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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 - 01 (Jan) Community Development UpdateCCCOMMUNITYOMMUNITYOMMUNITY DDDEVELOPMENTEVELOPMENTEVELOPMENT DDDEPARTMENTEPARTMENTEPARTMENT January 7, 2015 From the Director’s Desk: Building Safety The New Year is here and brings some changes in the Building Safety Division. After an open recruitment process, Chris Gracia was chosen as our new Assistant Building Official. He will continue to conduct plan reviews, including our most complicated commercial reviews, in his new position as ABO. We have conducted interviews for creating an on-call list of inspectors and plans examiners and are currently in process with two candidates. We will be able to utilize their services on an as- needed basis to help out during high inspection count days or filling in for vacations. Our plan review and inspection levels remain at a sustained high volume with two hotels, two assisted living facilities, and many new mixed use live/ work units in the City of Sisters. Residential plans are coming in at a steady pace - even during the winter months we are seeing numbers of new homes higher than during any of the last five years. Our Building Inspectors continue to do an admirable job of providing quality, on- time inspections, even with the adverse weather conditions we have been experiencing lately. Dave Pedersen, right, enjoys his retirement party at CDD Happy New Year! CDD’s 2014 was marked by several major events, including the implementation of a new software and e-permitting program (Accela), a series of retirements and promotions/new hires, among other major events, and high levels of development activity and projects across all divisions. We expect 2015 to be a blur. The seasonal (winter) slowdown is currently non-existent, and several major projects are on the horizon, including a CDD Comprehensive User Fee Study, 5-Year Financial Plan, and Natural Hazards Goal 7 Plan and Code Review to be initiated this month. I am pleased to announce the appointment of Randy Scheid as Deschutes County Building Official and Chris Gracia as Assistant Building Official, effective January 2, 2015. Randy previously served as the Assistant Building Official and Chris as a Building Inspector III. Randy and Chris are both committed to sustaining high levels of customer service as Building Safety team leaders. We welcome new Permit Technician Caroline House to our team. Caroline joined CDD in mid-December from the private sector. She brings a wide range of exceptional skills and is already making significant contributions. In addition, we extend warm welcomes to attorneys Stephanie Hicks and Dan Olsen as new Deschutes County Hearings Officers. We expect to integrate them into our Hearings Officer rotation as soon as February. CDD’s residential and commercial development activity continued to increase in 2014 over a very strong 2013. Specifically, CDD issued 319 single family home permits last year in the unincorporated rural county compared to 278 in 2013 and 157 in 2012. In 2014, the City of Bend issued 790 single family home permits; Redmond 147, Sisters 42, and La Pine 5. In addition, the commercial valuation of permits issued by County CDD for rural unincorporated areas increased to $19,263,074 in 2014 over $17,546,696 in 2013; and CDD performed 140 septic evaluations in 2014 up from 114 in 2013 and 69 in 2012. Overall, residential and commercial development activity remain strong and are expected to be sustained in 2015 with notable projects at Pronghorn, Sunriver and Caldera Springs, Black Butte Ranch, Tetherow, Mt. Bachelor, the Bend Airport, and in the greater Bend area. As declared at the Real Estate Forecast Breakfast in early 2014, Bend is back! Sisters and Redmond are rapidly gaining steam, and interest in La Pine is increasing. Hang on everyone – 2015 is going to be a wild ride! For current information on upcoming meetings, hearings., etc., please refer to the following links: Board of County Commissioners: www.deschutes.org, click on “Board Meetings” Planning Commission Mtgs./Hearings Officer Hearings: http://www.deschutes.org/Community-Development/Events.aspx Current Planning Central Oregon Irrigation District (COID) Text Amendment (TA-13-4): COID applied to amend Title 19 of Deschutes County Code, Section 19.20.020, to add as a use permitted outright in the SR-2.5 Zone the “operation, maintenance and piping of existing irrigation systems operated by an Irrigation District, except as