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Bend Chamber Weekly
August 8, 2008
By Courtney Linville, Communications Coordinator

• Council approves BAT Advertising

• Council receives update on progress of Juniper Ridge

• City Council Highlights

• Oregon to join fight over greenhouse regulations

• Upcoming Chamber Events

Council approves BAT Advertising

     In a 5-2 decision Wednesday night, the City Council approved a $20,000-a-year contract with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to allow advertising on Bend Area Transit (BAT) buses.
     ODOT ‘s advertisements would promote safe driving and various commuting options. ODOT would also take care of placing the advertisements on the buses. The city only needs to approve the message.
     In a June meeting, the council had instructed city staff to come up with several options for advertising. There was also concern among councilors at the time about having commercial advertising on the buses. Portland’s Tri-met is currently being sued by the ACLU.
     The city attorney felt by going with the ODOT contract, the city could skirt any possible lawsuits.
     “The money is so trivial and there is some risk involved,” Councilor Bill Friedman said. “I’m not enthused about it.”
     CounClinton agreed with Friedman, and questioned the timing of getting involved with an advertising contract prior to the fall vote on a transit district. He also felt advertising is just a bad idea. “For a trivial amount of money in the big picture, less than 1.5 percent of the (transit) budget, you’re making the buses look trashy,” said Clinton.
     Councilors Mark Capell and Chris Telfer were excited about the advertising contract and thought it might even help to improve the look of the buses.
     “In the short term, this is a good way to go,” Capell said.
     The contract can be transferred to the transit district. The city would also receive more than $800 for each additional bus with advertising.
 

Council receives update on progress of Juniper Ridge

     From ODOT to the Juniper Ridge Partners option agreement, City Councilors received an update on the entire realm of issues surrounding Juniper Ridge at Wednesday night’s work session.
     The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and city staff have been working closely together for weeks to develop a mid-term solution for Cooley Road and Highway 97 and an agreement which would allow development activity within the north end of Bend.
     “Without some agreement, there won’t be any development activity within the north end,” said Ron Garzini, Special Projects Manager.
     Bob Bryant, ODOT Region Manager, stressed to councilors the gravity of the agreement and any decisions that are made. The agreement, which will be brought before the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) on August 20, will ask for an alternative mobility standard.
     Bryant says this will increase the amount of congestion on existing roadways which are already exceeding current standards. Currently, there is not precedence for this standard and only cities like Portland and Medford have been effective in getting the standard approved.
     “We are working hard to come up with an agreement that will support where the City goes with Juniper Ridge,” said Bryant.
     The city’s current solution to the Cooley/97 problem includes bringing Cooley Road underneath the railroad tracks and Highway 97. According to city staff, the construction of a Cooley Underpass is estimated at $35 million.
     The city is also proposing an impact fee for any new businesses in the north end that put more p.m. peak trips on the roadways. The fee would be $9,000 per trip and would be collected at the time permits are pulled.
     Though the amount might seem high, Garzini is confident this fee could be considered reasonable. He also pointed out to councilors that many of the businesses looking to go into Juniper Ridge at this time have very minimal p.m. peak trips.
     “I hope the OTC will allow us to start collecting the money and imposing the impact fee,” Garzini said.
     City Manager Eric King also pointed out the city is doing a Northeast Transportation study and is looking at ways to take trips off the highway system. He hopes this will help the agreement to be approved.
     The major concern for the city is to find a way to make the north end developable and create jobs. “We are trying to find a way to keep the economy strong and diversified without shutting down the only area we have for employment lands,” Garzini said.
     Suterra
     The next business that might possibly move into Juniper Ridge is Suterra. Councilors learned the terms of the land agreement which includes an 8 acre parcel near Les Schwab within the 50 acre option parcel of Juniper Ridge Partners.
     Like Les Schwab, Suterra will pay $7 a square foot for the land, all impact fees and SDCs, and will take care of all improvements within the property. The city will pay $3,000 of the $9,000 impact fee to help keep costs down. Suterra has 12 p.m. peak trips and the city will end up paying $36,000.
     Councilor Chris Telfer questioned the reason behind the subsidized fee and was concerned about setting precedence for other land deals.
     Garzini pointed out the subsidized fee was the only concession the city will have to make and it also made the price more competitive. “The Council in the future can say they won’t do that or can take a look at the market place,” he said.
     The city has at least 6 other businesses who are ready to start talking details about purchasing within Juniper Ridge. Garzini says people are interested in being part of a high-quality project.
     Businesses looking at smaller parcels of land that will need very little infrastructure development will pay around $9 a square foot.
     Juniper Ridge Partners Option Agreement
     In the terms of their agreement with the city, Juniper Ridge Partners has the option to purchase 50 acres of land.
     Garzini told councilors the partners could be invaluable when helping with the site planning, location of buildings, CC&Rs, and help smaller businesses through the process while the city acts as a developer advocate. “It’s apparent that rather than work around the Juniper Ridge option, we could benefit by having their help,” he said. “It will be great to have the private sector work with the private sector. Right now we are not set up to do this work.”
     Another element within the option agreement with Juniper Ridge Partners is the opportunity to subtract acreage as land sells within the 50 acres. For example, if several businesses purchase up to 30 acres of property within the 50 acres, Juniper Ridge Partners would only have to purchase 20 acres outright.
     Telfer was not keen on this idea and questioned the apparent credit to the Partners. She felt the deal is getting very generous.
     Garzini stated this agreement is very beneficial because it will help to increase the value of the land. He also pointed out Juniper Ridge Partners will be doing all of the work, not the city.
     The council approved the option agreement 6 to 1. Telfer voted no.
 

