News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 676 - 700 of 1025
Good feelings abounded as golden shovels turned over the first soil at the March 20 groundbreaking celebration for the 48-unit affordable Village Meadows apartment complex on Brooks Camp Road. "The City's involvement says a lot about the City Council's commitment to creating affordable housing," City Manager Brant Kucera told The Nugget. In the 2017-18 budget, Council approved the expenditure of $300,000 to help fund the development of this project by Housing Works. "We all... Full story
Hammers and saws can be heard daily on construction sites in the various industrial parks north of the downtown commercial district. One project currently under construction is a live/work building in the Sun Ranch Business Park next to the new ministorage facility on Barclay Drive. When completed, there will be two separate two-story buildings with a parking lot in between, with an entrance off Sun Ranch Drive. On the ground floor of building one, slated for completion in Jun... Full story
There was no question how most of the attendees felt at last week's community meeting regarding Hayden Homes plans for the former McKenzie Meadow Village (MMV) property. They generally didn't like what they saw and heard. According to Community Development Director Patrick Davenport, the City wanted the community to provide feedback on Hayden's plans so the developer could hear local concerns before Hayden formally files a land-use application. The application will consist of... Full story
Residents who live within Sisters city limits will have the opportunity in the November 2018 general election to vote on whether or not marijuana-related businesses should be allowed in the city and whether a three percent tax should be levied on the sales. Despite the fact that Sisters voters approved state Measure 91, making recreational marijuana legal, with a 51-49 percent split, and the measure carried statewide, Mayor Chuck Ryan told Council at their March 14 workshop... Full story
Sisters City Council concurred with the recommendation of the Sisters Art Selection Committee and voted unanimously to select Danae Bennett Miller's art proposal, "A Land of Contrasts," for the roundabout at the Highway 20/Barclay Avenue intersection. In making the recommendation to Council, Public Works Director Paul Bertagna said, "It was clear who the preferred artist was," based on the over 700 comment forms filled out by the public. The committee reviewed those comments... Full story
• The community is invited to attend a public meeting on March 21, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. at the Sisters High School Lecture Room regarding a future land use application to be submitted by Hayden Homes located at 1680 W. McKinney Butte Rd. The land use applications will consist of zoning map amendment to shift 1.8 acres of open space zone to another area on the project site, a master plan and tentative subdivision plat. The proposed project will enable the construction o... Full story
City Council decided they need another workshop to discuss further the City's noise ordinance. Staff and councilors were all in agreement about one factor: there should be specific clear criteria regarding noise levels to make enforcement fair and easy. Areas of consideration include time restrictions: What are they and should they be different for weekdays and weekends/holidays? Should there be exemptions granted for certain events or businesses? Can a variance be issued for... Full story
The homeowners on South Pine Street and the tree service they employed to remove nine mature ponderosa pine trees from City right-of-way in front of their houses on January 2, 2018, are being fined by the City - but nowhere near the amount they could have been. In letters that were sent out on March 12, 2018 by the City attorney to three homeowners and Adam Bright Tree Service of Bend, demand is made for payment of $4,500 for timber trespass to the City within 30 days. This... Full story
Changes in environmental quality regulations in China are having a direct impact on recycling here in Sisters. Until recently, China has been the largest importer of recyclables from the United States. In an attempt to improve their own environmental quality, China has changed the standards for waste materials coming into their country. For example, they have banned mixed waste-paper. These policy changes are directly impacting the handling of recyclables by High Country... Full story
The U.S. Forest Service is currently investigating the possibility of increasing the number of acres being offered for sale at the present site of the Sisters Ranger District headquarters. "That decision has not been made yet, but that is the proposal (to add 13.21 acres to the property sale), with a decision to add or not expected by the end of March 2018 after the current public scoping and comment period ends," said Ian Reid, Sisters District Ranger. Those 13 acres lie... Full story
Opinions were fairly evenly split at a May 6 community meeting regarding possible adoption of time, place and manner (TPM) regulations on the marijuana industry for the City of Sisters. TPMs can regulate times of operation, location and proximity of businesses, signage and advertising, disposal, licensing terms, odor mitigation, background checks, and other considerations for marijuana businesses. At this point in time, Council is only looking at whether or not to establish... Full story
By this time next year, there will be a brand-new hotel on the west end of Sisters, built, owned, and managed by longtime Sisters residents Steve and Robin Rodgers and their family. The GrandStay Hotel and Suites in Sisters will have 39 rooms, including two whirlpool suites and four two-room extended-stay suites with kitchenettes. An indoor pool and spa with 16 ft.-by-8 ft. glass garage doors, that open onto a patio during warm weather, is included in the building. Rodgers... Full story
