A large mixed-use development planned near Bend’s western edge would be accompanied by a parkland expansion that could double the size of Discovery Park.

On Tuesday evening, the Bend Park & Recreation District’s board will discuss an agreement with the developers of Discovery West, a community planned for a 245-acre parcel situated between NorthWest Crossing and The Tree Farm. The parcel includes about 38 acres of potential parkland.

Don Horton, executive director of the park district, said the proposal includes plans for a 3-acre neighborhood park and an extension that adds 35.8 acres of green space to the 35-acre Discovery Park, creating a greenbelt that connects NorthWest Crossing to Shevlin Park.

“It really ties together Discovery Park and The Tree Farm,” Horton said.

In January 2017, an entity managed by Brooks Resources Corp. bought 245 acres from the Miller family with the intent of creating a mixed-use neighborhood similar to NorthWest Crossing, Brooks Resources President Kirk Schueler said. Discovery West would be about half the size of NorthWest Crossing and is slated to have 448 detached single-family homes, 142 multifamily units, 60 townhouses and condominiums, and 21 acres of commercial and mixed-employment development, he said.

Schueler said Brooks Resources has worked with the park district in the past, including on parks within NorthWest Crossing. Last fall, the developers and the park district first discussed green space within the property boundaries. Horton said another 3 acres could be added to the parcel at a later date.

Horton said the proposed expansion of Discovery Park will enlarge the open space within the park, adding trails that link up with existing paths in the area, including the West Bend Trail.

Horton compared the 3-acre neighborhood park proposed for Discovery West to Lewis & Clark Park, a 2-acre park near NorthWest Crossing’s northern edge. He said these types of parks can give neighborhoods more complexity.

“It really creates a gathering space for the neighborhood,” Horton said.

While Discovery West is within Bend’s urban growth boundary and the park district boundary, it is outside city limits, meaning the city requires an approved master plan to bring the development into the city. Schueler said Brooks Resources plans to submit a master plan by the end of the year and hopes to break ground on the first phase of the development by next summer.

Demonstrating that there’s a plan to add green space helps show the city the developers are working toward a tangible master plan, Schueler said. He added that, as with NorthWest Crossing, having green space can make a subdivision more desirable.

“I think all neighborhoods benefit from having an amenity like that,” Schueler said.

— Reporter: 541-617-7818, shamway@bendbulletin.com