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Written By Noah Nelson
With its sweeping views, majestic vistas, and ultra convenient location to downtown Bend, the expansion of Pacific Cascade Heights is one of the last hidden gems of available homesites in Bend. Walking through it takes one on a journey through time, along the footsteps of some of Bend’s pioneers. This wide expanse of nature, adjacent to the Riley Ranch Nature Reserve, feels untouched aside from a few remnants of the past, like old water canals, bleached and made dry from years in the high desert sun. Trails connect each property to the nearby nature reserve, as well as to a private entrance to the Deschutes River Trail.
“Each home lies in a beautiful natural setting, some with breathtaking mountain views, some with river views, some with meadow views, and yet we’re just down the road from Costco and Trader Joe’s. It really is the best of both worlds.”
–Development Partner, Pacific Cascade Heights
New Lots Coming Available In A Northwest Bend Neighborhood
Seconds from every doorstep, homeowners and their families get to step into history and explore a land preserved. Wild, old-growth junipers surrounded by sagebrush give way to towering ponderosa pines, each offering much-appreciated shade during Central Oregon’s hotter summer months.
“The final product is ultimately up to the individual, with a few parameters to help maximize the experience for every neighbor.”
–Development Partner, Pacific Cascade Heights
Pacific Cascade Heights encompasses the historic homestead of O.B. Riley. It is an additional development of 21 ten-acre lots available for private, custom-built homes that aim to maximize one’s experience living in Central Oregon; unbound nature is only steps away, while downtown amenities are a short trip down the road.
“We’re providing the ability for home-builders to truly build their dream homes. Nothing manufactured or pre-built, but fully custom…all in harmony with the beautiful landscape.”
–Development Partner, Pacific Cascade Heights
“My wife and I jokingly call this development ‘fake rural,’” says one development partner. “Each home lies in a beautiful natural setting, some with breathtaking mountain views, some with river views, some with meadow views, and yet we’re just down the road from Costco and Trader Joe’s. It really is the best of both worlds.”
The landscape of the neighborhood itself contains the unique elements that bring so many visitors to the area—sweeping mountain views, forested expanses, volcanic rock outcroppings and river access through dramatic canyons. With the snowcapped Cascades in clear view on most lots, it is tough to find a place with more picturesque sunsets than this.
“We keep asking ourselves, ‘How can we improve upon this process?’ both in terms of building, and in terms of maximizing the value and view for each home on the land. Our goal is to create an environment that magnifies your ability to enjoy the property.”
–Development Partner, Pacific Cascade Heights
“We have found one of the last pieces of land that hits all these amazing factors,” says one partner. “It is developable, and outside of Bend’s urban growth boundary. It provides the space to intentionally design ten-acre lots for maximum views and privacy, and it steeps its residents in nature while keeping them within a convenient distance to Bend and all of the urban amenities that draw people in.”
The land was originally homesteaded by O.B. Riley, whose full name was Ovid Williams Brocket Riley. Born in 1875 in Ohio, O.B. Riley was a pioneer of Central Oregon, helping develop the roots of what is now Bend. He was one of the earliest European homesteaders to settle along the Deschutes River, and he was the manager of the first Pilot Butte Inn, a welcome respite for weary travelers to early Bend. An avid outdoorsman, O.B. Riley came to the area in search of adventure and recreation, hoping to find both in the Central Oregon landscape we know and love. Taking up cattle ranching, O.B. Riley lived out his adventurous lifestyle here in Oregon until he died in 1962. He had lived to witness both world wars, the transition from horse-drawn buggies to automobiles, and the development of Bend into a bustling town.
O.B. Riley’s dream of preserving the land lives on in the four partners who own the new expansion property. All four partners live in the neighborhood on ten-acre plots designed perfectly for their custom homes. Like any involved homeowner, they see the profound value in developing a good neighborhood; after all, it’s where their own families spend so much time.
