Bend partnership eyes new Westside developments

A two-part development deal announced Monday between a long-time Bend family and the developers of NorthWest Crossing proposes 50 “cluster development” homesites outside the city, by Shevlin Park, and a possible denser development west of Summit High School if that land is brought into the city.

The initial proposal for a former tree farm would keep the land west of Bend under Deschutes County laws and involve only about 50 “cluster” homesites — but another 280 acres could be developed much like NorthWest Crossing

Here’s the news release issued Monday:

The Miller Family and West Bend Property Company II have signed an agreement to form a joint venture entity called The Tree Farm LLC.

This new entity will work toward gaining land use approval to develop a residential cluster community on the Miller Tree Farm property, located west of Miller Elementary School.

The Tree Farm LLC is jointly owned by the Miller Family and by WB2. WB2 is jointly owned by Brooks Resources Corporation and by Mike Tennant and associates of Mike Tennant.

The vision for the 500-acre property is a cluster development of approximately 50 homesites, with the majority of the property left as open space.

The land abuts Shevlin Park on the west and will be developed under county land use regulations outside of the Bend Urban Growth Boundary. The Tree Farm LLC expects to complete planning and feasibility studies and gain necessary land use approvals in 2014, with construction likely in 2015.

WB2 also has an option to acquire an additional approximately 280 acres immediately west of Summit High School and around Miller Elementary School and the new Middle School.

WB2 hopes this property will be brought into the Urban Growth Boundary of the city of Bend and anticipates continuing a NorthWest Crossing type development on the property.

According to Charley Miller, Co-manager of the Miller Tree Farm, LLC, “The Miller family has responsibly managed this property for nearly 60 years and cares deeply about how it will be developed and the legacy it will leave.

“We think the community will be pleased with the access, open space and trails. We appreciate the great work done by West Bend Property Company in their thoughtful development of the NorthWest Crossing community, and we look forward to working with them on this exciting project.”

Mike Hollern, president of Brooks Resources Corporation and managing member of WB2, said “We are delighted once again to be working with the Miller Family. We expect to continue the same level of quality and attention to detail on these properties that we have put into NorthWest Crossing.

“This time, we will be working together on the spectacular land owned by the Millers between Summit High School and Shevlin Park. We believe we and the community will benefit from this partnership between two families and companies that have each operated in Bend for more than 100 years.”

WB2 is an Oregon Limited Liability Company consisting of Brooks Resources, Mike Tennant and associates of Mike Tennant, all of whom have been involved in West Bend Property Company, the developer of the award winning neighborhood, NorthWest Crossing.

The Miller Family has been in Central Oregon for over 100 years operating the Miller Lumber Company, and supporting education and smart community growth. In 1999, the Miller Family sold 482 acres of the Miller Tree Farm to West Bend Property Company. That property is now the NorthWest Crossing neighborhood. For more information, visit www.northwestcrossing.com.