provided in DCC 18.120.050.” The Deschutes County Planning Commission held three hearings on the proposed text amendment, on February 13, March 13, and March 27, 2014. On May 8, the Planning Commission made a recommendation for denial of the text amendment application to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). The BOCC held a public hearing on the proposed text amendment on July 2. The oral record was closed at the hearing, and the written record was left open until July 16. The applicant submitted a letter to the BOCC dated August 13 requesting that the BOCC hold the text amendment application in abeyance for a few months to allow the applicant to pursue possible mediation with opponents. The BOCC held a work session on the applicant’s request for the abeyance on August 13th and voted to extend the review of the application with a final decision by March 25, 2015. Staff contact: Paul Blikstad; Paul.Blikstad@deschutes.org Deschutes Junction Comprehensive Plan Amendment and Zone Change (PA 14-2, ZC14-2): On December 15, 2014, the BOCC approved a Plan Amendment and Zone Change from Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) to Rural Industrial (RI), and a goal exception, for a 2.65-acre site located at Deschutes Junction north of Bend (Tax Map 16-12-26C, Tax Lot 107). Staff contact: Will Groves, William.Groves@deschutes.org Deschutes Junction Comprehensive Plan Amendment and Zone Change (247-14-000456- ZC, 247-14-000457-PA): On December 31, an application for a plan amendment and zone change from EFU to RI, and a goal exception was submitted for a 21.58-acre site, located at Deschutes Junction (Tax Map 16-12-27D, Tax Lot 104). Staff contact: Paul Blikstad, Paul.Blikstad@deschutes.org Leading Edge Aviation Site Plan (A-13-4, SP-13-7): In a decision signed on September 29. 2014, the BOCC approved Leading Edge Aviation's site plan approval (A-13-4, SP-13-7) to establish an aviation fueling station at Bend Airport. Opponents had previously appealed the decision to LUBA, and LUBA remanded the decision back to the Hearings Officer for further proceedings. On October 16, this decision was appealed to LUBA by opponents. Staff contact: William Groves; William.Groves@deschutes.org Land Use Compatibility Statement (247-14- 000238-PS): The Planning Division approved a Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS) submitted by Tumalo Irrigation District (TID) to transfer approximately 108-acre feet of water right from Tumalo Creek to a reservoir created at the Klippel Acres Mining Site (Assessor’s Map 17-11-13, Tax Lots 824 and 828). The approval was appealed. A public hearing before the Deschutes County Hearings Officer was conducted on October 7, 2014. The Hearings Officer issued a decision on December 15, 2014, reversing the Planning Division’s issuance of the LUCS because the Planning Division incorrectly categorized TID’s proposed use and, therefore, erred in issuing the LUCS. The Hearings Officer’s decision was appealed. On January 5, 2015, the BOCC will determine whether or not to hear the appeal. Staff contact: Anthony Raguine; Anthony.Raguine@deschutes.org Miller Tree Farm Subdivision and Conditional Use (247-14-000242-CU/243-TP; 247-14-000244- CU/245-TP; 247-14-000246-CU/247-TP; 247-14- 000248-CU/249-TP; 247-14-000250-CU/251-TP): The Planning Division received five conditional use permit and tentative plat applications to establish a planned unit/cluster development (subdivision). The applications propose a total of 50 two-acre residential lots and over 422 acres of permanently preserved open space, most of which will be publicly accessible via a comprehensive trail network. A public hearing before the Hearings Officer was held on Thursday, November 20, 2014. The record closes on January 13, 2015. A decision is expected in February of 2015. Staff contact: Anthony Raguine; Anthony.Raguine@deschutes.org Sunriver Water Reservoir Facility (247-14-000319- CU, -000320-SP, and -000331-AD): The Planning Division approved a Conditional Use permit and Site Plan review to establish a new water reservoir facility that includes a pump station, test well, and distribution line. The approval includes a building height exception to allow the new water reservoir to be no more than 34.7 feet in height (the standard building height is 30 feet). The subject property is within the Sunriver Urban Unincorporated Community Zone – Forest District. Staff contact: Cynthia Smidt, Cynthia.Smidt@deschutes.org Sunriver Text Amendment (TA-14-5): Busch Law Firm, PLLC, for