Let your County Commissioners know this is not an acceptable “redesign” and request they look for parking somewhere else if it is really needed at all. You can email them at citizeninput@deschutes.org.
Bend, Oregon 97702, United States
On January 24, 2022 in a 2 to 1 vote by the County Commissioners, it was decided to redevelop the existing Worrell Wayside County Park into a parking lot. County staff developed a proposal to blow up and excavate the lava flow and flatten the park into a parking lot netting 68 parking spaces. The park created by County Commissioners in 1997 will be gone forever. The natural area will be converted to blacktop. Spread the word of the County Commissioners who in 1997 created the park for the public. There are other options for County parking needs. Places like this small 1.29 acre park are disappearing in our county and once paved over will be gone forever. Spread the word, visit the park, tell your neighbors, co-workers, friends, family and your elected officials this is an existing park that needs to remain a park Spread the word that Parks are classrooms, they provide a right to access a special place set aside for generations, they establish and capture magnificence in public ownership, and are a portal to passport us in time to a little bit of naturalness that was once a part of our history.
Monthly events have been held to Save Worrell Wayside since the commissioner vote in January. They will continue until at least one of the County Commissioners have reconsidered their vote to redevelop the park into a parking lot. Write to your elected officials. This is a County Park owned and maintained by the County located inside the City of Bend. The County must adhere to City zoning and therefore apply for permits to redevelop the park which could require City Council oversight. Bend Parks and Recreation is not involved in managing this small park but this is the public entity managing parks in the Bend area. The State provides funds to the County to maintain its parks. It's complicated.
The County Courthouse expansion project needs to incorporate any additional parking needs in its development. Deciding on a parking need before the Courthouse expansion has been designed is getting the cart before the horse, so to speak. It is unknown how much additional parking is really needed and there are other options. Save the Park and encourage your elected county officials to seek out other parking options.
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Save Bill Worrell Wayside Park, Bend, Oregon