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Battlepine Schools says shared‑use path plans hinge on Caldera Drive alignment and development timing
Summary
Battlepine Schools told the Bend MPO TAC that shared‑use path planning near High Desert Middle School is constrained by adjacent development schedules and the unresolved Caldera Drive alignment; the district has spent about $35,000 of a $50,000 design allocation and cannot recommend construction use of funds until road alignments and SDC requirements are clarified.
Paul Dean, chief operating officer for Battlepine Schools, told the Technical Advisory Committee that shared‑use path planning around High Desert Middle School is at an interim stage because adjacent development and the future alignment of Caldera Drive remain uncertain.
"To date, we've spent about $35,000 in design fees of the $50,000 that was allocated to the district," Dean said, describing a master‑planning effort that involved the district, city staff, Parks and Rec and area developers. He and Doug Pigman, the district's facilities executive, said that the haul road used during recent sewer work has been fine‑graded and partially paved, creating both an opportunity for a path and current congestion at school pick‑up/drop‑off times.
Pigman said the main factor influencing path planning is future alignment of Caldera Drive and adjacent development timelines. "The uncertainty around Caldera Drive, adjacent development schedules affecting the path alignment…makes it very difficult to come up with an actual viable plan," he said.
Committee members asked whether a planned roundabout at 27th and Ferguson — referenced in developers' traffic studies — will proceed and where funding would come from. Dean said the school district holds certain parcels in reserve for future needs and that new construction would depend on enrollment. He also asked the committee to include nearby neighborhood organizations in ongoing conversations: James (Old Farm District board chair) requested the district explicitly engage the Old Farm District Neighborhood Association and said developers have pushed to limit public input.
Members also raised a site constraint: Doug Pigman clarified the TransCanada pipeline easement on the site runs "50 feet either side," limiting what can be built within that corridor. Dean and Pigman said they will follow up on easement details and continue coordination with city planners and developers before recommending how to allocate the district’s construction funds.
The school district did not present a final recommendation for construction spending; next steps include further coordination as development timelines and future Caldera Drive design firm up.
