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Giving Tuesday – Support the McKenzie Community!
December 3, 2024
McKenzie Community Partnership Needs Your Support
We’ve been really busy this year – working on BIG things that should pay off for years to come.
The BIGGEST ONE was helping Blue River rebuild after the fire:
by working with Lane County and the State to change the rules around rural towns.
Our staff worked tirelessly, with participation from other groups and community members, engaging at many levels over a long period to help identify roadblocks and solutions to building vibrant rural towns. The model created is intended to be a template for other rural communities in Lane County.
On October 29, 2024 the Lane County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to approve the Blue River Complete Community Plan
Key Features:
- 1 acre (and larger) residential lots can build a 2nd home and an additional dwelling unit (ADU),
- more land for Housing,
- Space for Multifamily structures,
- more flexible rules for businesses,
- including the ability to add apartments above a business.
These new rules make it easier to build lower cost housing and make it more attractive for someone to build in Blue River
Why is Blue River so important to the larger McKenzie Community?
It provides the missing commercial core to the upper McKenzie River that serves its residents and helps to support our tourist industry. Residents are missing many of the services that used to be in the area. A lack of shopping, food, services and 3rd places (places where we can hang out other than our home or office) leaves community members, would be business owners and high value tourists choosing other options to live and invest.
Rural Land Use rules were created in the 70’s to limit sprawl in rural areas. Most areas along the McKenzie can’t be heavily developed and shouldn’t be. Why the exception for Blue River? It was already previously developed, the land use rules in the 70’s had turned the town into blighted space. Now, the town has a path to recovery – with rebuilding viable options.
Other Projects for 2025:
- Designed too help seed new businesses in Blue River (as it rebuilds)
- Provides shopping and 3rd places
- Supports local artists
- Supports local students
- Supports small businesses
- Serves the community
- Supports high value tourism
Tourism and Community Business Web Magazine – Directory
“For years Bend and Sisters has co-opted our natural attractions and most of these visitors never even see McKenzie Bridge, much less the other towns along the McKenzie River.”
This project will help local businesses increase revenue and encouraging more community investment by making them more visible.
- Serves the community by connecting them with businesses they may not have known existed
- Supports high value tourism by connecting them to our local attractions
- Connects our local attractions to our local businesses
- Will work to promote high value tourism as opposed to mass numbers
Past Projects:
As one of the area’s longest general support non-profits we helped with many projects and other non-profits by acting as a fiscal sponsor:
Primary Disaster Support after the 2020 Holiday Fire
– we helped organize relief and recovery efforts until we handed them off to the newly formed Long Term Recover Group.
Seeding New Organizations: McKenzie Community Track & Field, The Bottle Boys
Wayfinding: Town signs, McKenzie River entry signage, The Blue River riverwalk trail
Your help to keep moving forward!
We are a community non-profit, staffed by our community and funded by our community. We can only do big things if we all pitch in a little.
We are tax deductible and your donation will help us do great things!
Learn More and / or Donate
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