Letters, letters, letters

The Mayor and City Council need to act quickly to avoid a development disaster in the City of Sisters.

The town is entering a time of unprecedented growth. It has just taken over from Deschutes County the planning responsibilities for the urban growth area. Tough decisions and rigorous enforcement of Sisters zoning laws, building and street standards will be required.

Planning Director Neil Thompson is not up to the job.

Thompson has been afraid to rigorously enforce Sisters' 1880s theme. Several non-conforming buildings have been approved due to his lack of leadership.

Thompson has been hesitant to enforce Sisters' sign ordinance, and has advised developers on ways to avoid compliance.

Thompson has failed to champion city street standards, and now there will be a patchwork of curbs in the industrial area.

The problem is that developers find Thompson easy to browbeat, easy to coerce so that their objectives are met, not those of the city. He is a nice guy. He wants desperately to get along. This even causes him to say one thing when he means something else. He admits this.

But in the next few months developers will bring forward projects that will require a strong individual representing the city who will insist on building for the future. Otherwise, Sisters will not have adequate rights of way, road access, building standards or the architectural consistency that makes this city unique.

City Administrator Barbara Warren continually washes her hands of difficulties in the planning department. That leaves it to the elected officials to step up and deal with this problem.

They had better act fast. Time is running short.

E.D.