News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sisters' mayor Steve Wilson thinks the city ought to consider annexing all the land within the city's Urban Growth Boundary as a means of controlling the city's future.
Wilson believes that bringing all the UGB lands within the city limits would give Sisters residents greater control of development in those areas, and would provide the City of Sisters with significant financial benefits.
Currently, lands that are outside the city limits but inside the Urban Growth Boundary fall under county planning jurisdiction.
Wilson told The Nugget he thinks many Sisters residents were surprised to find out that developments such as Pine Meadow Ranch and the Les Schwab Taylor Tire Center were essentially outside the city's jurisdiction.
"They feel like they're spectators in an issue that should be a home issue," Wilson said.
Under the current intergovernmental agreement with Deschutes County, the city basically has an advisory role in planning within the UGB. Land use decisions are made by a county hearings officer.
A broad annexation would remove the county's role in planning for the Sisters urban area.
Changes in tax law in the wake of Measure 47/50 make annexation financially attractive. The city could annex bare ground, gaining immediate tax revenues, and would still receive added revenues as properties are developed.
Formerly, the city had to wait until land was developed to get full tax revenues when it was annexed.
Planning fees and systems development charges would also go to the city rather than to the county.
Wilson insists that annexing UGB lands now would make the city's lines of expansion more rigid, not less so.
"It doesn't facilitate growth, it just defines who's going to control it, who's going to plan within that area, and who's going to get the economic benefit," Wilson said.
The mayor said he hopes that a broad annexation could "define Sisters' size for a 50 year period," and quiet the contentious issue of growth in the area.
"I don't know if you can ever put the growth issue to bed," Wilson said, "but it's been such a divisive issue in the community."
Wilson said he has asked the city council and the planning commission to investigate the idea. Similar plans are being considered by Oregon cities from Portland to Bend.
The City of Sisters would probably have to amend its charter to indicate that the city limits and the Urban Growth Boundary are congruent.
Wilson said he'd like to see the voters decide on the idea next November.
"I can't see a downside risk to doing this," Wilson 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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