AT&T, applied to amend the Sunriver Community General District Zone (SUCG) to allow wireless telecommunication facilities as a conditional use. A public hearing was held before the BOCC on September 24, 2014. The BOCC approved the proposal on October 8, 2014, Tracy Griffin, Permit Tech and Caterer Extraordinaire and adopted the associated Ordinance 2014-020. The ordinance will become effective on January 6, 2015. Staff contact: Cynthia Smidt, Cynthia.Smidt@deschutes.org Sunriver Marina (247-14-000352-CU, 247-14- 000353-SP, and 247-14-000354-LM): On December 4, 2014, Staff approved a Sunriver Owners Association application Site Plan review and Landscape Management Site Plan review for a boat ramp, rock beach area, parking areas, and restroom building, as well as Conditional Use review for associated development, fill, and removal in mapped floodplain and wetlands Staff contact: Will Groves, William.Groves@ deschutes.org Tetherow Vacation Homes LLC (247-14-000 / 431-MC, 430-CU, 429-SP, and 428-TP): Tetherow Vacation Homes, LLC has applied for Tentative Plan approval for a phased subdivision comprised of 22 lots, 3 development tracts, 9 common area tracts, and 5 private road tracts along with site plan approval for the development of 133 overnight lodging units in 23 structures and conditional use approval for off-site parking. The application includes Modification of Approval to amend the Conceptual Master Plan (“CMP”) and Final Master Plan (“FMP”) for the Tetherow Destination Resort to reduce the required availability of individually owned overnight lodging units to the general public from 45 to 38 weeks per calendar year, as currently allowed under DCC 19.106 and state law and to amend the Vehicle and Pedestrian Access Plan for Commercial /Recreational Development. Staff contact: Will Groves, William.Groves@ deschutes.org Text Amendment-14-2: Gary Knight and Alex Robertson applied for a Text Amendment to Chapter 18.32, Multiple Use Agricultural Zone (MUA-10) and Section 18.128.050 of Title 18 of the Deschutes County Code (DCC) to allow the potential for the creation of new manufactured home parks in the MUA-10 Zone adjoining the City of Bend Urban Growth Boundary, and lessen the requirements for expanding existing manufactured home parks in the same zone. The Planning Commission held a work session regarding this text amendment on June 12, 2014, and three public hearings on July 10, August 28, and October 9. The Planning Commission closed the hearing on October 9, deliberated and recommended approving Knight’s proposal and| denying Robertson’s. Staff is awaiting confirmation from the applicants to proceed with scheduling a work session and hearing in front of the BOCC. Staff contact: Paul Blikstad, Paul.Blikstad@deschutes.org Thornburgh Destination Resort Appeal (A-13-8): Loyal Land, LLC, filed an application asking the County to hold a hearing on the remand from LUBA on the issue of whether the conceptual master plan (CMP) for the resort has been initiated. The Hearings Officer found that the CMP had not been initiated and that the CMP is void. Loyal Land appealed that decision to the BOCC (A-14-1). The BOCC held a hearing on June 4, 2014 and rendered an oral decision by a 2-1 vote on July 7, 2014 holding that the CMP had been initiated. The BOCC issued its written decision on August 14, 2014. A Notice of Intent to Appeal to LUBA was received on September 2. Oral arguments occurred on December 23. A LUBA decision is expected on January 27, 2015. Staff contact: Peter Gutowsky, Peter.Gutowsky@deschutes.org. Widgi Creek (TP-14-1024, SP-14-8, LM-14-17). Arrowood Development, LLC submitted applications for a Tentative Plat for a 24-lot zero lot line subdivision, and site plan and landscape manage- ment review for the dwelling units on the proposed lots. These applications went before the County Hearings Officer, who approved them in a written decision dated September 29, 2014. During the 12- day appeal period following the written decision, the opponents submitted an appeal of the Hearings Officer’s decision, and the applicant submitted an application for reconsideration, dealing with the water facility for the subdivision. Under the County’s development procedures ordinance, the reconsideration request is handled first, with the appeal coming after the reconsideration has been decided. The Hearings Officer issued a reconsideration decision amending the conditions dealing with the water system. The appeal was then taken to the BOCC for a determination as to