News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Developer Ted Eady has won approval from the Sisters Urban Area Planning Commission for a zone change on 13.6 acres of the Barclay Ranch. The commission decided June 18 to recommend that the Sisters City Council give final approval.
The zone change will clear the way for Eady to build a 25-room inn on the property. The change will put 6.29 acres under general commercial zoning and 7.31 acres in the light industrial zone.
This was the second time the commission okayed the change. They approved the zone change on April 16, but backed off that ruling because it was unclear whether the property had officially become part of the city. Sisters voters approved annexation of the property in November 1996. The annexation is now official.
Opponents of the zone change continued to argue against it at the June 18 public hearing. Land use watchdogs Howard Paine and William Boyer testified that Eady's proposal runs contrary to the Sisters Comprehensive Plan and that there is no need for additional commercial land.
Paine cited a comprehensive plan requirement that 75 percent of available lands be developed before development into the urban growth boundary is allowed. Paine argued that neither Eady nor the city has demonstrated that the 75 percent requirement has been met.
However, Eady pointed out that the 75 percent development requirement applies only to expansion into the urban growth boundary. Since his property has already been annexed into the city the requirement doesn't apply, Eady argued.
Paine and Boyer both argued strenuously that granting commercial zoning on the Barclay Ranch amounts to "leapfrogging" or "spot zoning" because the land is not next to other commercial general zones. They also argued that plenty of general commercial land exists already in the city -- much of it on Main Avenue and currently used for residences.
"Infilling of commercial activity should occur within the existing commercial zone," Boyer testified. "Leapfrogging over residential areas to create a separate remote CG zone to satisfy one developer is wrong."
"Normally developers tailor their development to fit the existing zone," Paine argued. "That is not the case with Mr. Eady. He wants to create a new zone to fit his development."
Sisters homeowner Virginia Groom expressed fears that allowing commercial general zoning where it is not next to other commercial zoning would promote sprawl.
"This would give us a Wal-Mart out Three Creeks Road sometime in the future," Groom said.
Planning commission chairman Darryl Carper indicated that he shares some concerns about spot zoning. But he believes the city needs the extension of Barclay Way to Camp Polk that would be part of the property's development.
"If we could get an absolute guarantee for a northern route, I'd be willing to go with the commercial zone," Carper said. "That goes against my better judgment about spot zoning."
But other commissioners did not consider the zone change to be spot zoning at all.
Commissioner Dayton Hyde noted that the western part of the property would be light industrial, and the change to commercial zoning on the eastern part of the land is a natural transition of commercial uses.
"Spot zoning to me would be half way down Camp Polk by Sage Meadow," Hyde said. "To me this is contiguous."
Sisters Realtor Michael Black testified that there is a need for commercial and industrial lands in the city and that the small lots available in the industrial park and the commercial land now used for residences are not adequate.
"We certainly have a demand for commercial and industrial property," Black said. "People want to locate family wage businesses here."
Eady believes his opponents don't want to see that happen.
"They're opposed to zoning out there," Eady said. "They're opposed to people having places to work."
There is a 15-day appeal period on the planning commission decision. The city council could act on the request at their July 10 meeting.
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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