News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The land lies just outside the west city limits of Sisters on the south side of McKenzie Highway. Pine Meadow Ranch Development Co. requested the zone be changed from UAR-10 (urban area reserve) to RS (residential standard) and RH (residential high density).
The company plans to build between 150 to 200 dwellings eventually -- some in single-family homes, others in apartment or condominium type buildings.
Green's approval was contained in a 29-page report that addressed arguments for and against the zone change that were presented in two hearings held in March and in April.
Sisters area citizens challenged PMR Development's application on several points.
Considerable discussion centered on a 1979 Sisters comprehensive plan policy which would permit taking the land out of "reserve" when 75 percent of the land inside the 1979 city limits was developed.
Opponents argued that the 75 percent level has not been reached. The hearings officer said she concurs with PMR Development that the Sisters plan "does not provide an explicit methodology for determining whether the 75 percent developed requirement has been met," but, she "finds that the information and methodology used by the applicant is appropriate."
She said PMR Development took "a conservative approach to its developed lands study," electing to include land within a flood plain in its inventory of undeveloped lands, while "plan language would warrant exclusion of this land." Green said, "The applicant also did not exclude lands that are unsuitable for development due to the presence of easements and septic permit denials."
PMR's study indicated more than 81 percent of the 1979 city limits is presently developed.
Opponents also argued that there are several large parcels of non-agricultural land available for development within the Sisters Urban Growth Boundary that should be developed before the Pine Meadow Ranch property.
PMR Development's argument was that those lands are in the same category as Pine Meadow Ranch and therefore have no greater priority for development. Green said "there are some lands in the city that have priority for development," but "their capacity for residential development is questionable" due mainly to the absence of a city sewer system.
"Public need" also was challenged by opponents, but Green's findings stated, "...the applicant has demonstrated a public need for residential development..."
She said, "...the evidence clearly indicates that the Sisters area has grown both by build-out of developable lands in the city limits -- as documented in the applicant's developed land study -- and by development in the outlying rural areas due to constraints on buildable residential-zoned land within the city limits."
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