As the developers are local, they each share in the central goal of creating a safe and natural neighborhood, prioritizing experiences over profit, and land preservation instead of overdevelopment.
“We live in the neighborhood, we have families here, we really have a stake in the game,” says one partner. “We all want to preserve the land and make a safe community for future generations.”
“We live in the neighborhood, we have families here, we really have a stake in the game. We all want to preserve the land and make a safe community for future generations.”
–Development Partner, Pacific Cascade Heights
And the natural beauty of the Central Oregon landscape is what makes this area so unique. The stark and arid high-desert landscape meets rolling meadows and the lush green banks along the Deschutes River. Solid black outcroppings of volcanic rock showcase the geothermal history that literally shaped the landscape into what it is now, flowing through the land like an ancient river, frozen in time. The lots themselves vary in features, but each is guaranteed privacy, gorgeous views, and the chance to help preserve this land.
“We know just how magical this place can be,” says one partner. “The amazing views, the wildlife just outside your doorstep, the trails down to the river, and those planned throughout the neighborhood… It’s all special. We’re excited to develop this land as ten-acre lots, because it will help preserve the area’s natural beauty. It’s an opportunity for people to enjoy the land they live on, while protecting it for future generations.”
The existing homes standing in the neighborhood are a sight to behold. Custom-built for each homeowner, they feature quality design, innovative material use, and varied styles that allow for maximum personal expression. Privacy and freedom abound, and the possibilities for homeowners in Pacific Cascade Heights are endless. Certain lots may have agricultural water rights, providing green space for hobby farms, plus trails throughout the region will give ample space to ride horses, walk dogs, or hike in the neighborhood. In addition to its own trail system, the entire neighborhood is a stone’s throw from Riley Ranch Reserve, Bend’s only nature preserve trail system in the area. And in the other direction? It’s all connected to Tumalo State Park, which is only a two-mile hike down the Deschutes River Trail. Homeowners can fish, float, hike, and swim the Deschutes right in their backyard.
“We’re providing the ability for homebuilders to truly build their dream homes,” says one partner. “Nothing manufactured or pre-built, but fully custom. Our neighbors already have a variety of styles represented, all in harmony with the beautiful landscape. Your plot can be yours to build your dream home with.”
Still, with so many possibilities and different routes to take with each home, the partners understand that the task can be daunting. Many homeowners just need a nudge in the right direction, and some inspiration (not to mention connections) to get their home building process going.
“Something we do see happening in the neighborhood and in similar plots around the area that allow custom homes, is that the plots get purchased and the owners don’t always know where to go next or what to do,” says one partner who is professionally integrated into Bend’s building community. “We would love to help guide future homeowners in this process, connect them with reputable builders, architects, designers, and other tradespeople. The final product is ultimately up to the individual, with a few parameters to help maximize the experience for every neighbor.”
Those parameters include providing each lot with an allotted building area, where homeowners can realize their dream build while helping maintain privacy and views for all homes. Each lot has a buildable space designed with views of the Cascades in mind, allowing for views of picturesque sunsets and snowcapped peaks all year long.
The partners say that they have learned from other similar developments. Space between houses has been prioritized, and the buildable lots provide ample space between each home and the street it is on.
The idea of improving, building upon, and amplifying the experience is a founding philosophy of Pacific Cascade Heights. “We keep asking ourselves, ‘How can we improve upon this process?’ both in terms of building, and in terms of maximizing the value and view for each home on the land,” says one partner. “Our goal is to create an environment that magnifies your ability to enjoy the property.”
Pacific Cascade Heights contains everything that makes Central Oregon special: a forested high-desert landscape lined with trails, panoramic views of the Cascade Range, and access to the cool waters of the Deschutes River. It even has an aspect of Central Oregon that locals know well: community. The four partners living on this land share it with their own loved ones, providing the greatest incentive ever to create a safe, private, and accessible space, ripe with opportunity to form memories that last a lifetime.
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