Category: Minutes

Greetings Old Bend Neighborhood!

The following is a summary of the Old Bend Neighborhood Association Board of Directors meeting on October 20, 2014. We hope you find this information to be useful and we’d love to hear from you regarding some of the issues and projects that affect our neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhoods and businesses.

All Board members were present:

• Juan Knutson – Chair
• Dyan Roth
• Spencer Dahl
• John Kelly
• Stan Roach
• Brett Yost
• Mark Weers
• Robert Almquist
• Jodell Born

New board member Ben Coffman was unanimously voted in

Please visit the OBNA website at www.oldbend.org. You may contact members of the board by emailing: board@oldbend.org

Topic: Galveston Corridor Project

Guest Speakers: Nick Arnis (City of Bend), Stephanie Serpico (HDR Engineering)
Recently, the City of Bend has been working with a community Task Force and Technical Advisory Committee to develop streetscape concept designs for Galveston Avenue.

Nick and Stephanie presented the preliminary concepts that have been developed with the vision and goals in mind. These include options to both improve safety and reduce congestion at the intersection of Galveston and Harmon. Other considerations include the possibility for additional on-street parking to help alleviate neighborhood issues concerning parking, congestion, and other problems associated with the popularity of the Galveston Avenue stretch between Harmon and 14th.

The Galveston Task Force is an effort by a variety of volunteers, property owners, and local stakeholders to improve the Galveston corridor. At least three concepts are being considered. The task force is now looking for feedback from interested parties. Anyone interested in providing opinions on the concepts should take an online survey located on The City of Bend’s website.

Topic: Vacation Rental Task Force (VRTF)

The VRTF was formed to help shape decisions about vacation home rentals in Bend. Task Force members will be expected to attend approximately seven meetings between mid-November 2014 and March 2015 to research, discuss and recommend this issue. The first meeting is tentatively scheduled for November 20, 2014.

Various stakeholder groups have been asked to assign a representative to the Vacation Rental Task Force including:

• Bend Planning Commission
• Old Bend Neighborhood Association (OBNA)
• River West Neighborhood Association
• Bend Chamber of Commerce
• Visit Bend
• Bend Economic Development Advisory Board (BEDAB)

During the meeting the OBNA Board appointed board member Spencer Dahl to be its representative. A recent appointee to the board, Ben Coffman, was selected to be the alternate member.

Topic: OBNA Meeting Calendar

The following is a preliminary schedule for meetings scheduled into 2015.

• December 1st: Board meeting
• January 12th: General membership meeting at the Environmental Center (more info coming)
• February 9th: Board meeting
• April 20th: Board meeting
• June 15th: Board meeting
• August 17th: Board meeting
• September 14th: General membership meeting (location and agenda TBD)

Topic: Troy Field

The Board voted to draft a letter to the school district in support of maintaining public ownership of Troy Field.

Topic: Deschutes River Trail Extension Update – Galveston to Miller’s Landing Park

The consultant is preparing to perform traffic counts on Riverside and Riverfront in an attempt to better understand traffic patterns in the neighborhood prior to recommending which street to focus on for design concepts. During the meeting Board member John Kelly communicated that it appears Riverfront Ave. will used for the extension. You can learn more by visiting the Bend Parks and Rec website at
www.BendParksandRec.org.

Between 35 and 40 residents attended the meeting held in the Brooks Room of the downtown library.

Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project

Pete Caligiuri, Forest Ecologist, gave a short presentation.  The project focus is on restoration of the forest through collaboration.  To learn more contact:

www.deschutescollaborativeforestproject.org
pcaligiuri@tnc.org
541-388-3020. Ext. 304

Note:  do not confuse this project with the Deschutes Collaborative Conservation Fund mentioned in the Bulletin Editorial today. 

Riverside to Franklin Bicycle Pedestrian Project

Robin Lewis, transportation engineer City of Bend gave an overview of the proposed project.  This project would create buffered bike lanes on Riverside  from Tumalo to  Broadway. Parking would be eliminated on the east side of the street. Curb extensions would be placed at Tumalo, Idaho, Kansas and Broadway.  The completion deadline is October 31, 2013.

Comments:   How many parking spaces would be lost? Where would event attendees park?  Riverside Boulevard homeowners would lose their street parking.  Guests would have to park across the street. Floaters currently use the east side of Riverside.  Riverfront and Riverside streets South of Tumalo are already at capacity.

For more information:  www.ci.bend.or.us   Go to Public Works.  Click on Transportation Projects.  Photos and diagrams are available.  Contact: rlewis@ci.bend.or.us

Market of Choice

Robin Lewis answered questions about traffic and pedestrian crossing concerns.

Comments:   Why did the City recommend waiting until after MOC is opened to place crosswalk? Cannot place crosswalks at all street crossings so will wait to determine where people choose to cross at Sisemore, Lava, or Chamberlain.   MOC will post a bond to pay for crosswalk when location is determined.

