The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Adams Avenue is slated for a makeover to make it more attractive and pedestrian-friendly.

City staff made recommendations to the Urban Renewal Agency (URA) Board for the two top priorities for use of URA funds in fiscal year 2021/22. Top priority was to complete the 100 percent design for the Adams Avenue streetscape project. The second priority is to determine a program to make the downtown core more fire resistant — both to wildfires and in-town fires.

The Adams Avenue project was deemed the most targeted and achievable. In 2019, staff worked with the Adams Avenue community on a design.

The zoning on Adams Avenue between Pine and Cedar streets is unusual, being split between residential and downtown core. There are apartments, single-family housing, a number of vacant lots, and businesses and professional offices, plus the entrance to Hoyt’s Hardware and Building Supply which sits back off of Adams Avenue.

Improvements suggested for the street include better pedestrian safety with continuous curbs and sidewalks, possible street lighting, and landscaping with street trees and plantings. The beautification of Adams Avenue is designed to incentivize development, which is a major URA goal. The $1.5?million in urban-renewal funds will be half of the funding needed for the entire project. The other half could come from the street fund, the street System Development Charge fund, and possible grants from a variety of sources.

The second priority of making the downtown core more fire resistant would include the City working with the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District to determine the best way to go about reaching the goal of fire resistance. Some of the funds could possibly be used for a grant or loan program for technical assistance. Discussion is in the beginning stages, but the staff and URA Board recognize the importance of timely fire-mitigation efforts.