whether or not they would hear the appeal. The BOCC decided not to hear the appeal, under Order No.2014-036, which was mailed to all parties on November 25, 2014. A Notice of Intent to Appeal to LUBA was received on December 11. Staff contact: Paul Blikstad, Paul.Blikstad@ deschutes.org Widgi Creek (247-14-000391-TP, 247-14-000393- SP, and 247-14-000394-LM): The Deschutes County Hearings Officer held a public hearing on January 6, 2015 for a partial replat of the Elkai Woods Townhomes, Phase III subdivision to remove the common area notation on the subject property, together with tentative plan approval for an eight (8) lot zero lot line subdivision, site plan and non-visible landscape management review. Staff contact: Staff contact: Will Groves, William.Groves@deschutes.org Widgi Creek (247-14-000395-TP, 247-14-000396- SP, and 247-14-000397-LM): The Deschutes County Hearings Officer held a public hearing on January 6, 2015 for a nine-lot, zero lot line subdivision, as well as site plan and landscape management review for the proposed dwellings on the subdivision lots, on property zoned Resort District and Landscape Management Combining Zone. Staff contact: Will Groves, William.Groves@deschutes.org 4-R Equipment LLC (PA-04-8, ZC-04-6). 4-R Equipment, LLC sent notice to the County to initiate the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) remand hearing on their applications for a Plan Amendment to add the applicant’s property to the County’s Goal 5 surface mining inventory of mineral and aggregate resources, and a Zone Change from EFU to Surface Mining for approximately 365 acres in the Millican area. These applications have been approved by the County (three different times), but were appealed to LUBA, and subsequently remanded back to the County. The remand hearing focused on the two remaining issues as determined in the latest LUBA decision. A hearing before the Board of County Commissioners was held on November 12, 2014. The Board deliberated on the LUBA remand decision on December 15, 2014 and orally approved the Plan Amendment/Zone Change, and requested the applicant draft an initial written decision, subject to staff review and BOCC approval. A formal written decision will be issued by January 31, 2015. Staff contact: Paul Blikstad, Paul.Blikstad@deschutes.org Long-Range Planning Agricultural Lands/HB 2229: Based on direction from the BOCC in October, the Planning Commis- sion continues to discuss two topics associated with the agricultural lands program: The Planning Commission received public comments on concepts for allowing temporary hardship dwellings in the in the Conventional House Combining Zone (CHCZ). Property owners in the CHCZ are currently prevented from utilizing a manufactured home or recreational vehicle as a medical hardship dwelling. One option under consideration is to allow the use of an existing building for a hardship dwelling as permitted by State law. This discussion will be continued before providing direction to staff. The Planning Commission is contemplating Comprehensive Plan amendments (Section 3.2 Rural Development and 3.3, Rural Housing) to clarify that resource land (Exclusive Farm Use and Forest Use) parcels can be re- designated and rezoned to non-resource lands through a quasi-judicial application process, without taking an exception to Oregon Land Use Goals 3 or 4. No direction has been provided on this topic. In addition, CDD received direction from the BOCC on November 24 to explore HB 2229, also known as the Big Look Bill, as it relates to correcting mapping errors of lands designated farm or forest use under the Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Map. Deschutes County is aware of at least five rural subdivisions currently zoned Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) or Forest Use (F2) that may warrant zoning correction, including Haner Park, Meadow Crest Acres, Section 36, Skyline Subdivision, and Squaw Creek Canyon Recreation Estates 1st Addition. If initiated, correcting mapping errors will involve initiating a multi-year project. Staff contact: Matt Martin, Matt.Martin@deschutes.org Bend Airport Master Plan Update: The City of Bend will meet with County staff on January 12 to discuss next steps to amend the County’s Comprehensive Plan, Transportation System Plan (TSP), and Title 18 of the Airport Development Zone to implement the Bend Airport Master Plan (BAMP). Staff contact: Peter Russell, Peter.Russell@deschutes.org Central Oregon Large-Lot Industrial Land Need Analysis: