Wednesday, July 16, 2014

The smallest 4-year university in Bend?

Also known as OSU-Pumice Pit
It appears that the brain trust behind OSU-Cascades/Pumice Pit wants to create one of the smallest four-year university campuses in the world.

Imagine squeezing 5,000 students (or 8,000 to 10,000) onto a 10-acre parcel.

Let's see, Central Oregon Community College, which is just a two-year school in Bend, sits on more than 200 acres and serves about 12,000 students.

According to the Council of Educational Facility Planners International, a 300-student elementary school needs 13 acres. A high school with 2,000 students needs 50 acres. But, OSU-Cascades needs only 10 acres. Yeah, right.

Since OSU officials believe their plans for Bend's overcrowded west side should not be judged on their future expansion to the adjacent 46-acre pumice pit, then they must be content with a 10-acre campus they bought at 22 percent above the assessed value.

Actually, they're lying to the taxpayers of Oregon.

They have an offer to buy the pumice pit, but are delaying the completion of the deal until they can get city approval for the entire campus based solely on its plans for the 10-acre parcel.

It's deceitful and wrong.

They absurdly claim that they shouldn't be held responsible for land they don't currently own.

So, do they plan to expand to the pumice pit and also to the adjacent 72-acre demolition landfill?

Shouldn't "planners" be looking ahead to what OSU-Cascades ultimately plans to do?

Actually, the lack of planning plagues Bend and most cities in the country. It is why basic infrastructure -- roads, water, sewer -- is such a mess here and elsewhere.

Is a 10-acre campus big enough for the long-sought, four-year university in the state's fastest growing area?

The answer is no. The hearings officer should reject the current plans for OSU-Cascades until the school's leaders tell the truth about what they plan to do.

You would think, with the thousands of acres of vacant land in and around Bend, there should be more than 10 acres of decent land available  on which to build an expandable four-year university.

2 comments:

  1. The hearings officer can only apply existing development code to the site plan for the ten acres owned by OSU Cascades. If and when OSU Cascades decides to purchase more property and develop a bigger campus they will be required to get approval for a master plan. Why should OSU Cascades be held to a different standard then any other property owner? BTW the ten acres zoning allows for schools.

    Only a fool would believe that the land where OSU Cascades wants to develop a university will remain undeveloped. I would prefer a university over the permitted high density housing and retail that will fill the space otherwise.

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  2. Only a fool/knave would respond to Xray's post in this manner. It os patently clear that an attempted scam is in play here. If you want to respond to Xray's post then respond to the points he is making not with the obfuscating drivel you're putting out there. Do you own the pumice mine by any chance?

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