News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The council voted unanimously in favor of sending the document to LCDC on a motion offered by City Councilor Jean Cooper. The vote came, however, after City Planning Director Neil Thompson assured members that changes could still be made to the plan and additional hearings may be held if the council wishes.
More than a dozen citizens testified during the public hearing portion of the council meeting. All but one opposed portions of the plan that would expand the city's urban growth boundary.
Virginia Groom presented a list of 170 signatures gathered by the Committee to Save Sisters.
She said of the signers, "They, to a person, felt abandoned by their city officials. It is clear the city does not listen to its constituents. Send out some questionnaires. Talk to them. Help them understand what the comprehensive plan is all about. Give them your phone numbers. Make meetings user-friendly."
The position of most of those speaking against the comprehensive plan was summed up in a letter presented to the council in November by former councilman Gordon Petrie.
Groom read from the letter: "As a resident of the City of Sisters I'm most concerned about where the new comprehensive plan is taking us. It appears we are exchanging quality of life for more growth. That's wrong. Let's keep Sisters a small town, preserve its character and improve on what we already have."
She closed her own comments with, "Remember, the politician who has the courage to say `no' to a developer will be hailed as a visionary in ten years."
While Mayor David Moyer asked that only new information be presented in the hearing, most statements carried the familiar ring of anti-growth that has been with the development of the proposed plan from the beginning.
Pro-growth advocate Ted Eady said he had not come prepared to testify but felt compelled to offer comments in opposition to what he termed "professional obstructionists." Eady plans to develop Barclay Ranch property north of the city.
He said, "This is America and I just love it. Sisters is a wonderful place, but 33 percent of the people want to slam the door on growth."
He described the "citizen involvement" so far in the development of the comprehensive plan as a "short handful" and not representative of the citizens of Sisters.
City Planning Director Neil Thompson reminded the audience and council that the Sisters Comprehensive Plan is intended to offer guidelines for orderly development over a period of 20 years, to the year 2015, and not necessarily for the immediate future.
The current comprehensive plan was adopted in 1974 and updated in 1979 and 1989. The review on a new plan began in 1990.
The proposed plan establishes several goals to be addressed in the final version: maintaining the city's 1880s architectural theme, developing a policy to deal with heavy automobile traffic, zoning, projected city growth, housing, and public facilities and services.
Opposition to the plan has largely focused on the controversial "Element 15" which would create a new zone that would permit a mix of commercial, residential and light industrial uses. This concept is borrowed from the days when small towns and some neighborhoods of larger cities offered virtually anything a person required -- workplace, home, groceries, recreation, schools, etc.
Objections to Element 15 rose in earlier hearings when it was learned that the zone would apply to a site on the west end of town owned by the Sokol family. Developer Steve McGhehey proposes a mixed-use development on the site. The draft of the plan that was approved by the city council does not specifically name any property or parcel of land.
Opponents believe development of the Sokol property under such a zone represents "sprawl."
Concerns about urban sprawl also sparked resistance to the expansion of the city's Urban Growth Boundary; opponents argue that current boundaries are sufficient to accommodate future growth.
A city council workshop to review testimony presented Thursday night was scheduled for 7 p.m. February 13. The location of the workshop is to be announced later.
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