The
effort to build an OSU-Cascades 4-year campus has passed another milestone with
the Bend City Council unanimously upholding an earlier hearing officer’s
decision that the project could proceed.
But
eyes are now on the potential next step by an opposition group, Truth in Site,
who have argued that the university’s selection of the SW Chandler Ave. and
Century Drive site inadequately addresses long term traffic and parking
impacts, among other issues.
In
voting to approve the initial 10-acre phase one campus site plan several
council members voiced concerns that land use regulations don’t require a
master plan that would include an additional, adjacent 46 acres that the
unversity is considering for future development. That is also an issue the
Truth in Site group has raised.
The
university has also emphasized it has yet to purchase the additional 46 acres,
and the current owner was not interested in participation in a master plan at
this stage of the project.
Regarding
the parking issues, the site opponents have claimed that the university’s
forecast of students who will ride share, walk, bike or take public
transportation is unrealistic. The 320 parking spaces will not be sufficient to
accommodate the initial 10-acre campus, Truth in Site representatives maintain.
The
opponents have consistently said the university should consider the 1,500 acre
Juniper Ridge development owned by the city, which had initially hoped would
attract businesses and a university.
However,
OSU-Cascades has said infrastructure development costs at Juniper Ridge would
be prohibitive, and that the site on the northern edge of Bend would be too
remote from retail and other amenities to attract students.
The
council is expected to officially approve the university’s site application at its
Oct. 15 meeting, after which time Truth in Site would have 21 days to appeal
the decision to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals.
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