Third resort in the works for Crook County market
By Rachael Scarborough King / The Bulletin
Published: January 28. 2007 5:00AM PST
The Crook County destination resort market is filling up fast, with a third development starting the planning process.
As they enter the public hearing stage, developers of Bend-based Pahlisch Homes are firming up the details of what would be Crook County’s largest destination resort so far.
Neighboring Brasada Ranch destination resort, Hidden Canyon would encompass 3,250 acres of destination resort-zoned land in Powell Butte, Pahlisch Homes President Dennis Pahlisch said. The company also owns another 990 acres of attached property zoned for exclusive farm use.
“It is kind of the next step for us,” Pahlisch said. “We’ve been doing a lot of community building, and a destination resort is just a larger vacation-orientated community.”
Pahlisch said the plans for the resort call for 2,450 homes and 1,225 overnight units. It will also feature a golf course, trail system, aquatic center and health spa. The property is owned by RMG Destination LLC, but the resort will be developed by Pahlisch Homes.
“We’re not in a rush. This is, like I say, a 20- to 25-year project,” Pahlisch said. “Housing is slow right now in Central Oregon for 2007 into 2008, (so) we probably won’t be building homes here until 2009.”
Pahlisch said that the project is not facing any major hurdles right now. The developers have initially resolved issues of water supply and road access and are working with the Oregon Department of Transportation on ways to mitigate the impact of more traffic in the area. Access into the resort would come off of Alfalfa Market Road and George Millican Road.
Crook County Planning Director Bill Zelenka said that the next discussion on Hidden Canyon’s preliminary development plan will take place at the Planning Commission’s Feb. 14 meeting. The first public hearing for the resort was last week, and public citizens can comment on the project at the next meeting as well. Zelenka added that he thinks the Planning Commission will discuss Hidden Canyon at a third meeting before making a decision.
After getting the OK on its preliminary development plan, Hidden Canyon’s next stage would be to seek approval for its master plan, which would include road layouts and lot configurations.
Two other Crook County destination resorts are in the works. Remington Ranch, a 2,100-acre resort, has received initial approval and is now moving on to master plan approval. At Brasada Ranch, which covers 1,900 acres and is Crook County’s first resort, developers have broken ground on home sites. Several hundred lots have already been sold.
Zelenka said he has heard about some interest in other properties in Crook County’s 38,000-acre destination resort zone, but no other applications have been filed so far.