Lazy Z parcels offered for sale

The flesh-and-blood horses on the Lazy Z mingle with iron silhouettes -- they like to rub on the metal. Photo by Torri Barco

Some estate-like mansions, a new stable complex, and more wildlife preserves might make their appearance in Sisters, following the sale of millions of dollars of undeveloped Lazy Z property.

Lazy Z owner David Herman worked with the county and Realtor Jackie Herring of Coldwell Banker/Reed Bros. Realty to divide the approximately 1,300-acre ranch into 13 parcels. Nine of those parcels are for sale and are located along both sides of the Sisters-Bend highway (20) at the east entryway to town. Property is also located along Jordan Road and the Redmond highway (126).

Hopes are to preserve the area's old West, ranch-style appearance, which is so dear to Sisters, according to the developers. Herring said he does not anticipate any changes that would upset that scenery. He said he envisions wide farmlands full of geese, deer, cattle and horses.

He said he expects the area to look similar to Cascade Meadow Ranch.

The parcels range from 4.7 to 251 acres and are selling for $160,000 to $2.5 million. The Herman family of Portland purchased the ranch for $6,120,000 from the family of Joan (Hull) Koops in April 2001.

If each parcel is sold at the marketed price, figures indicate Herman would sell the land at an approximate $5 million increase. Still, Herman said he did not have an estimation of the potential profit. He said work to repair the ranch has cost him an excess of $1.5 million. Repair work has included rebuilding the irrigation system, replenishing pastures, replacing the windows and walls of the 5,400-square-foot main house, rebuilding fences, and clearing 600 acres of logging waste.

Herman said he does not count on making an astronomical profit on the land, but chose to buy the Lazy Z ranch because he enjoys the location, which is near his mother and relatives.

The ranch work, however, appears to please the wild animals, which are finding a new favorite habitat near the ranch's creeks. More deer, geese, bald eagles, golden eagles, badgers, sage rats and coyotes have flocked to the land since Herman put a temporary hold on hunting when he purchased the ranch. Also the animals are attracted to the rehydrated green grass, Herman said.

The horses also have found a favorite hodge-podge next to their new friends -- sculptures of several running horses along the south side of the Bend highway. The sculptures, which Herman imported last January, draw horses who like to rub against them to shed their hair.

"The wildlife is an enhancement," Herman said. "That's what people are coming to this area for. They're not coming here to get many, many pounds of beef anymore like they did in the 1950s. Now, it's a big deal here for people to see the wildlife."

Herring said he and Herman chose to divide the land into fewer lots with more land to maintain a ranch-like setting.

Herman sold an 84-acre parcel and a 20-acre parcel in 2001. Both parcels are located at the far west end of the ranch. Bruce Rognlien, who purchased the 84 acres, has turned the land into a wildlife preserve, Herring said.

Once sold, options for the remaining properties are to house estate homes, cattle pens, or other wildlife preservations, Herring said. Besides the ranch's existing white main house, four parcels are positioned so there is potential for four other homes to be seen from the Bend-Sisters Highway, Herring said. The homes, however, would be removed quite a distance from the highway, and would show $350,000 to $500,000 homes on the two smallest parcels, and $2 to $4 million homes on the two larger parcels, Herring said.

Deschutes Basin Land Trust has shown interest in purchasing some of the land for wildlife enhancement, Herman said.

Herman is planning to keep a 241-acre parcel, which is located on the south side of the highway, beginning near Oregon Log Homes and running west, Herman said. Herman said he might use this land to begin to build a new barn, a tack room, a welcome center, and an arena within the next two years.

Herman owns about 150 horses at Black Butte Stables, Klamath Falls, Eagle Crest, and the Lazy Z, which he rents for rides. Herman currently has 42 horses at the Lazy Z for trail rides, wagon rides and riding lessons, which is more than double the number he had when he purchased the ranch.

With these horses, riding business at the Lazy Z alone has jumped 15 to 20 percent each year, averaging about 8,000 rides in the past year, Herman said.

Herman also imported 300 young horses from Portland last October and has subsequently trained and sold 164 of those horses for $700 to $4,000.

Besides the stable complex, Herman said he does not anticipate any other major changes to the site.