Staff continues to coordinate with the City of Redmond regarding a site owned by the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) adjoining its Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) as a plausible location for a regional large-lot industrial campus. Redmond and DSL are currently coordinating with the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC) for an official endorsement. Following its approval, DSL will initiate a City/County UGB plan amendment. Staff contacts: Nick Lelack, Nick.Lelack@ deschutes.org; Peter Gutowsky, Peter.Gutowsky@deschutes.org; Scott Aycock, ScottA@coic.org; and Heather Richards, Heather.Richards@ci.redmond.or.us Certified Local Government Grant (coming soon!): Every 24 months, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) offers matching grants to cities and counties that have been “certified” as historic preservation partners with both the state and federal governments. Deschutes County is a Certified Local Government (CLG). CLG grants assist local governments with their historic preservation programs on a non- competitive basis in order to ensure that all localities benefit. The maximum award for each locality is $13,000.00 based on fund availability and requires a 50/50 match of local funds or donated services/supplies. State and federal requirements regulate the CLG grant, including project budget, project timeline, inspections and audits, reports and billings, consultant/ contractor standards, etc. The Community Development Department will prepare, with the support of the BOCC and HLC, an application for the 2015-2016 grant cycle. The application deadline is February 27, 2015. Staff contact: Matt Martin, Matt.Martin@deschutes.org. Code Enforcement Task Force: During the recent update of the County’s Code Enforcement Manual, several people testified on the topic of whether the County should process development permits on properties that have outstanding code enforcement complaints. There was public comment on both sides of the issue. In response, the CDD has drawn up a stakeholders group to meet and attempt to find agreement. The Department will hold several meetings and report the results to the BOCC. The first meeting was held January 6 at CDD. Staff contact: Peter Russell at Peter.Russell@deschutes.org. Destination Resort Tracking: Staff is preparing a table/matrix to monitor resort land use histories, requirements and agreements, and annual reporting obligations in coordination with Goal 8 Destination Resort representatives. Staff expects to conduct a work session with the Planning Commission and BOCC later this winter. Staff contacts: Nick Lelack; Nick.Lelack@deschutes.org; and Will Groves, William.Groves@deschutes.org Goal 11 (Sewer) Exception for Southern Deschutes County: On December 11, 2014, Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) submitted draft findings to CDD on a Goal 11 Exception. The draft findings include a rationale for the exception and a map of the proposed area. The Goal 11 Exception would allow sewers in rural Southern Deschutes County to address the issue of nitrates in shallow groundwater. DEQ, DLCD, and County staff discussed the draft findings and next steps at a December 29 work session with the BOCC. Staff will recap the Goal 11 process and the December 29 BOCC work session to the Planning Commission on January 8. DEQ, DLCD, and the County will next set dates for public meetings in Southern Deschutes County over the winter and discuss the Goal 11 Exception. After these meetings, DEQ, DLCD, and the County will fine tune the Goal 11 findings and prepare a formal land use application. Public workshops and hearings would then be held before the Planning Commission, first, and then the BOCC. Staff contacts: Nick Lelack, Nick.Lelack@deschutes.org; Peter Gutowsky, Peter.Gutowsky@deschutes.org; Peter Russell, Peter.Russell@deschutes.org; and Todd Cleveland, Todd.Cleveland@deschutes.org Harper Bridge Access Task Force: The task force has issued a report looking at each of the four quadrants of the bridge as a potential long-term solution to the challenges of access to the Deschutes River. Staff contact: Nick Lelack, Nick.Lelack@deschutes.org Permit Tech Martha Shields shows Caroline House the front desk ropes Historic Preservation (A-13-3 and DR-13-6): Cline Falls Power Plant - PacifiCorp v. Deschutes County, LUBA No. 2014-016. In response to the BOCC’s Declaratory Ruling on the Cline Falls Power Plant historic site in February 2014, PacifiCorp appealed the decision