News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The measure, which passed by a 247-114 margin, was strongly supported by city council candidates Tim Clasen and Gordon Petrie, who won their election bids.
"Now we have a voice in future annexing," said councilor-elect Tim Clasen, "and we definitely sent a message to developers and business people that if they're going to change the character of Sisters, we want to have a say in what happens."
Steve Wilson, who garnered the largest number of city council votes, believes the voters are not necessarily opposed to growth, but that they want more say in how the city handles it.
"It doesn't necessarily say as much about the growth issue as it does about citizen involvement," Wilson said. "They voted for a voice, not to keep growth from coming to Sisters."
Wilson opposed the measure during his campaign for city council.
The measure will likely be applied first to the Pine Meadow Ranch Development, a proposed 62-acre commercial and residential development at the western edge of Pine Street. The property, owned by the Sokol family of Sisters, is presently outside the city limits but within Sisters' Urban Growth Boundary.
Members of a citizen's group called the Committee to Save Sisters, which petitioned for the measure, have opposed the PMR development, sighting loss of views and increased traffic congestion and burdens on city services.
The committee is petitioning for a second ballot measure that would require a favorable vote of residents to provide city services such as water outside the city limits.
PMR Development has agreed in principle to annexation, but the developers will to go forward with the project whether it is annexed or not.
According to Steve McGhehey of PMR Development, Deschutes County granted a zone change on 50 acres of the property from urban area reserve to standard and high density residential zoning on the condition that the development "consent to annexation." Twelve acres of the property already had commercial designation.
"We're going to offer annexation as the county requires," McGhehey said," and if they have to have an (unfavorable) vote, then I guess we won't be annexed.
"If they think that's a way to stop development, that's wrong," McGhehey said.
McGhehey said the development has the resources to build and maintain its own water system and could work with the county or private providers for services such as garbage collection and police protection. McGhehey said that it would probably not cost any more to develop a private water system than to use city water.
Still, McGhehey said, it would be more convenient to uses city services.
"It's best, even if it costs more, to be tied in to the city," he said.
If the voters deny annexation after the project is built and approved by Deschutes County, the tax revenue from the properties in the development will go to the county. And, according to city planner Neil Thompson, the city would forfeit approximately $500,000 in water hook-up fees.
Those considerations will be left for a later decision. For supporters of the measure, what is important is that the decision will be made by the voters directly, instead of being made by the city council.
"It's just sort of a tangible way of getting a little control for the citizens," said William Boyer, of the Alliance for Responsible Land Use in Deschutes County.
ARLU DeCo has appealed the county's zone change for PMR to the state Land Use Board of Appeals.
According to Boyer, ARLU DeCo "provided some ideas, some assistance" to the Committee to Save Sisters in the annexation measure, "but it was driven by the community."
Boyer acknowledged that the Committee to Save Sisters may have initially been motivated by concerns over the PMR Development, but, he said, they have larger concerns about the city's comprehensive plan -- which they see as expansionist -- and about the perceived unwillingness of the current city council to respond to citizen's concerns.
"The community was driven by the intransigence of the council," Boyer said.
"Sisters has set an example that will be picked up by other small communities in eastern Oregon," he said.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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