BEND, OR -- As construction continues at Chandler Ave. and Mt. Washington Drive, the group opposing the OSU-Cascades west side expansion in Bend continues to call for a halt to the project.
The Bend City Council and state Land Use Board (LUBA) both have approved the west side location. Tracy Pfiffner with Truth in Site tells KBND, "It’s currently at the Court of Appeals. There was a hearing on August 26 and we’re waiting to hear back what the results will be."
She says most Central Oregonians don’t support the current plan and the group will continue their fight. "Even if the Court of Appeals does not rule in Truth in Site’s favor, it’s not an endorsement that this is a well thought out plan or that it has community-wide support. I can tell you that we have launched a petition and over a thousand people have signed it asking OSU to cease development and to push the pause button and to rethink other sites in and around Bend."
Jane Teater, with Now for Bend, says any pause could be devastating to the region. "If we were to delay this, we could very likely lose funding from the Legislature; as well as, Oregon State University could decide that they’re just not going to invest in this community. So in a lot of ways, it’s a very, very real possibility; it’s not an empty threat." Now For Bend is a grassroots effort supporting the expansion of OSU-Cascades.
The Court of Appeals decision is not expected for at least several more weeks. To hear our full conversation with Tracy Pfiffner and Jane Teater, visit our Podcast page.
