OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Bend City Council Work Session – September 24, 2025: Midtown Crossings and Development Engineering

City Council — Wednesday, September 24, 2025
BodyBend, Oregon
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, September 24, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:07:41

Transcript — Verbatim
3:21

All right.

3:21

So we are going to get started with our Ben City Council work session today.

3:25

And first we will start with roll call.

3:28

Start on your end, Councillor Francisza.

3:30

Gina Franzosa, she her.

3:34

Mike Riley, he's a Melanie Keebler, she her.

3:37

Megan Perkins, she, her.

3:39

Steve Platty.

3:41

And then we are hoping Council Norris will be able to join us online.

3:46

Okay.

3:46

So she's there.

3:49

Great.

3:49

Okay, so first topic is private development engineering review.

3:53

Okay.

3:54

Informational.

3:54

Thank you, Mayor.

3:55

Thank you, city counselors.

3:57

I'm Colin Stevens.

3:58

I'm the director of the community development department.

4:00

And joining me in the presentation.

4:02

I'm not sure if Ben has been promoted yet.

4:04

Is Ben Barry.

4:16

He's been with the city for about a year.

4:18

And he uh has is is was promoted or applied for and received the job to be the new city engineer within CEDD.

4:27

And he started two weeks ago today.

4:29

So he's fresh, fresh.

4:34

So we're going to go over I I also um have about twenty minutes because I don't want to run over with into Ryan's slides, so I'll just gonna go through this quickly.

4:43

Um, as you'll see in the conclusion of this, we are instituting some new processes uh based on some legislation within the engineering division, so we can come back in the spring when that's more formalized and give a presentation on that so we if there's more engagement, we can come back when there's more time for it.

5:00

So the agenda for today is some background um some uh review process and timelines.

5:05

This is the Senate Bill 974.

5:06

I was just talking about.

5:07

I'll go over that and uh how we're going to implement that and then next steps, and we'll save a little bit of time at the end for questions.

5:16

So how infrastructure is built in Bend, there are two ways that it is built, and that one of them is with the engineering department through Ryan and his team.

5:29

You're gonna have a presentation on a capital uh several capital projects that he's working on.

5:33

That's one way that infrastructure is built for the city of end public infrastructure.

5:38

The other way is through private development um projects where there's infrastructure that needs to be built to serve the projects.

5:44

The biggest driver of that is usually subdivisions, although site plan review for commercial buildings builds that as well when they have frontage improvements or utilities that need to serve the site.

5:54

Um with those the city side the the ones that the city builds through the engineering department.

6:00

Um they're managed by our staff, um they're funded by public funds from the very beginning, such as SDCs or the general obligation fund.

6:08

Uh and there's full city oversight through that entire process through the timing, the design, the construction, the inspections, and and and finally the acceptance.

6:18

A little bit different for the private projects.

6:20

Um city oversight really begins after the initial design has been done.

6:24

So we're looking at it for the first time after it's actually been um designed, and then there's an iterative iterative process where we we look at it, we make sure that it meets standards and specifications.

6:34

If it doesn't, we send back a correction letter.

6:36

The it has it has to be redesigned, and there's some back and forth on that.

6:40

Once it is approved, the city does do the inspections.

6:43

Um I would also like to say that there is some um infrastructure that is on the city's uh uh approved project list that they do get some SDC reimbursement for.

6:55

So there's a little bit of a hybrid in there where they get public money, but they do they build it as part of their project.

7:02

And this is a demonstration of of how the the sort of division of permitting uh within the the three permitting department or divisions within the department, the development proposal comes in, goes to planning, they administer the building or the development code uh building safety.

7:18

If there's a building associated with it, they administer the building code, and then what we're talking about is the one on the right, the engineering division.

7:25

And their um what their document, the one that they administer is called the standards and specifications.

7:31

Within the division, we have 18 staff.

7:34

Um, one of them is Ben, the the city engineer, the private development division manager.

7:39

There's 12 review engineers, and then we have five inspectors who are out in the field.

7:44

And this is uh the one division that sticks with the project through the entire continuum of construction.

7:51

They they are there at the pre-application meeting when it comes in as a concept at the planning stage, and they are with it throughout the entire thing, including the through the inspections and even through what's called a warranty period, which lasts the year after the the project has been finalized.

