Redmond hearing held on new school, master plan

A large Redmond parcel may soon get a new private school and other development farther down the road, under a master plan that was the topic of a hearing Monday evening.

Five years ago, attorney Ron Bryant and dairy owner Bob Eberhard purchased 55 acres on behalf of a Redmond school.

At the Redmond Planning Commission hearing, Central Christian School laid out its plans to build on the property just north of Redmond, west of Highway 97, east of 10th Street and south of Pershall Way.

Of those 55 acres, the applicants only want to build a school on about 20 acres.

“The way the city code works, they have to come through the city planning process for the remaining portion of the property that they’re not planning to develop right now,” said Redmond Senior Planner Scott Woodford. “They’re asking for a master development plan approval at this point, and then they’ll come back later for school approval.”

The size of the property means developers must create both a master plan and highway area plan, laying out where things eventually will go, including up to about 200 homes, a park, trails, and a road.

While the entire property does need to have a master plan for the future, the applicants main focus is simply the development and creation of the school.

An earlier plan for the parcel was created a decade ago, but a school was not part of it until five years ago.

Up to now, Central Christian School has leased various buildings, but wants this spot to be its permanent home.

“Basically, the process is designed to allow them to go forward with the school, but we also have a rough idea in terms of how the streets, trails, and land uses are laid out,” Woodford said. “So if a different developer comes in, we know that it’s all going to work.”

The applicants are not builders, so the rest of the property would be sold to others to develop.

Some neighboring land owners who spoke at the hearing say they’re not against the school, they’re just worried about traffic and other impacts.

If the Redmond Planning Commission gives the go-ahead for development, the plans are expected to go before the city council soon.

More details about the proposed master plan can be found in the planning commission’s May 1 agenda packet at http://www.ci.redmond.or.us/government/commissions-committees/redmond-urban-area-planning-commission-rupac/meetings-and-agendas