Deschutes County planners will take public comments tonight on the proposed long-term comprehensive plan for the southern Deschutes County area residents call “Newberry Country”.

“Testimony in both oral and written form is encouraged,” principal planner Peter Gutowsky said. “This process has been vetted to robust community involvement and we’re at a place where comments are overwhelmingly in support of adopting the plan and its formal structure.”

The public meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic and Recreation Center, Dillon Hall, 57250 Overlook Road, Sunriver.

The area-specific plan, “Newberry Country: A Plan for Southern Deschutes County,” is a 75-page document laying out a 20-year plan for the south county.

Gutowsky said county planners spent the last year asking residents of the area what types of growth and development they’d like to see. The affected area encompasses 125 square miles stretching south from Lava Butte on either side of U.S. Highway 97 to the Deschutes-Klamath County border, excluding the incorporated areas of La Pine and Sunriver.

The planners identified seven categories in which residents and stakeholders would like to see improvements implemented: community involvement, land use, public facilities, transportation, natural hazards, natural resources and recreation.

Gutowsky said recognizing the potential population growth of the south county led planners to identify the need for an area-specific resource-use plan.

Some of the proposed improvements are the construction of a 24-hour medical care facility, the addition of a public dock on the Little Deschutes River, introduction of community greenhouses or gardens, diversification of the local employment base and expansion of public transportation options.

“The next step is beginning to implement the plan,” Gutowsky said. “The planning division will decide over the next few months where it should prioritize its time, on a multitude of issues, with limited resources.”

The Deschutes County Commission will hold a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. March 28 at the Deschutes Services Building, 1300 N.W. Wall St., Bend, to take public comment on how county funds should be allocated for the upcoming fiscal year, beginning July 1.

IF YOU GO

What: Public meeting for area-specific plan, “Newberry Country: A Plan for Southern Deschutes County”

When: 6 p.m. today

Where: Sunriver Homeowners Aquatic and Recreation Center, Dillon Hall, 57250 Overlook Road, Sunriver