to the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). On August 1, 2014, LUBA issued a Final Opinion and Order, remanding the case back to the County for the BOCC to further review the definition of “penstock.” The LUBA decision was not appealed to the Court of Appeals. Since this is a County-initiated declaratory ruling, the County will determine when to start the remand process. Staff contact: Cynthia Smidt, Cynthia.Smidt@deschutes.org Historic Preservation Strategic Plan: CDD continues to develop a historic preservation strategic plan for rural Deschutes County and the City of Sisters. The strategic plan will provide a framework for shaping the rural County’s and Sisters’ preservation programs and services over the next five years and create a blueprint for allocating Certified Local Government (CLG) grant funding. After a comprehensive public outreach campaign, CDD presented a draft of the plan to the Historic Landmarks Commission (HLC) on December 8th to provide opportunity for initial feedback. The final plan will be presented to the HLC for review and recommendation February 2nd. The plan will then be brought to the BOCC and Sisters City Council for final approval. For more information please visit www.deschutes.org/ Community-Development/Historic- Landmarks.aspx. Staff contact: Matt Martin, Matt.Martin@deschutes.org. Natural Hazards Goal 7 Plan: The University of Oregon’s Community Service Center (CSC) will be reviewing the County codes and policies regarding natural hazards and mitigation. CSC will focus on Comprehensive Plan Section 3.5 and Policies 3.5.1, 3.5.4, and 3.5.11. The CSC will also conduct a national review of other jurisdictions’ codes and policies to gauge whether some may be suitable for the County to adopt as well as identifying best practices and model ordinances. CSC’s work will ultimately aid the County in determining what needs to be updated in the County’s Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan and Deschutes County Community Wildfire Plans. The CPW review will begin in January and conclude in late June with a report. Staff contact: Peter Russell, Peter.Russell@deschutes.org. Oregon Spotted Frog: On August 28, 2014 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced its decision to extend protection to the Oregon spotted frog as a threatened species under the Federal Endangered Species Act. The final rule designating critical habitat is expected later this year. Once it is released, CDD will schedule a work session with the BOCC and use a matrix to discuss options for responding to critical habitat from a land use standpoint. Staff contact: Peter Gutowsky, Peter.Gutowsky@deschutes.org Pilot Butte Canal: CDD received a request for a Comprehensive Plan amendment to designate an approximately one-mile segment of the Pilot Butte Canal as a Goal 5 historic resource in the SR 2 ½ Zone (file no. 247-14-000373-HS). Upon review of the submittal, a threshold issue emerged regarding the timing of the application filing as it relates to a previously submitted Text Amendment application, File TA-13-4 . Staff issued a decision rejecting the application because TA-13-4 is pending and may affect the subject properties. In addition, there is a second procedural issue relating to ownership of the canal that is addressed in the decision. On December 15, the BOCC approved a staff-recommended order initiating review of this decision to provide deference on these issues. The hearing before the BOCC is scheduled for January 28 at 10:00 a.m. during the regular business meeting. It is worth noting that the substantive merits of the request to designate the canal as a historic resource are not addressed by this decision. Staff contact: Matt Martin, Matt.Martin@deschutes.org. A separate independent request has been submitted to the State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation for review and recommendation on whether this segment of the Pilot Butte Canal should be included on the National Register of Historic Places. The Committee will review this request at a meeting on February 19 beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the Eugene Hilton and Conference Center. Staff contact: Matt Martin, Matt.Martin@ deschutes.org. Population Forecast: The 2014 Certified Population Estimate produced by Portland State University found Deschutes County has a total population of 166,400 residents. With the highest percentage population increase in Oregon since 2013, Deschutes County experienced the fourth largest