Council will govern Sisters' new Urban Renewal Plan

The Sisters Urban Renewal Plan now has an official master.

The plan was addressed in more detail at the Sisters City Council meeting Thursday, July 10. The council will be in charge of conducting the plan.

The plan thus far was put together by an advisory committee made up of participants from the community, representing a variety of opinions.

Former Mayor, Steve Wilson, owner of the Mountain Man Trading Post showed up Thursday to praise the Urban Renewal Plan during the public hearing.

"As a member of the advisory committee and a business owner, I strongly support the Urban Renewal Project," Wilson said.

The plan addresses areas of "blight" in the downtown area and proposes town improvements, investments, assistance to local business and the additions of public facilities, said Jeff Tashman of Tashman & Johnson, LLC. His is a Portland public policy consultant firm specializing in urban renewal planning.

Questions regarding the criteria for conditions of blight arose at the meeting. Thompson Schneider of Corvallis is a property owner in Sisters and wondered why some parts of downtown were not included in the Urban Renewal Plan.

The primary boundary for the plan is the general commercial zone, Tashman said. A bit of residential land was also included, like the Village Green, the fire district property and the Forest Service compound.

Adjustments have been made due to acreage limits, Tashman said. The plan is limited to 25 percent of property citywide, in terms of assessed value.

It is a "relatively modest" plan, according to Tashman. The plan will cost $9.9 million to implement over the next 20 years.

Any changes in the price tag would have to go through thorough analysis from the governing agency.

Most of the reservations about the Urban Renewal Project have focused on the plan for a couplet, according to City Administrator Eileen Stein.

Inquiries from the public about the couplet are not viewed by the council as negativity toward the plan.

The council hopes the issue may interest people to be on a committee for a couplet refinement plan. It was suggested that there be some sort of screening process for this committee to get a balance of perspectives.