Could another OSU-Cascades delay postpone opening?

A decision on whether OSU-Cascades can build their new campus at a disputed site in southwest Bend is going to be delayed by another three to four weeks.

The state Land Use Board of Appeals was expected to announce its ruling next week. However, an attorney for Westside campus opponents Truth in Site has requested a delay, due to a family emergency.

Time is at the essence for OSU-Cascades to be able to open in the fall of 2016.

“There is still a chance” of opening as planned, Becky Johnson, vice president of OSU-Cascades, said Friday. “It’s a very slim chance, and if we can’t make it until the fall, then we still have the January start time.”

On Friday, current OSU-Cascades students came out to help clean the future site in celebration of Earth Week.

“We found all kinds of bottles and a tent,” said Jack Vanderlinden, student body president.

Mountains of trash bags were piling up and making way for what the future could look like.

“I’m very happy to see this,” said student James Fountain, who helped clean up with his son, Liam.

Despite all the enthusiasm, things are not set in stone yet. The only sign at the site of the current plans are stakes in the ground, marking the corners of the proposed buildings.

The additional delay is not only frustrating to college officials, it also is costing them money.

“The big financial hit is not only from the legal fees of having to fight this battle but of course costs, escalate the longer you wait,” Johnson said.

Truth in Site officials said they are looking forward to arguing the case and having it decided.

Meanwhile, current students are hoping for a decision in their favor.

“We’re here for the future of the community,” Vanderlinden said. “You can see a lot of the past is right there in those trash bags, and the future is going to be a lot brighter.”