COID land sale closes in southwest Bend after federal approval of trail plan

By Michael Kohn

The Bulletin

A long-delayed land sale in southwest Bend is finally nearing completion after federal regulators approved key changes, clearing the way for the Central Oregon Irrigation District to sell 80 acres to Pahlisch Homes.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved amendments to the districtʼs license in January, ending a roughly two-year review process tied to trail easements and property boundaries. COID General Manager Craig Horrell said the parties are now within months of closing.

“We are within probably the next three months of closing with Pahlisch Homes,” Horrell said.

The deal represents a key step in the long-anticipated transition of the Deschutes Canyon South property, though development remains years away. A view easement largely restricts construction on the land until the mid-2030s, and any future building plans would be subject to a public review process.

Horrell said the federal approval was the final hurdle needed to move forward.

“Thatʼs why itʼs taken so long,” he said. “But that was approved within the last couple of months, and that was what we needed for us to be able to close on the property.”

Survey work is currently underway ahead of closing, and nearby residents have taken

Graciela and Ward Stanley walk their dog, Pepper, on property near the COID canal west of Brookswood Boulevard in Bend.

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A cyclist rides along property near the COID canal west of Brookswood Boulevard in Bend.

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notice with some posting signs and marking trees along the property boundaries The federal decision includes changes to recreational access easements affecting the Canopy Trail This pop ular route in the area that historically functioned as a maintenance road for irrigation infrastructure and later became a well used public path The approved amend ment allows for a foot wide public access ease ment that will transfer with the property but could be relocated depending on future development Officials with the Bend Park Recreation District said the agreement secures longterm public access even as details about the trails future alignment remain uncertain The way we view it is we think its a win already that we were able to work with COID to ensure permanent public access in the future said Henry Stroud a principal plan ner with the district Stroud said the Canopy Trail existed primarily due to federal licensing requirements and lacked a permanent easement held by the park district Under the new frame work that access will be formalized requiring a continuous trail connec tion from Brookswood Boulevard to the Deschutes River It wont go away completely Stroud said Its just exactly what the nature of that trail is we dont know He said other key routes in the area including the Deschutes River Trail and the Central Oregon Historic Canal Trail are expected to remain largely unchanged with addi tional connections planned to improve overall trail connectivity in south Bend From a planning standpoint Stroud said the final design will depend heavily on Pahlischs future master plan for the site which is not expected for several years Were always inter ested in trying to get the best trail experience for people he said But its way too early to say what specific outcomes will look like The Bendbased non profit Save Bend Green Space which intervened in the federal proceed ings had opposed the amendments but decided not to seek a rehearing after determining a challenge would likely be unsuccessful The group is now focusing on collaboration as the project moves forward In the months and years ahead SBGS will continue to engage with both Pahlisch and BPRD for the preservation of the Canopy Trail and the other trails trees and habitat said chair Roberta Silverman Save Bend Green Space has also been working with city plan ners on a green space analysis of the property evaluating wildlife habitat vegetation and geology to help guide future development decisions The group expects to share a draft of that analysis later this year It has begun coordi nating with the developer and park district including participating in a site walkthrough to assess trails and ease ments The group said Pahlisch has committed to maintaining the Canopy Trail in its current condition until a broader master planning effort begins which is not expected until around Pahlisch said it expects to close on the property on July and it has no nearterm development plans for the site Because of the existing view easement on much of the property devel opment is not anticipated until that easement expires in said Jason Myhre a spokes person for Pahlisch Looking ahead when the time comes to plan for the propertys future we are committed to working collaboratively with BPRD COID Save Bend Green Space and the broader community to explore open space trails amenities and other fea tures that can help make this a meaningful addition to Bend Myhre said

A surveyor hikes through a wooded area near the COID canal west of Brookswood Boulevard in Bend.

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