| Next SCNA Board Meeting Thursday March 19, 5:00pm |
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Topics at this month's Board Meeting include: Board meetings are held via Zoom. Please email us at [email protected] no later than noon on the day before the meeting to request a Zoom invitation (which will be sent later that day).
If you would like to request time on the agenda to discuss a particular topic at a board meeting, please email [email protected] at least 2 days prior to the meeting.
Learn more about Southern Crossing Neighborhood Association meetings, including minutes from past meetings, on our website. |
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Are you prepared for a wildfire? It’s been a dry winter, and the City of Bend wants everyone to prepare. The top of your checklist should be to sign-up for emergency notifications from Deschutes Alerts through their registration page. For more preparation tips, visit the City's Wildfire Preparedness page.
Is your home ready for burning embers? Learn how to prepare your property with a Defensible Space here. You can download a checklist here. This concept works best when we all do it. If your property is ready, but your neighbors isn’t, that’s a problem. Think about offering to help your neighbor prepare or just pass on the checklist to them. For very serious hazards, you might consider contacting the City of Bend Code Enforcement team.
If you would like to get a wildfire risk assessment of your property by a professional, you can request one from the City. Due to demand, you might have to wait awhile, so start with the checklist above.
The City is preparing to adopt stricter building codes to better prepare too. They will take their final vote during the March 18th City Council Meeting. |
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FERC Decision on COID Property |
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After more than two years of consideration, on January 22 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the Central Oregon Irrigation District's (COID) request to amend the FERC license for the Deschutes South Canyon hydroelectric project. This amendment called for changes to the public recreational access easements on segments of the COID property governed by the permit and which are currently expected to be sold to Pahlisch Homes and developed for residential use. These easements include the trailhead that begins at Brookswood Boulevard commonly known as the Canopy Trail. In approving the requested amendments, FERC considered the Environmental Assessment performed by FERC staff, which considered all of the factors that warranted review, including the objections and comments offered by Save Bend Green Space (SBGS) and the hundreds of emails sent by many of you. In short, FERC determined that the license amendments should be granted based on sound factual and legal grounds. What’s Next for the Canopy Trail SBGS has pledged to continue to work to protect and preserve the Canopy Trail and other significant natural areas of the Deschutes South Canyon when ownership of the property transfers to Pahlisch. Accordingly, SBGS has already initiated conversations with Pahlisch to work toward collaborative solutions that serve the interests of Bend residents. SBGS confirmed that Pahlisch has committed to maintaining the Canopy Trail as-is until the Master Plan process, which it does not expect to begin until around 2030. However, when Pahlisch closes on the sale of the property (anticipated in the next month or so) they will begin coordinating with Bend Park & Recreation Department (BPRD) in assessing the existing easements and trails in terms of connectivity and recreational value. See the SBGS announcement for more information on the FERC decision and SBGS efforts on behalf of the property. |
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Reed Market - Bond - Brookswood Update |
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The City of Bend’s current capital budget allows for design work on a “hybrid” roundabout in the coming Fiscal Year starting July 1. City Engineer Ryan Oster presented this plan at the SCNA General Meeting last October. Those attending were quite vocal in letting him know that SCNA would like a better design that could handle not only today’s but also future traffic. The SCNA Board is asking the City for a community meeting to discuss local growth and road improvements. We hope to get this scheduled before the Fiscal Year starts.
For information on a 2-lane alternative proposal, visit the Roundabout section on our website. |
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Low Stress Crossing of Reed Market Between Roundabout and US 97 |
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A few years back, SCNA requested that a low-stress pedestrian and cyclist crossing be installed at Silver Lake Blvd and Reed Market Road. The City put this in the Neighborhood Street Safety Program budget. The design that was presented in July of 2025 was for an upgraded crossing at Chamberlain St and paving a section of Chamberlain St. The SCNA Board opposed that design, and City Council voted to set it aside.
The design is once again being proposed for construction in 2026. It was presented at our February Board meeting by Project Engineer, Christian Williams along with another project to improve Silver Lake Blvd where it intersects Chamberlain St. He will be hosting an open house on Tuesday March 24th from 4:30-6pm at Blakely Park. A counter proposal was suggested that you can see on our Traffic webpage. The design would be a more comprehensive solution to solve multiple problems on Reed Market Road between Chamberlain St. and US 97. |
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Breaking News on Sunny Breeze Subdivision |
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Because the City has received additional application materials on the 42-lot single home subdivision located at 61521 Sunny Breeze Way, the City has extended the review period for the application. That means another 2-week public comment period has opened. The new deadline for comments is Thursday March 26.
You can see the additional application materials and other details of the proposed plan as well as previous public and agency comments on the planning application page. Comments should be submitted to Elizabeth LaFleur at [email protected] and must include the project number PLLD20250690. |
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New Coulter Grove Park & Deschutes River Trail South Open Houses |
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Bend Park & Recreation District (BPRD) is holding a series of Open House events to get community input on two projects important to Southern Crossing. |
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As previously announced, Southern Crossing is getting a new neighborhood park! Coulter Grove Park will be located at 20185 Reed Lane. This 3.17-acre site will provide a new neighborhood park for surrounding residents. Park features may include open lawn, picnic and gathering space, play area, trails and pathways.
BPRD will be conducting the next round of public outreach in April giving you an opportunity to see and give feedback on three initial conceptual designs. April 3 - 17: An online survey will open, a link will be emailed to those on the update list and will be posted on the project website. Wednesday April 8: Open house at the BPRD District Office (799 SW Columbia Street) from 4:30 - 6:30pm. Sunday April 12: On-site open house on the park property (20185 Reed Lane) from 11am - 1pm. The open house will be weather dependent.
Feedback from this round of outreach will be used to generate the preferred concept design for the park, which is what will be developed for construction. This design will be shared with the community this summer. For additional information or to sign up for email updates, please visit the project website.
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Deschutes River Trail South Project |
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BPRD invites you to an Open House on the refinement study for the Deschutes River Trail South Project. The Open House will take place on Thursday April 2 from 6:30 - 8pm at Elk Meadow Elementary School gymnasium (60880 SW Brookswood).
The purpose of the project is to complete one of the last remaining gaps on the Deschutes River Trail, which runs between Sunriver and Tumalo State Park, and to enhance non-motorized access to the Deschutes National Forest from Bend. Get more information about the project, including a map of the study area and a FAQ document, on the project website. |
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SageBrushers Landscape Art Show |
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The Landscape Show will be gracing the walls of our neighborhood art gallery - SageBrushers Art Society. The show runs through April. Southern Crossing neighbors and friends are invited to our Artists’ Reception on Saturday March 21, from to 2-4pm. Join us for refreshments, music, and good art! Come visit your neighborhood SageBrushers art gallery anytime during open hours. The gallery is located at 117 SW Roosevelt Avenue. |
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