities aimed at fulfilling those needs and protecting required
resources.
Urban and urbanizing areas were seen as particularly in need of parks and
planning ahead was a way to provide better parks at a lower cost. Also, it was
thought that combining parks with other public facilities, such as schools and
fire stations, would permit even greater savings in land, personnel and
maintenance.
To provide a common basis of understanding, the following park definitions
were developed by the Recreation Citizen Advisory Committee:
• Park Passive Areas = 1 - 3 acres
• Neighborhood Parks = 1 - 5 acres
• Community Parks = 5 - 25 acres
• Regional Parks = 25 + acres
In 1979, both state parks and federal recreation areas were receiving
increasing use from both the local population and tourists. Most state parks in
the county were in need of some form of rehabilitation. The desire to expand
existing roads and play areas raised particular concern over retaining solitude-
dependent recreation and wildlife in the following areas; (a) Wilderness Areas,
where popular lakes and trails were beginning to show the effects of heavy
use; (b) Campgrounds and Picnic Areas, where facilities were inadequate for
demands; (c) Fishing Areas, because access to more remote locations was
being requested; (d) Skiing Facilities, where demand of such uses as
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Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Recreation
restrooms and warming facilities was exceeding capacities; and (e) Off-Road
Vehicle Activity.
Other often identified needs were bicycle-pedestrian-equestrian trails and
planned recreation activities, including educational programs. Coordination
between public and private facilities was determined to provide more
recreational opportunities, and promote tourism.
Recreational needs in rural areas were thought
to be different than urban areas. While the
urbanizing areas required more athletic and pool
facilities, the rural areas needed more Natural
Areas and Research Natural Areas (selected by
well- defined scientific criteria) to maintain and improve our knowledge of the
environment.
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Working Draft Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Page 3-72 Draft 5-14-08
One type of recreation which deserved special recognition was winter sport
activities of the area. Known for its skiing, Deschutes County attracted many
thousands of visitors each winter. Facilities for these people were rapidly
becoming inadequate and new areas and services were thought to be needed
in the future.
When this plan was written, the County was not involved with providing
recreation facilities. No change in that situation was anticipated; however, the
County's help in obtaining land dedications for parks, in regulating off-road
vehicles (recognizing the considerable damage when used inappropriately
east of Horse Ridge), and in other ways, was believed to assist existing
recreation providers to meet anticipated needs.
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Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Destination Resorts
Destination Resorts
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Working Draft Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Draft 5-14-08 Page 3-73
Goals
1. To provide for development of destination resorts in the County
consistent with Statewide Planning Goal 8 in a manner that will be
compatible with farm and forest uses, existing rural development, and in
a manner that will maintain important natural features, such as habitat of
threatened or endangered species, streams, rivers and significant
wetlands.
Policies
Mapping for destination resort siting.
1. To assure that resort development does not conflict with the objectives of
other Statewide Planning Goals, destination resorts shall pursuant to
Goal 8 not be sited in Deschutes County in the following areas:
a. On a site with 50 or more contiguous acres of unique or prime farm
land identified and mapped by the Soil Conservation Service or
within three miles of farm land within a High-Value Crop Area;
b. On predominantly Cubic Foot Site Class 1 or 2 forest lands which
are not subject to an approved Goal exception;
c. On areas protected as Goal 5 resources in an acknowledged
comprehensive plan protected in spite of identified conflicting uses
("3A" sites designated pursuant to OAR 660-16-010(1));
d. Especially sensitive big game habitat, as generally mapped by the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in July 1984 and as further
refined through development of comprehensive plan provisions
implementing this requirement.
2. In addition, destination resorts shall not be located in areas zoned EFU-
320, EFU-80, OS&C and F-1 (as designated pursuant to the
implementation of the forest rule by Ordinance 92-026) or on resource
lands within one mile outside of urban growth boundaries.
3. Federal lands not otherwise excluded under these policies shall not be
mapped with the DR overlay zone. Federal land not otherwise excluded
that becomes privately owned through land exchanges or other federal
disposition can be considered for destination resort siting consistent with
these policies and mapped as available for destination resort
development.