8:06

We go back and make sure that everything survived at least one season before we finally sign off on it.

8:13

Here's where I'm gonna turn it over to Ben for a couple of slides.

8:16

If he's on, yes, I am.

8:19

Can you hear me?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████████████████████37%
Transportation Safety███████████████████19%
Infrastructure████████████████16%
Public Engagement██████████████14%
Permitting Process███3%
Public Safety██2%
Active Transportation██2%
Land Use Planning██2%
Procedural█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Bend City Council Work Session – September 24, 2025

The City Council held a work session on September 24, 2025, to discuss private development engineering reviews and the Midtown crossings project, including updates on Greenwood, Franklin, and Hawthorne. Council received presentations, reviewed data, and provided direction on several items, including a decision on the Hawthorne bridge structure. No public testimony was taken.

Private Development Engineering Reviews

  • Colin Stevens (Community Development Director) and Ben Barry (new City Engineer) presented on the engineering division's role in reviewing private development infrastructure. They highlighted the division's 18 staff (12 review engineers, 5 inspectors) and the process for tiered permits (Tier 1 simple, Tier 2 intermediate, Tier 3 major).
  • Senate Bill 974, passed in the 2025 legislative session, will require a 120-day review period for engineering permits starting July 1, 2026, with a 30-day completeness check. Failure to meet the deadline could result in a writ of mandamus and financial penalties. The city is currently mapping processes to prepare.
  • Current performance data (as of August 2025): Tier 1 average 17 days (goal 15), Tier 2 averaging under 45 days, Tier 3 averaging 190 days (goal 120). 68% of 44 recent Tier 3 permits met the 120-day timeline. Council discussed the impact of disputes and the need for early issue identification during planning.
  • Staff will continue process improvements with the Office of Performance Management and a consultant funded by a Pro Housing Grant, aiming to test new workflows by spring 2026.

Midtown Crossings Check-in

Greenwood Avenue (1-year follow-up)

  • Ryan Oester (Engineering Director) presented data from the quick-build lane reduction (4 lanes to 3 lanes with center turn lane, added bike/ped facilities). Key statistics:
    • Average daily traffic decreased from 18,000 to 17,000 vehicles.
    • Average free-flow speed reduced from 32 to 29 mph.
    • Peak travel time increased from 1.5 to 2 minutes.
    • Reported crashes increased post-construction, primarily at the Greenwood/Third Street intersection due to queueing from other closures. Crash severity dropped (injury crashes from 18% to 12%).
    • Bike/ped usage increased significantly: e.g., daily bike counts at one location rose from 209 (May 2024) to 379 (June 2025); pedestrian counts from 108 to 429.
    • Public feedback survey (3,995 responses, not statistically valid): 22% positive or neutral, majority negative. 65% of respondents identified as car users.
  • Council discussion: Councilors expressed support for keeping the temporary improvements in place, continuing to monitor data, and proceeding with design for a safer crossing at Second Street and Greenwood using an ARTS grant. No decision to revert, and no permanent changes at this time. Several councilors noted the need for more data without concurrent closures.

Franklin Avenue Improvements (Harriman Street to 4th Street)

  • Todd (project lead) presented design options for the next construction package (GMP4). Current estimate $13.8 million, including stormwater and water infrastructure fixes. Value engineering options include eliminating the uphill bike lane (saving ~$1 million) and reducing right-of-way acquisition (saving ~$0.4 million).
  • Key infrastructure needs: replacing failing stormwater system (flooding), 50-year-old cast iron water line, and crumbling sidewalks. A full closure of the undercrossing would be required for several months.
  • Council discussed options: full design and construction package (Harriman to 4th) vs. a smaller package (2nd to 4th) that could be built under traffic, allowing stormwater work to be advanced separately. Council did not make a final decision but directed staff to seek input from the joint CAB/TBOC committee on timing, value engineering, and prioritization of bike/ped investments across Franklin and Hawthorne.

