BEND, OR -- Deschutes County Commissioners and Bend City Councilors hammered out details Thursday on a plan to create what they're calling a 'Temporary Safe Rest Area' on city and county-owned property on Juniper Ridge, for people living in vehicles in that area north of Bend. 

"We have some resources, we can go farther if we can kind of pool them together and allocate them in a logical way," said city manager Eric King of the plan to combine budget and personnel.

It will be staffed with security and service providers. "We've got to know that they just don't fall out of their pathway to rejoining society," said commission chair Patti Adair, who also leads the board of the county's Coordinated Houseless Response Office (CHRO).

"Having an idea of where people are coming from as they're staying there and also where they're going, we know how our government dollars are being used and if they're being used well, and we know also if we are providing the types of services and shelter options that are homeless needs," said mayor pro-tem, and CHRO vice-chair Megan Perkins of the approximately 170-acre parcel west of the railroad tracks. 120 acres are owned by the city, and 50 by the county.

Officials anticipate some legal and other hurdles. "I don't want us to look past the legal land-use issues. We need to begin work on that immediately," said county administrator Nick Lelack.

The plan will start this October with giving notice of the closure to camping on the eastside of the railroad tracks. 

Councilor Mike Riley said he's heard many concerns about the fire risk, "This should be a little bit more broad in scope that we're both evaluating and continuing to coordinate on fuel reduction and other fire risk reduction strategies."

Commissioners and councilors unanimously agreed on the proposal. "I feel like we've been doing a lot of things. We've spent millions of dollars in this county, but I want to see some results," said Adair.

The opening of the 'Temporary Safe Rest Area' is set for May 2025.