REDMOND, OR -- Plans continue to move forward to develop of about 950 acres known as the South Redmond Tract. The parcel needs to be incorporated into Redmond's Urban Growth Boundary before infrastructure can be developed. Deputy City Manager John Roberts says the project has been in the works for about a decade, "Expanding the Urban Growth Boundary is one of the more prescriptive components of the statewide planning program and Goal 14. So, to comply with all those provisions, it’s not unusual for a UGB expansion of this size to take this much time to do it correctly." A land swap with the state, last year, gave the proposal a big boost. But, expanding the UGB still needs state approval.  

Redmond's City Council and Deschutes County Commissioners will discuss code changes and revising the property's master plan in a joint meeting Tuesday evening. "The county needs to amend their comprehensive plan to acknowledge these changes. It’s actually the first part of the process," Roberts tells KBND News, "And, just to give you an idea of the complexity of this, the first staff report has 55 pages of findings and the second staff report has upwards of 65 pages of findings."

Roberts believes it'll still be two more years before work could begin at the property. But, once it's ready, he says the lot will be divided into three sections, "140 acres is place marked for expansion of the fairgrounds." Another 20 acres will be sold to the Oregon Military Department to relocate its readiness center, "And then the third is to rezone 789 acres of that for large lot industrial. And, large lot industrial means parcel size of 50 acres or greater."

Tuesday's joint meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Redmond's City Hall.