Bending the rules…
by Peter BrayNovember 28th, 2005 at 11:50:10
Let’s state the obvious: any charm that Bend once had is pretty much gone.
Replacing the small-town, high desert feel are row after row of big box mega-stores, from Home Depot, to Lowe’s, to Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Now, Bend is just another Anytown, USA. It wouldn’t be so bad if this bland sameness infected just Bend itself. The problem is that these mega-corporations exist to churn out building materials, fancy “rustic” furniture, and other middle class flotsam for the creeping “2nd home” sprawl that invades the quiet valleys and prairies of the surrounding land.
And now we learn that “destination resorts” may be eyeing Measure 37 as a means to free up more land for their profiteering:
Hanging over the debate is Measure 37. If the county were to remove some lands from destination resort zones, the owners could file a claim with the county under the property rights law if it is upheld by the courts, Luke said.
“If they didn’t want out, we couldn’t get them out,” he said.
December 19th, 2006 at 1:19 pm
I live on the East Side of Bend and of course, could not agree more. Central Oregon has turned into a vast network of isolated “housing pods” brought “together” by a downtown which exists only to supply overpriced Western wear and antler-slathered home decor.
Perhaps the most depressing is the proliferation of gated communities in an area touted for its welcoming and casual attitude. These developments are portrayed almost as an upper-middle class cultural imperative; as one development describes itself, an “earned lifestyle.” In an area with almost no safety issues and where most houses are within a short drive to the downtown area, the need for these creations eludes me.
Local entrepreneurs (most of whom no doubt live in houses with historic character and charm, not on sagebrush wastelands dubbed ‘planned communities’) use a number of words which I find confusing and misleading. “Convenience” is one such word; most of the gated communities are located significantly farther away from town than other communities. Not sure about you, but I would find that less convenient. Does “convenience” mean lack of need to walk? The convenience of avoiding other people without trying?
“Luxury” may accurately describe some of the developments, although many seem neither elegant nor well-built, merely large.
“Privileged” is another catch-phrase. I suppose this is a state of being which one could aspire, if the corollary to privilege is financial instability. I do not, however, understand how one can attain ‘privilege’ by moving into a destination resort community. If you can afford to do so, you’re already privileged, right?
“Secluded” is understandable as a goal, since some people prefer to live in isolation. However, most of the large houses built in “secluded” communities are actually uncomfortably close to one another. Does “secluded” mean seclusion for the person/family, or separation from some outside “Other” that cannot legally be spelled out in CC&R’s.
I can’t pretend to have an alternative in mind, nor am I opposed to housing developments in general. I just think that Central Oregon developers are capitalizing on snobbery and fear, and homebuyers are letting it happen.
January 18th, 2007 at 11:30 am
Just came across this; no excuses for posting so late. One of the main reasons people are flocking here is to escape the perceived threats of big-city life. If you watch TV from Portland or L.A. or any other “major outlet,” you get hammered with crime news; watch TV shows, and if they aren’t innane comedy, they’re about crime. People see Bend as safe. The “gated communities,” which are just little stockades, appear to offer safety from whatever might be coming. and you’re right: “secluded” means separation from people that can’t be included in CC&Rs.
Good post: thank you for making it.
August 20th, 2007 at 8:48 am
I was interested in the comments posted here.
For years, I have thought of Bend as a friendly community with an old-fashioned down-home feeling of Americana.
Planned housing communities can not match the real flavor and character of the original town and the homes built around it in a natural growth pattern.