News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Parking improvements in Sisters were a long time coming, but it took only 13 working days to get them done at 10 sites around town.
Hap Taylor and Sons, Inc. finished Monday, July 21, building curbs and sidewalk and paving for 110 head-in parking spaces. The project cost a total of $126,911, paid for out of a parking district assessment on business licenses of five cents per square foot on property in the Sisters commercial core.
While much of the parking area was in use when it was unimproved, vehicles generally parked parallel to the roadway. The new head-in spaces create a net gain in available spaces.
The spaces were to be striped on Tuesday, July 22.
Some trouble spots were eliminated during the project, particularly the post office driveway area, which turns into a small lake each time it rains.
The city council also authorized spending an additional $7,210 in street funds for paving overlays on Spruce Street and in the alleyway behind Hotel Sisters and other non-parking related improvements.
Property owners at each site in Sisters agreed to a lien on their property in the amount of the improvements. The lien depreciates at a rate of 5 percent per year. This means that if a property owner sells, develops or makes any improvements that require a site plan, the balance of the cost of the parking improvements must be paid back.
According to Public Works Director Gary Frazee, businesses will continue to pay into the parking district. There are 32 more sites identified for improvement in Sisters, and Frazee said they will be developed as funds build.
"Every year we think we're going to get about $15,000," Frazee said. "Every other year we're going to bid two sites.
Parking is not the only area up for improvement. Frazee has asked for price quotes for paving 1,430 feet of Ash Street between St. Helens Street and Sisters View. Frazee expects to receive quotes on Wednesday, July 23.
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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