A soft-surface path may be the most viable solution for the proposed Tumalo Trail after the State Historic Preservation Office determined the original route would disturb three archaeological sites in the area.

“The path would be between two and four feet wide and made out of packed aggregate,” said Paul Blikstad, senior planner for Deschutes County Community Development. “It would be better than what’s there now and would still provide the connectivity between town and the land use area.”

The Community Development department offered four solutions to constructing the trail to avoid historic sites: end the path early, just south of the Highway 20 bridge; reroute the path to an existing gravel road; reroute the path to intersect with O.B. Riley Road; or abandon the idea of paving and build a soft-surface road instead.

Blikstad said his office believes the fourth option is the most viable.

The Deschutes County Commission in their Monday work session heard from the development department on county options for building the 1.2-mile trail that would link Tumalo with Tumalo State Park, providing a way for pedestrians and bicyclists to reach the park without having to cross Highway 20. The path would begin at the end of Riverview Avenue, follow the west shore of the Deschutes River and end in Tumalo State Park.

The original plan was to build a paved path, but state archaeologists determined the route encroaches on areas of “lithic scatters,” Blikstad said.

“Essentially what they found are tools that were used to make other tools,” he said. “It’s not like they were finding bones and skulls.”

In 2012, Deschutes County received a $184,000 Regional Trails Program grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to complete the path.

Following the SHPO survey, the Community Development department determined the additional work needed to preserve the integrity of the archaeological sites was cost prohibitive.

Blikstad said if the surface of the path is left unpaved, most bicycles, except those with very skinny street tires, would still be able to use it.

Local property owner Dick Gummuns also spoke during the meeting, expressing his displeasure at the way Oregon State Parks has maintained the existing path.

“…(O)ur maintenance costs have gone way up because they’ll come and cut down trees or brush and throw it in our ditch,” he said.

The board said it will continue to hear testimony from Tumalo residents and other stakeholders before deciding what to do with the trail.