Sisters ponders parking questions

In discussions on how to revise Sisters' parking district ordinances, the Sisters City Council entertained the idea of dispensing with them.

They may do both.

The council passed two ordinances designed to clarify the city's parking district assessments and "park-in-lieu" fees in their March 28 meeting.

The ordinances were adopted with the understanding that the council would immediately schedule workshops to deal with questions still plaguing the parking district -- including the possibility of abandoning the parking district concept and "park-in-lieu" fees entirely.

The parking district assesses properties and businesses in Sisters' commercial district to raise funds to create parking facilities in Sisters. "Park-in-lieu" allows developers to pay a fee instead of providing on-site parking on their property.

The funds raised by the in-lieu fee -- approximately $5,000 per parking space -- go toward the development of other parking space in the city.

Businessman Ray Buselli, who served on the committee studying the creation of a parking district, told the council he was concerned about several aspects of the new ordinances, particularly because the council has not approved a master plan for the development of parking in the Sisters business district.

"The master plan was developed last year -- four, five, six months ago and it still has not been approved by the council. That leads me to believe the council has trouble with the plan or the ordinance," Buselli said.

He also expressed doubts about enforcement and what he described as problems in determining assessments on commercial property and businesses. He requested the council consider abandoning the parking district idea altogether.

Following the formal polling of the council on both ordinances, Mayor Dave Moyer said, "I agree with you, Ray. I'd like to see us do away with the whole thing."

A workshop to discuss the ordinances and possibly doing away with the parking district concept, was scheduled for 7 p.m., April 18 at city hall.