4. The County shall adopt a map showing where destination resorts can be
located in the County. Such map shall become part of the
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Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Destination Resorts
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Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance and shall be an overlay
zone designated Destination Resort (DR).
Ordinance provisions
5. The County shall ensure that destination resorts are compatible with the
site and adjacent land uses through enactment of land use regulations
that, at a minimum, provide for the following:
a. Maintenance of important natural features, including habitat of
threatened or endangered species, streams, rivers, and significant
wetlands; maintenance of riparian vegetation within 100 feet of
streams, rivers and significant wetlands; and
b. Location and design of improvements and activities in a manner that
will avoid or minimize adverse effects of the resort on uses on
surrounding lands, particularly effects on intensive farming
operations in the area.
c. Such regulations may allow for alterations to important natural
features, including placement of structures, provided that the overall
values of the feature are maintained.
6. Minimum measures to assure that design and placement of
improvements and activities will avoid or minimize the adverse effects
noted in Policy 5(b) shall include:
a. The establishment and maintenance of buffers between the resort
and adjacent land uses, including natural vegetation and where
appropriate, fenced, berms, landscaped areas, and other similar
types of buffers.
b. Setbacks of structures and other improvements from adjacent land
uses.
7. The County may adopt additional land use restrictions to ensure that
proposed destination resorts are compatible with the environmental
capabilities of the site and surrounding land uses.
8. Uses in destination resorts shall be limited to visitor-oriented
accommodations, overnight lodgings, developed recreational facilities,
commercial uses limited to types and levels necessary to meet the needs
of visitors to the resort, and uses consistent with preservation and
maintenance of open space.
9. The zoning ordinance shall include measure that assure that developed
recreational facilities, visitor-oriented accommodations and key facilities
intended to serve the entire development are physically provided or are
guaranteed through surety bonding or substantially equivalent financial
assurances prior to closure of sale of individual lots or units. In phased
developments, developed recreational facilities and other key facilitated
intended to serve a particular phase shall be constructed prior to sales in
that phase or guaranteed through surety bonding.
Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Destination Resorts
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Phased implementation
10. The County shall implement Goal 8 in a phased sequence as follows:
a. The County shall adopt a zoning ordinance including all provisions
required by Goal 8.
b. The County shall identify countywide any lands excluded by Goal 8
from destination resort siting. Based on Alliance for Responsible
Land Use in Oregon v. Deschutes County, 23 Or LUBA 476,
affirmed, 15 Or App 621 (1992), land within three miles of the county
border shall be excluded under Goal 8 countywide at this time. The
exclusion will be reconsidered when land located in adjoining
counties and within three miles of Deschutes County has been
inventoried to determine whether any of that land constitutes high
value crop areas in a manner adequate to determine whether any
land in Deschutes County is within three miles of a high value crop
area located in a neighboring county.
c. The County shall map lands available for destination resort siting in a
phased sequence. The County shall first consider unirrigated EFU
lands and irrigated EFU lands having fewer than 40 acres of
contiguous irrigated land or 60 acres of non-contiguous land in the
same ownership where such lands are not otherwise excluded from
destination resort siting under these policies and Goal 8. Next, as the
county proceeds to implement the Goal 4 forest land rule as part of
periodic review, the County shall consider to what extent destination
resorts may be sited on lands presently zoned for forest uses.
Finally, after the County has completed a farm study pursuant to
periodic review, the County shall consider to what extent destination
resorts may be sited on EFU lands not considered during the first
phase of implementation of Goal 8. As to those lands not considered
in this first phase of destination resort mapping and not otherwise
excluded by Goal 8 and Policies 2 and 3 herein, nothing in these
policies shall affect the County's consideration in the future as to
whether such lands should be made available for destination resort
siting. The County shall complete consideration of forest lands and
remaining EFU lands for destination resort siting in conjunction with
periodic review. As successive phases of the destination resort
process are taken up by the County, the county may make
amendments to the comprehensive plan and zoning maps to add
additional areas to the destination resort map.
d. Until the Goal 8 mapping process is complete, no application for
quasi-judicial plan map changes and zone changes to apply to DR
zone to areas not designated under the Goal 8 process shall be
accepted, unless such applications are filed through the Goal 2
exceptions process.
Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Destination Resorts
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Destination Resorts
Background
When this plan was written in 1979, the development of resorts was seen as
an important element to diversify the economic base of the County. Under the
1979 plan and implementing ordinances, resorts were allowed as conditional
uses in the F-2, F-3, OS&C, MUA-10 and RR-10 zones. Three resorts existed
in the County at that time: Sunriver, Inn of the Seventh Mountain and Black
Butte Ranch.
Subsequently, the State Land Conservation and Development Commission
(LCDC) and the State Legislature adopted regulations promoting and setting
criteria for a newly defined type of development they called destination resorts.
First, Statewide Planning Goal 8: Recreation, was amended to specify a
process for locating destination resorts on rural land without taking an
exception to Goals 3, 4, 11 and 14, which govern development on rural
resource lands. This was followed by legislation incorporating Goal 8 into
Oregon's land use statutes. By these actions, the State of Oregon recognized
destination resorts as a legitimate rural land use. Under these changes,
destination resorts could be sited in EFU zones. The Forest Rule, adopted by
LCDC in March 1990 allows destination resorts to be sited on specified forest
lands.
Implementation of destination resort siting under Goal 8 is optional. Deschutes
County initially added code language regarding state defined destination
resorts in 1992 at the request of the owners of Eagle Crest Resort. The Eagle
Crest owners wished to expand their existing resort onto adjacent lands and
wished to do so without going through the goal exceptions process.
In 1992, destination resorts were seen to have beneficial impacts, especially
as tourism grew as a segment of the local economy. The County experiences
with resorts had been very positive and it was understood that the siting of
destination resorts would be severely limited if such developments were not
allowed in certain farm and forest zones.
Implementation
Goal 8 requires that the County adopt a map showing which lands in the
County are available for destination resort development. The purpose of the
map is to provide greater certainty concerning destination resort siting than is
available under the exceptions process. To protect forest and farm resources,
Goal 8 prescribes that certain classes of lands are off limits to destination
resort development. The final map must reflect exclusion of such areas. A
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Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Destination Resorts
detailed description of the mapping process adopted by the County is found in
the Resource Element.
Goal 8 and the state statute also recognize that destination resorts can have
negative impacts on neighborhoods and rural quality of life. These impacts can
be substantially mitigated, however. The County recognized the importance of
balancing protection mechanisms for resource lands and rural land uses with
the economic benefits provided by destination resorts. The County further
recognized that this balance could be struck by the manner in which areas
were designated as being available for destination resort development and by
developing balanced siting criteria.
The County recognized that it had the option to be more restrictive than state
law in the areas it chose to exclude from destination resort siting through the
mapping process.
The Board of County Commissioners decided to implement Goal 8 in a
phased fashion, because as part of periodic review the County needed to
study current farm uses in the County and to implement the forest rule.
Accordingly, the County first considered siting destination resorts on the
following EFU lands not excluded by Goal 8: (1) unirrigated EFU land, (2)
irrigated EFU lands in contiguous ownership having fewer than 40 acres of
contiguous irrigation, and (3) irrigated EFU lands having 60 or more acres of
non-contiguous land in the same ownership. Second, following the County's
implementation of the forest rule, the County will consider development of
destination resorts on forest lands. Third, following a review of the County's
farm lands as part of the periodic review process, the farm lands not
considered for destination resorts in the first stage will be considered.
Notwithstanding the phased approach to
destination resort zoning, it was seen as
appropriate to develop siting standards for
destination resorts generally. If further
refinements were needed when forest lands
and farm lands not considered in the first
mapping phase were considered, such refinements could be made at the time.
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Working Draft Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Draft 5-14-08 Page 3-77
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Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Housing
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Working Draft Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Page 3-78 Draft 5-14-08
Housing
Goals
1. To provide adequate number of housing units at price ranges and rent
levels commensurate with the financial capabilities of local households.
2. To allow flexibility of housing location, type and density in Deschutes
County.
Policies
Because housing is one of the most important issues with which a
comprehensive plan deals, many of the other chapters (i.e., rural
development, urbanization, energy, public facilities) also directly or indirectly
affect housing.
