The Awbrey Butte Neighborhood District-A Primer

The history of neighborhood associations in Bend is short and unsteady.  First thing to know is that a neighborhood association in Bend IS NOT AN HOA.  The Awbrey Butte Neighborhood Association (now called District instead of Association) is not related to, part of, or associated with any Homeowners Association in Bend.  Full stop.

The persistent confusion between HOAs and neighborhood associations is easy to see.  Bend has almost twice as many homes in HOAs as the national average.  This may be because most new communities include an HOA and Bend's residential development is substantially new.  

Here is the best summary of the history of Bend's neighborhood associations I have found (easy to understand slide deck): https://bend.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=13&event_id=842&meta_id=60937

An interesting twist is that neighborhood associations in Bend were renamed by the City Council in 2024 to be “neighborhood districts” in part to try and limit the confusion with HOAs (by dropping “association”).  It did not really work out that way.  In fact, part of that renaming process undertaken by the City coincided with budget cuts to neighborhood districts while expanding the stated role of the districts to include feedback on city-wide issues related to City Council Goals.  The budget cuts limited the ability of the groups to fully rebrand their websites and notify their membership of the change in name and purpose.

Here is a map of the City's 13 neighborhood districts including Awbrey Butte: https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/communications-engagement/neighborhood-districts

Another concerning move by City Council was the sudden cancellation of the advisory committee that was exclusively composed of leaders from the 13 designated neighborhood districts (the Neighborhood Leadership Alliance or “NLA”).  In a relatively short timeframe, the neighborhood districts went from having dedicated city staff support and direct access to the City Council and the Bend Planning Commission via the NLA advisory committee to having neither.  See, city website statement on the “pause” of the NLA advisory committee: https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/committees/neighborhood-leadership-alliance

What We Hope to Accomplish

Here is a link to the official version of the City's purpose in sponsoring neighborhood districts:   https://www.bendoregon.gov/government/departments/communications-engagement/neighborhood-districts/roles-and-responsibilities

At the last meeting of the ABNA Board we had a candid discussion of our most effective path forward in the context of the mixed signals from the current City Council regarding the relevance of neighborhood districts.  Bottom line, we believe there is an opportunity to establish greater connectivity with our existing membership, grow our registered membership, and build positive relationships with other districts and community members.    

We are NOT a political organization.  We do intend to speak candidly to Council and city staff on topics of concern expressed by our members and on matters as directed by the municipal code that created us.  We intend to provide our membership with timely, factual information about local government operations and how those operations impact our neighborhood and the community at large, without fear or favor.  We believe in the essential value of civil discourse and mutual respect in providing these resources and communications. 

All this means that the Board will be very active. You will be receiving surveys, emails, and updated newsletters from us.           

This page will be updated from time to time.  The Board of our Neighborhood District is anxious to hear from you, so we plan to get a new survey to you soon-promising it will be short and to the point.

Mark Gentle, Chair