City Council Highlights

     Builder SDC Deferral approved- The City Council unanimously approved a one year SDC deferral program. The program would allow applicants to defer payment of SDCs for nine months. The payment would be due at the time an occupancy permit is applied for or after nine months, whichever is earlier. Councilors were slightly concerned with the financial risk of having very few SDCs paid and the possibility of collections. The city will keep a close eye on budgets and revenues and can at anytime decide to suspend the program.
     Murphy Crossing Renewal District- The City Council approved the creation of a new urban renewal district for Murphy Crossing. The district will have a maximum indebtedness of $52.6 million that will last over 25 years. Councilors were surprised by a late change by the Bend Metro Park and Rec District. The district wanted to make sure the city will pay half of both the development and land acquisition costs for the neighborhood park in the area. The city staff hopes some of the land will be donated.
     Shepherd’s House asks city for further help- Executive Director Lynda Johnson asked the City Council to change its recent decision to help relocate 28 men to the Bethlehem Inn for 3 months. The nonprofit is looking to move the men into a different facility for 6 months. City staff will report recommendations back to council.
 

     August 14: Darkness to Light: Child Abuse Training by the KIDS Center  - A child’s safety is an adult’s job. We make sure our children wear seat belts. We walk them across busy streets. It’s adults’ responsibility to also protect children from child sexual abuse. The Bend Chamber has partnered with the KIDS Center to present Darkness to Light: Child Abuse Training. Our goal is to reach throughout the business community to maximize the number of individuals trained in proactive steps to help protect our children. The workshop will take place at the Bend Golf and Country Club. If you are interested in attending this workshop, please register online at www.bendchamber.org/KidsCtr by Wednesday, August 13. The price is $29.50 for each member of $49.50 for non-members.

     August 15: Town Hall - Roadblocks to Economic Development - For years, Bend has been a great place for new businesses to come and flourish. But with the new economic trends, is Bend still feasible for new companies? What are some of the roadblocks new businesses are facing? Join the Community Affairs Council (CAC) Town Hall luncheon as Roger Lee from EDCO discusses how EDCO is working with new businesses coming to the area, and the current trends he sees in the market today. Make sure to attend so you can get your questions answered. To join the CAC Town Hall luncheon series, register online at www.bendchamber.org.