total population change (3,875 residents) behind Washington, Multnomah, and Clackamas Counties. For the cities, population increased 2.2% in Bend, 3.5% in Sisters, 0.7% in Redmond, and La Pine had no change. For more information visit www.pdx.edu/prc/population-reports-estimates. Staff contact: Matt Martin, Matt.Martin@ deschutes.org. Sage-Grouse: As a cooperating agency, staff continues to participate with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which in November 2013 released a draft programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for federal land use and resource management plan (RMP) amendments to incorporate sage-grouse conservation measures in Central and Eastern Oregon. The Final EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) are expected in 2016. Staff is also participating with the Governor’s Office, Sage-Grouse Conservation Partnership. This involves interagency and interstakeholder coordination on issues related to sage brush and sage- grouse habitat conservation on non-federal lands. The State’s goal is to demonstrate that listing the sage-grouse as a threatened or endangered species under the federal ESA is unnecessary. The Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) is expected to initiate rulemaking to address large- scale development and sage grouse habitat during its January 22-23 meeting in Portland. The Depart- ment of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) will be requesting that LCDC appoint a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) to assist in the development of a draft rule. DLCD anticipates the RAC will meet over a sixth month period between February and July 2015. Staff contact: Peter Gutowsky, Peter.Gutowsky@deschutes.org Transferable Development Credit (TDC) Advisory Committee: The TDC Advisory Committee convened on August 21 and conducted a total of five meetings. On December 18, members reviewed a matrix of options and identified their top two choices: 1) maintain the status quo; and, 2) reconvene the committee in 24 to 36 months. A work session with the BOCC is tentatively scheduled for January 28 at 1:30 p.m. at the Deschutes Services Center, Allen Room. Staff contacts: Nick Lelack, Nick.Lelack@deschutes.org; Peter Gutowsky, Peter.Gutowsky@deschutes.org; and Todd Cleveland, Todd.Cleveland@deschutes.org Transportation Planning: On November 25, Planning and Road Department staff participated in a tri-county forum with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) on updating the agency’s Transportation Safety Action Plan (TSAP). ODOT staff identified trends in crashes and staff from the counties and cities in Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties discussed potential solutions and bottlenecks to implementation. A related upcoming meeting is slated for January 7 at ODOT for the All Roads Safety Program (ARTS). Planning and Road Department staff from local agencies will work with ODOT to discuss types of fatal and serious crashes and countermeasures. Under recent federal legislation, safety monies will now be used in more of a jurisdictionally blind manner, meaning it will not matter if the facility is a state highway, a county road, or a city street. Additionally, safety monies will be organized on more a corridor approach, rather than dedicated to specific hot spots. Finally, the emphasis is on low- cost, high-benefit countermeasures that can be constructed proactively. Staff contact: Peter Russell, Peter.Russell@deschutes.org. Planning staff participated in technical work- shops and a public open house regarding the Powell Butte Highway/Neff-Alfalfa Market Road roundabout, which is slated for construction in summer 2015. W&H Pacific is the prime consultant on the job with traffic and design support from Kittelson & Associates. The roundabout design will slow entering speeds into the intersection, improve sightlines to the intersection, particularly from the east, and accommodate bicyclists, recreational vehicles, and freight movements. The Road Department identified the need for improving the intersection based on the number, types, and severity of crashes. Staff contact: Peter Russell, Peter.Russell@deschutes.org. Staff also worked with Legal Counsel and a property owner on permitting a bike aid station on White Rock Loop near Cori Way. The bike aid station is the first of its kind on a County roadway and features a bench, a bike work station with tools, and a commercial grade hand pump. The bike aid station was built by volunteers and is on the popular Twin Bridges State Scenic Bikeway. Staff contacts: Peter Russell, Peter.Russell@ deschutes.org and George Kolb, George.Kolb@ deschutes.org. