BEND, OR -- Real estate experts from across the region are gathering at the Riverhouse Convention Center in Bend Wednesday morning, to discuss how the city’s Urban Growth Boundary will impact future growth. Brian Fratzke of Fratzke Commercial Real Estate is one of the panelists at today’s Real Estate Forecast Breakfast. He tells KBND News that today’s event is a unique opportunity for everyday citizens to get involved in the conversation. "The question is, do you want to protect urban sprawl?" Fratzke says. "At the same time you need to grow the boundary enough so you keep the community affordable."

The Bend area currently has a limited supply of land available in the community, which means land prices are going up even for affordable housing. "For the homeowners, we now are getting those values we wish we had in 2010, 2011 and 2012, when the market was down," Fratzke says. "But we also want to keep our community somewhat affordable, to keep it growing a bit."

Fratzke expects growth to be a hot topic at today's breakfast and in the next several years, as city officials work with the state to manage Bend's growth. "For example, we put a gate around Bend -- we’re not going to grow it anymore," Fratzke says. "We’re not going to attract new businesses. It’s the new businesses that pay property taxes; they pay fees to the city that help pay for our roads. You need a little bit of growth."