The city of Bend is continuing to narrow down the options for expanding its urban growth boundary, but an expansion map up for approval at a meeting today is still likely to morph before being formally adopted.

The city is developing an expansion plan for the boundary, or UGB, which reins in where the city is allowed to grow, in order to accommodate population growth through 2028.

Expansions are supposed to be made in 20-year increments, but the state, which controls boundary expansions, rejected an earlier proposal in 2010. At the time, the state argued the plan took in too much land without putting enough emphasis on density, something statewide planning goals require.

In its most up-to-date iteration, the current plan for expansion is significantly smaller than the 2010 version. At today’s meeting, a steering committee composed of the Bend City Council, two planning commissioners and Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone will be asked to formally adopt the plan as a baseline for further work.

The map on the table was crafted by an appointed advisory committee, city staff and outside consultants. Those groups developed a handful of options, which the steering committee narrowed down to one with a few tweaks in October.

Brian Rankin, a city planner overseeing the project, said at this point in time, all the city’s plans shouldn’t be considered final.

“We are in an inevitable process of refinement, and that’s what’s supposed to happen,” he said. “For folks who don’t track this, it’s important to understand the policies that are developed for land inside the (existing) UGB affect what happens with the boundary expansion. The more efficiently we use land inside, the smaller the expansion will be and vice versa.”

As part of today’s meeting, the steering committee will begin discussing the policies affecting growth within the boundary. These policies affect everything from how high buildings can be built to how many parking spots a new store needs to what proportion of a lot an apartment building is able to cover.

“It’s important the (steering committee) begins taking a closer look at what’s going on inside the UGB so we can get their policy direction, approval, comments and feedback,” Rankin said. “Until we have their direction on those subjects, it’s really tough to begin nailing down an exact boundary.”

When the policies are settled and an expansion plan firmed up, the whole package must be approved by the City Council. The plan then goes to the Deschutes County Commission for approval and finally to the state.

Rankin said he hopes the plans are off to Salem by summer 2016.

— Reporter: 541-633-2160, tleeds@bendbulletin.com