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Community-Wide Brownfield Assessment Grant: Deschutes County is utilizing a federal grant to stimulate the cleanup and re-use of properties that are, or may be, affected by hazardous substances, including petroleum hydrocarbons. Two public meetings were held on September 17 and 24 in Bend and Redmond, respectively, to discuss a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Community-Wide Brownfield Assessment Grant and offer resources to eligible property owners throughout the county for Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs). Phase 1 ESAs involve records reviews, site inspections, and interviews with owners, occupants, neighbors and local government officials. Phase 2 ESAs include sampling and laboratory analysis to confirm the presence of hazardous materials. After the two September meetings, the County received eight applications for funding for properties located in Bend, Redmond, and the rural County. U.S. EPA-Region 10 approved eligibility for all of them. The County will be providing funding for Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) on all of the eligible properties. The Phase I studies will likely cost in the range of $3,500 per property; therefore, the total costs for these initial studies will be in the range of $25,000. Following completion of the Phase 1 ESAs, a subset of the properties will likely be targeted for a Phase 2 ESA. The costs for Phase 2 ESAs can be significantly higher than Phase 1 ESAs. A Brownfield Advisory Committee will be convened this winter to prioritize them. More information is available at CDD’s website: http://www.deschutes.org/Community-Development/Regional-Projects-and-Resources/EPA-Community-wide-Brownfield-Assessment-Grant.aspx. Staff contact: Peter Gutowsky, Peter.Gutowsky@deschutes.org  STAFF DIRECTORY NNNAMEAMEAME TTTITLEITLEITLE PPPHONEHONEHONE EEEMAILMAILMAIL Nick Lelack Director (541) 385-1708 Nick.Lelack@deschutes.org Tim Berg GIS Analyst/Programmer (541) 330-4648 Tim.Berg@deschutes.org Paul Blikstad Senior Planner (541) 388-6554 Paul.Blikstad@deschutes.org Dale Brieske Building Inspector III—Electrical (541) 388-6614 Dale.Brieske@deschutes.org Sher Buckner Administrative Secretary (541) 617-4736 Sher.Buckner@deschutes.org Todd Cleveland Environmental Health Spec. III (541) 617-4714 Todd.Cleveland@deschutes.org Rainer Doerge Building Inspector III (541) 385-1702 Rainer.Doerge@deschutes.org Scott Farm Building Inspector III (541) 385-1402 Scott.Farm@deschutes.org Lori Furlong Administrative Manager (541) 317-3122 Lori.Furlong@deschutes.org Chris Gracia Assistant Building Inspector (541) 388-6578 Chris.Gracia@deschutes.org Tracy Griffin Permit Technician (541) 388-6573 Tracy.Griffin@deschutes.org John Griley Code Enforcement Technician (541) 617-4708 John.Griley@deschutes.org William Groves Senior Planner (541) 388-6518 William.Groves@deschutes.org Tim Grundeman Code Enforcement Technician (541) 385-1707 Tim.Grundeman@deschutes.org Peter Gutowsky Planning Manager (541) 385-1709 Peter.Gutowsky@deschutes.org Judy Hackett Permit Technician (541) 385-1713 Judy.Hackett@deschutes.org Caroline House Permit Technician (541) 317-3148 Caroline.House@deschutes.org Steven Jensen Building Inspector III—Plumbing (541) 385-1700 Steven.Jensen@deschutes.org Jennifer Lawrence Permit Technician (541) 385-1405 Jennifer.L.Lawrence@deschutes.org Matt Martin Associate Planner (541) 330-4620 Matt.Martin@deschutes.org Lisa Petersen Permit Technician (541) 317-3188 Lisa.Petersen@deschutes.org Anthony Raguine Senior Planner (541) 617-4739 Anthony.Raguine@deschutes.org Peter Russell Senior Transportation Planner (541) 383-6718 Peter.Russell@deschutes.org Randy Scheid Building Official (541) 317-3137 Randy.Scheid@deschutes.org Martha Shields Permit Technician (541) 385-1706 Martha.Shields@deschutes.org Cynthia Smidt Associate Planner (541) 317-3150 Cynthia.Smidt@deschutes.org Kathleen Stockton Administrative Assistant (541) 317-3193 Kathleen.Stockton@deschutes.org Dan Swarthout Building Inspector III (541) 385-1745 Dan.Swarthout@deschutes.org Jim Williams Building Inspector II (541) 323-5221 James.Williams@deschutes.org Richard Wright Building Inspector III (541) 617-4746 Richard.Wright@deschutes.org To request this newsletter in an alternate format, call (541) 617-4747 or email ken.harms@deschutes.org.