The Deschutes County code for unincorporated land adjacent to Bend could soon change to allow destination resorts in that zone to reduce unit availability from 45 weeks out of the year to 38 weeks.

A public hearing will be held Monday to discuss making text amendments to Title 19, a section of the county code for land adjacent to Bend. The change would allow Tetherow, the only destination resort adjacent to Bend, to alter available overnight stays. The two-step process could potentially allow individually owned units to be more marketable, because owners would be able to use them more weeks out of the year.

Resorts are required to provide a certain number of overnight units throughout the year. They can range from hotel or motel rooms, to cabins or time-share units.

Individually owned units at resorts are available for overnight rental use through a central reservation system and currently must to be made available for 45 weeks in Deschutes County. The unit doesn’t have to be rented out for the full 45 weeks, but made available for rent during that time. The Oregon Legislature has reduced the requirement to 38 weeks, but the change still has to be adopted at the county level.

At a county work session Wednesday, Senior Planner Will Groves said the county planning commission suggested looking at the county code for Title 19 as a whole. During the review process, Groves said the code was consolidated in some cases while also making it clearer.

Groves said Pronghorn and Caldera Springs destination resorts went through a similar process in 2007.

Commissioner Alan Unger said he liked that the amendment would make Title 18 and 19 more in line with each other. Pronghorn and Caldera Springs are part of the Title 18 zone, which is county land that is not directly adjacent to Bend.

“I think we’re refining our code better and better,” said Unger. “I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

Unger said that it seems important to allow 38 weeks so that the individually owned units can be marketed.

“If you’re going to have a unit, you want to use it for yourself some,” said Unger. “You don’t get much time with 45 weeks.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7820,

tshorack@bendbulletin.com