The preparation of the policies in this chapter were generally accepted
throughout the process and changed little. The only exception was mobile
homes. Repeatedly the issue of whether to permit doublewide mobile homes
as permitted uses anywhere in the County was debated. Several differing
conclusions were reached by various groups, usually depending on how that
group balanced the need for lower priced housing against esthetic values and
neighborhood objections. The Board of County Commissioners was finally
able to reach a compromise which is to be found below.
1. Doublewide mobile homes (960 square feet or larger) with roof pitches,
overhangs and siding comparable to site- built homes shall be outright
uses outside urban growth boundaries, unless proposed in one of the
four areas of the County where mobile homes were prohibited prior to
the adoption of this plan or where protective covenants exclude such
housing.
2. Singlewide mobile homes shall be permitted in selected residential
areas, and as part of mobile home parks or planned developments;
however, singlewide mobile homes should not be permitted on individual
lots in urban density residential areas which have already substantially
developed with conventional housing, unless singlewide mobile homes
were part of the original development plan.
3. In order to keep housing costs as low as possible the procedural and
application processes in the County Planning, Sanitation and Building
Departments shall be reviewed and streamlined as much as possible.
4. To enable and encourage later in-filling of large lot subdivisions in
urbanizing areas the subdivisions should be preplanned for later division
into smaller lots at the time of the original platting.
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Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Housing
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Working Draft Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Draft 5-14-08 Page 3-79
5. In order that the most efficient housing pattern may be obtained the
County shall encourage the in-filling of existing subdivisions before
additional land division occurs.
6. Subdivision approval shall be dependent upon adequate provision of
public facilities and services, which may require phased construction of
the development; and to further reduce costs and provide amenities such
as open space and esthetics the clustering of housing is to be
encouraged.
7. To reduce costs and to encourage variety in design, County standards
shall permit a variety of housing styles and setbacks, as well as
appropriate reductions in road widths and other requirements.
8. Because clustering development can minimize the cost of land and
services, as well as provide more amenities, clustered housing for all
income brackets shall be encouraged.
9. In order to reduce costs for initial construction, as well as for
maintenance, new construction of low-income housing shall be located in
urban areas or rural service centers.
10. To develop adequate amounts of low income housing the regional
housing authority shall be responsible for coordinating and implementing
housing assistance programs in Deschutes County. The County shall
maintain an on-going study of all income levels of housing in order to
provide information on local housing needs.
11. Because of the relatively high need for housing rehabilitation locally the
County shall study local and State programs to assist housing
rehabilitation, and in conjunction with other local governments, take
appropriate action to encourage necessary rehabilitation.
Chapter 3: Rural Growth Management – Housing
Housing
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Working Draft Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan
Page 3-80 Draft 5-14-08
Background
When this plan was written in 1979 a study by the Central Oregon
Intergovernmental Council revealed that approximately 10 percent of the
County housing supply was comprised of second homes. These second home
owners were usually not Deschutes County residents. Given the assumed
dominance of recreation locally this 10 percent figure was thought to be
somewhat low.
Using 1977 numbers, there were 19,022 housing units in Deschutes County,
of which about 13 percent (2,547 units) were considered substandard. This
was considered an unexpectedly high number of substandard housing units.
In that same year, the median family income did not match the costs of
purchasing a home, highlighting the need for more median and low-income
family housing. Additionally, data from the Oregon State Housing Division
indicated that as of December 1976 the vacancy rates for single family homes
and apartments were under 5%, which was generally considered to indicate
an inadequate housing supply, with limited choice of type or price range. Only
mobile homes did not show a housing shortage.
Given that the population was expected to grow to 128,200 by the year 2000,
and in light of the continuing trend toward smaller households, it appeared that
an additional 38,682 housing units would be needed in the next 20 years.
Given the likelihood of few major shifts in
housing preference in coming years this
indicated a need for 25,492 new single family
homes, 5,682 new multi-family units, and 7,508
new mobile homes. It was thought that
increasing fuel costs and governmental incentives for higher densities could
increase the multi-family unit needs while lowering single-family home
requirements. Sufficient flexibility in County plans and zoning might be
necessary to accommodate such a shift.
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