Schools want land rezoned industrial

A proposal to add 30 acres of land owned by the Sisters School District to the city's inventory of industrial lands was to go before the Deschutes County Hearings Officer on Tuesday, August 24.

The school district seeks an expansion of the City of Sisters Urban Growth Boundary, a change to the county comprehensive plan and a re-zoning of the land to light industrial.

A nearly identical request to include and re-zone 35 acres along Camp Polk Road as Barclay Meadows Business Park will also be heard.

Public hearings on the two applications matter were continued from August 17.

According to Sisters schools superintendent Steve Swisher, the district property, known as the Lundgren Mill site has been considered surplus property by the district since the current high school site was chosen in 1992.

The property lies at the northern edge of Sisters' industrial park.

"School boards have been saying it's surplus property, we're going to sell it, but we need to maximize the value of it,"Swisher said.

Swisher also noted that the City of Sisters comprehensive plan draft, which has not yet been adopted, designates that land as industrial land. The property was originally the site of a lumber mill.

Both proposals have drawn opposition from residents of subdivisions to the north who fear industrial development would eliminate a buffer zone between residential and industrial areas (see Letters to the Editor, page 2).

Opponents also expressed concerns about increased traffic in Sisters and loss of views along Camp Polk Road.

"We've received a number of letters in opposition to both of (the proposals),"said Deschutes County Associate Planner Chris Schmoyer.

However, Schmoyer said, other Sisters area residents testified in favor of the changes. Clifton Clemens, owner of Sisters Eagle Air, testified that the projects would improve traffic circulation. Frank Conklin, owner of Conklin's Guest House, also voiced support.

According to Schmoyer, the record on both applications will likely remain open for several weeks.