Sharlene Weed, executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Sisters, made requests for some type of City assistance with five projects Habitat has planned. At last week's Council meeting, she requested that the City extend the deadline for the System Development Charge waivers for transportation and parks on houses planned for Village Meadows on Brooks Camp Road and McKinney Butte Road. She also asked that the instrument guaranteeing affordability be simplified. Two other... Full story
Jeff McDonald, the manager of Ray's Food Place in Sisters for the past 18 years, understands what it means to give back to his community. As a high school courtesy clerk (box boy) at the North Valley Sentry grocery store, he organized a car wash and car show to raise money for Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland. One of McDonald's sisters had undergone a number of surgeries there, and he was aware of how the hospital helped his parents with medical bills and a place... Full story
Sisters' designation as a gateway between the high desert and the Cascade mountains stems from its earliest beginnings. Two wagon roads that crossed the Cascades in the 1870s intersected where the town of Sisters would eventually grow up. Early forays into the area were made by Captain John C. Fremont in 1843 and later in 1855 by Lt. Henry L Abbot as part of the Pacific Railroad Survey Party. In 1865 Captain Charles La Follette and 40 men from Company A left Fort Yamhill in... Full story
In a wide-ranging discussion regarding possible marijuana-related businesses in Sisters, the City Council spent 90 minutes at last week's workshop listening to and questioning City legal counsel Alan Dale in front of a packed Council chamber. Passage in 2014 of state ballot Measure 91 legalized the "recreational use of marijuana, based on regulation and taxation to be determined by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission." However, Sisters business license code currently states,... Full story
In an effort to more clearly understand the many facets of the burgeoning marijuana industry, representatives of Sisters City government spent Monday, February 5, touring three facilities in Bend engaged in some phase of the business. City Councilors Chuck Ryan and Andrea Blum, City Manager Brant Kucera, and Community Development Director Patrick Davenport toured a production-licensed facility (cannabis farming), a laboratory-licensed business (cannabis testing), and a... Full story
The public is invited to a kickoff presentation on Tuesday, February 20 at 9:30 a.m. at the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Hall to learn how Sisters is working to address local wildfire challenges in the city. Sisters is one of eight communities recently selected through a nationwide competitive process to participate in the 2017-18 Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) program. "Our CPAW team was highly impressed with your application, and we believe the opportunity... Full story
The exquisite artistry and creativity exemplified by all three finalists in the selection process for the Highway 20/Barclay Drive roundabout art will likely make the final decision of the Sisters Art Selection Committee a difficult one. The public is invited to view models of the three entries at City Hall during business hours between now and February 16. There are forms available for leaving comments to be considered by the art committee as they make their selection.... Full story
In the early days of Sisters, during long winter evenings, families gathered beside the fireplace for light and warmth while sharing stories of their day. Three Sisters Historical Society will re-create that cozy gathering on Tuesday, February 20, 7 p.m., at FivePine Conference Center with the family-friendly Fireside Stories - Oregon History Show and Tell. Oregon Historical Society Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk will be the entertaining storyteller as he shares his trunk... Full story
Sisters is getting set to embark on a project to envision its future. Steven Ames and Ruth Williamson of NXT Consulting Group of Bend made their initial presentation to City Council outlining a "visioning" process. Ames likened the visioning exercise to "fixing the roof while the sun is shining." It's better to look at where we currently are as a city and where we would like to go when things are going well, rather than waiting for problems to surface, he believes. The last... Full story
There's nothing like a week away from home, especially in a large metropolitan area, to hone my appreciation for our little corner of the world. I used to love the adventure and novelty of travel - seeing new places and meeting new people. I fear I am becoming an old curmudgeon where travel is concerned. Gone are the days of running down the jetway at the last minute and knocking on the closed aircraft door to gain late entry to my flight. Lines and more lines have become the... Full story
• On February 1, the selection committee for the public art to be installed in the Highway 20/Barclay roundabout will hear presentations from the three artists selected as finalists for the project. Their scale models will be on display in the City Hall lobby during February for the public to view and provide feedback. The project selected for the installation will be presented to the Sisters City Council at their February 28 meeting for approval. • The... Full story
CEO Roger Lee of Economic Development of Oregon (EDCO) was upbeat in his report to the joint workshop of the Sisters City Council and Deschutes County Commissioners on January 24. The numbers he shared appeared to show mixed results. "Led by the Bend-Redmond MSA (Deschutes County), economic results and rankings posted over the past 18 months have prompted EDCO to use this tagline in our current business development efforts: Central Oregon - America's Top Performing Economy,"... Full story
Seniors who live in Sisters Country can make their voices heard through the Senior Alliance, newly formed advocacy and action group focused on making Sisters an Age-Friendly Community (AFC). The Alliance grew out of efforts by Sisters resident Joann Powers, who was recently faced with challenges familiar to seniors when unexpected health issues arise. At a meeting held January 18, planning got underway for an evening of Community Conversation scheduled for Wednesday, March... Full story
