Western theme may be refined

Sisters' 1880s Western Theme may soon be re-tooled.

In a joint meeting of the Sisters Urban Area Planning Commission and the Sisters City Council, planners considered ideas for raising and better defining standards for compliance with the theme.

The 1880s western theme requires commercial buildings in Sisters to use certain construction materials, western-style sign fonts (except for nationally trademarked logos and national chain signs) and to conform to the general appearance of a period building.

Mayor Steve Wilson proposed changes to the theme requirements to stave off what many see as a gradual erosion of standards and to "raise the bar" for future developers.

"My recommendation would be to redefine the theme to '1880's Eastern Oregon,' as defined by east of the Cascades," Wilson said in a memorandum to planners. "A further safeguard would be to require a historic photo of the building that the new structure is based on."

According to Wilson, making the theme more specific would make planners' jobs easier, requiring less interpretation of the standards.

The idea appealed to the planners.

"If you make it more objective, it's easier," said city planning director Neil Thompson.

In addition to making standards clearer, Wilson believes the photograph requirement will enable Sisters to create a "living museum" of vanished eastern Oregon architecture of the old days.

"I don't think we should be the least bit uncomfortable making a developer go through the archives in the Oregon Historical Society and come up with a picture and say, 'this is the building I want to build in your town."

Wilson also proposed removing the national-chain exemption from the city's sign ordinance, as well as the trademark exception. The city would, under Wilson's proposal, allow a multi-year grace period for all businesses in Sisters to re-do their signs in appropriate western style.

Planners could change city ordinances to reflect the proposed tighter standards by the first of the year, according to Wilson.

In other business, planners discussed applying western theme requirements to high-density residential units such as apartments and multi-plexes.

The planners and the council also discussed planning requirements that would set high standards for any fast food franchises that want to locate in Sisters.

According to Thompson, McDonalds planners have been "fishing around" the Sisters area recently. Thompson emphasized that the city cannot "outlaw" fast food restaurants.

The city could confine fast food restaurants to areas zoned highway commercial due to traffic considerations. That would, according to Thompson, effectively restrict available land to the far western end of town in the area of Relco or Three Wind Shopping Center.

The city could also require strict compliance with western theme building and sign reqirements to avoid having prominent restaurant signs.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

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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