Hawthorne Overcrossing Bridge

  • Garrett (project manager) presented updated cost estimates for the bridge. The previously selected single-tower cable-stay design now estimated at $34–41 million (up from $29–34 million) due to increased traffic control costs and escalation to 2028 construction. The budget is $32.2 million, primarily from federal and state grants, with minimal GO Bond funds.
  • Four alternative bridge types were presented (all without median construction): incline cable-stay, broken top truss, mountain truss, and a standard truss. The broken top truss was estimated at $30–37 million, the standard truss at $27–33 million (but with median issues).
  • Council discussion: Councilors favored the broken top truss design for its unique character, lower cost, easier maintenance, and ability to be constructed without median closures (e.g., launched over a weekend). Several councilors expressed concern about budget escalation and wanted to reserve contingency funds for corridor connectivity. Council directed staff to proceed with the broken top truss design, with a focus on keeping costs as low as possible.
  • Council also asked staff to explore extending the bridge east to Third Street and connecting to the Bend Bikeway, and to bring back more detailed design and cost information on November 12, 2025.

Key Outcomes

  • Greenwood: Keep temporary quick-build improvements in place; continue monitoring; pursue design for Second Street and Greenwood crossing using ARTS grant. No permanent changes at this time.
  • Franklin: No final decision on construction package. Staff to bring questions to joint CAB/TBOC committee on October 8, 2025, regarding value engineering, timing, stormwater prioritization, and balancing bike/ped investments with Franklin and Hawthorne.
  • Hawthorne Bridge: Council selected the broken top truss design as the preferred structure type. Staff will refine the design and present a 30% concept on November 12, 2025, along with cost estimates and connectivity options.
  • Next Steps: Joint committee meeting (CAB/TBOC) on September 29, 2025; council check-in on October 8 (prioritization) and November 12 (Hawthorne design update, Read Market bridge update, Franklin GMP decision).

Meeting Transcript

All right. So we are going to get started with our Ben City Council work session today. And first we will start with roll call. Start on your end, Councillor Francisza. Gina Franzosa, she her. Mike Riley, he's a Melanie Keebler, she her. Megan Perkins, she, her. Steve Platty. And then we are hoping Council Norris will be able to join us online. Okay. So she's there. Great. Okay, so first topic is private development engineering review. Okay. Informational. Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, city counselors. I'm Colin Stevens. I'm the director of the community development department. And joining me in the presentation. I'm not sure if Ben has been promoted yet. Is Ben Barry. He's been with the city for about a year. And he uh has is is was promoted or applied for and received the job to be the new city engineer within CEDD. And he started two weeks ago today. So he's fresh, fresh. So we're going to go over I I also um have about twenty minutes because I don't want to run over with into Ryan's slides, so I'll just gonna go through this quickly. Um, as you'll see in the conclusion of this, we are instituting some new processes uh based on some legislation within the engineering division, so we can come back in the spring when that's more formalized and give a presentation on that so we if there's more engagement, we can come back when there's more time for it. So the agenda for today is some background um some uh review process and timelines. This is the Senate Bill 974. I was just talking about. I'll go over that and uh how we're going to implement that and then next steps, and we'll save a little bit of time at the end for questions. So how infrastructure is built in Bend, there are two ways that it is built, and that one of them is with the engineering department through Ryan and his team. You're gonna have a presentation on a capital uh several capital projects that he's working on. That's one way that infrastructure is built for the city of end public infrastructure. The other way is through private development um projects where there's infrastructure that needs to be built to serve the projects. The biggest driver of that is usually subdivisions, although site plan review for commercial buildings builds that as well when they have frontage improvements or utilities that need to serve the site. Um with those the city side the the ones that the city builds through the engineering department. Um they're managed by our staff, um they're funded by public funds from the very beginning, such as SDCs or the general obligation fund. Uh and there's full city oversight through that entire process through the timing, the design, the construction, the inspections, and and and finally the acceptance. A little bit different for the private projects. Um city oversight really begins after the initial design has been done. So we're looking at it for the first time after it's actually been um designed, and then there's an iterative iterative process where we we look at it, we make sure that it meets standards and specifications. If it doesn't, we send back a correction letter. The it has it has to be redesigned, and there's some back and forth on that. Once it is approved, the city does do the inspections. Um I would also like to say that there is some um infrastructure that is on the city's uh uh approved project list that they do get some SDC reimbursement for. So there's a little bit of a hybrid in there where they get public money, but they do they build it as part of their project. And this is a demonstration of of how the the sort of division of permitting uh within the the three permitting department or divisions within the department, the development proposal comes in, goes to planning, they administer the building or the development code uh building safety. If there's a building associated with it, they administer the building code, and then what we're talking about is the one on the right, the engineering division.

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