Will there be a flashing pedestrian light? This might be possible if the crossing meets the ODOT criteria.

Can speed be reduced on Colorado?  Doubtful as ODOT sets the speed. The neighborhood could petition ODOT by contacting Region 4 Traffic.  Nunzie Gould will look into this and get back to the board.

Is there any way to prevent cut through traffic on Lava Street and/or reduce speed?  Suggestions from residents included designating Lava as a bike boulevard, installing small traffic circles like the ones on Dagget Street.  Although staff likes traffic circles and bike boulevards there are no funds available.

People walking to Crux Fermentation are not crossing at intersection.  One resident commented that even crossing at intersection was dangerous as well.

As part of the rezone is there a plan for connectivity from the Old Mill to MOC?  Does the Master Plan reflect this?

Mirror Pond Update

Bend Parks & Recreation District has hired a new project manager, Jim Figurski,  to tackle  the Mirror Pond Silt situation.  The focus has been on dredging .  Figurski will be doing public outreach to find out what Bend residents want done with the pond.

The Old Bend Neighborhood Board will make every effort to be part of the information loop for this project.  OBNA has a link on our website to Mirror Pond Meeting Minutes. You can also access this information on the City Of Bend Website.

Bylaws Amendment Change Approved:

 Board must meet at least once each quarter at its regular meeting time which is 2^nd Thursday of each month at 6:00.  Contact chair@oldbend.org  for location.  All board meetings are open to the public

Board Election: 

Bob Almquist , Spencer Dahl,  Jan Gifford, John Kelly, Mark Rapp,  Dyan Roth, Mark Weers, and Brett Yost were elected to the board.

Please advise me of any corrections or omissions

Jan Gifford,
chair@oldbend.org

Join the OBNA Board Monday Nov. 5 at 6:15 PM in the Brooks Room of the Deschutes Library to discuss issues affecting the neighborhood.

• Market of Choice and Colorado Crossing Development
• Riverside/Franklin Bicycle Pedestrian Project
• Mirror Pond
• Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project
• Election of Board Members

We are also encouraging residents to join our board. Currently all board members live near the Riverside Market. We need members to represent the rest of the neighborhood. If you think you might be interested let us know.

Present: Board Members:Jan Gifford, Brett Yost, Bob Almquist, John Kelly, Mark Weers, Spencer Dahl  Guest: Greg Gifford

Market of Choice Discussion:  The Board discussed the comments made by immediate  neighbors during The  Market of Choice  and Bend Annex Public Meeting.  Bob Almquist will draft a letter supporting the concept of The Market of Choice and Bend Annex Development while recognizing the concerns of immediate neighbors regarding traffic and quality of life impacts

Market of Choice and Bend Annex Developers will submit their applications on August 27 Future meetings concerning this project will be announced on the Oldbend.org website..

Neighborhood Participation: The current board members reside in the neighborhood around Riverside Market.  We need to encourage participation from the Old Town and Drake Park neighborhoods.

Membership Drive:  Spencer will draft a flyer to be delivered door to door. The flyer will include Old Bend Neighborhood Website contact info, list development projects such as Market of Choice, Bend Annex, Mirror Pond, Millers Landing, Riverside Pedestrian, Bicycle Project, Galveston Street Project and the date and location of a general meeting.

Website:  Spencer is going to change the format of the website.  We have approximately 80 subscribers to our emails.

Budget: Just received $918 from city communication grant. We also have $396 in copy credits.

New topics suggested for future discussion:  Unsightly and smelly sewer triangle on Riverside and Congress, Neighborhood Watch Program,  Condition of sidewalks

Board will meet Thursday, September 13 at 6:00 PM. Contact the Board at info@oldbend.org for location.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OBNA Board Minutes June 14 2012

Present:  Board Members: Mark Weers, Brett Yost, John Kelly, Jan Gifford, Spencer Dahl Absent: Bob Almquist, Ken Cooper
Guests: Tabitha Dahl, DeAnna Timm

Miller’s Landing
Riverside Alley Closure:  Group discussed:  Riverside Alley Closure. It was the consensus of the group that we post this information on our website to encourage comments.

Mirror Pond Update: Bend 2030 will conduct a workshop as part of  Accelerate Bend.Spencer will keep us posted.

Budget:  Board voted to create an account at Fed Ex Kinkos for the amount of $380 to be used for copy and material costs.

Spencer suggested that we make table signs for non smoking, smoking tables which include information about the Old Bend Neighborhood. These would be donated to  restaurants within our neighborhood.

Discussion about a name change in the future to something that doesn’t sound like a Homeowners Association. Moved to next month.

Mark Weers will research the issue of placing cigarette receptacles outside businesses so that the butts are out of reach of small children.

Spencer showed us how to post to the website.