Cities, including Bend, had some concerns about a bill designed to speed up more housing construction. (123RF)

The city of Bend seems to be always looking for ways to create more housing in Bend. So when it opposed a bill in the Legislature that was designed to speed up more housing, we had to take a look at that bill.

Senate Bill 974 establishes deadlines for the review of final engineering plans for residential development and attempts to streamline the land use process. Republicans and Democrats backed the bill and it is now on its way to Gov. Tina Kotek for her signature. State Sen. Anthony Broadman, D-Bend, was one of the bill’s sponsors.

Final engineering plans are designs for infrastructure – things like roads and sewers. There is no state deadline for how fast such things must be processed by a city. And the bill essentially sets one.

It’s important to note that the city of Bend’s opposition, along with other cities, was for an early version of the bill. Cities aren’t generally opposed to creating more housing and reducing red tape. But the concern was that the bill may have unintended consequences. The bill was amended, in part, to extend the deadlines.

If Gov. Kotek signs it, it needs to be watched like any reform to ensure it does what was intended.