Couplet plan faces USFS concerns

The Sisters Ranger District office complex lies in the path of a proposed couplet. photo by Jim Cornelius

Tension mounted at the Sisters Couplet Advisory Committee's meeting on Monday, December 15, as the Sisters Ranger District faced the impact a proposed road couplet design could have on Forest Service property.

The committee looked at a sketch of plans to create one-way couplet legs eastbound on Hood Avenue and westbound on Main Avenue by 2010. This couplet is intended to act as a "pressure relief valve" for highway traffic on Cascade Avenue during busy weekends and peak seasons.

The sketch, created by consultants Cogan Owens Cogan, shows a west-bound Main Avenue which extends west past Pine Street and cuts directly through the parking lot for the Forest Service ranger station. Main Avenue then curves slightly upward and connects to Highway 126.

Committee members said the Main Avenue route appeared to be the most feasible one, but District Ranger Bill Anthony, a member of the 20-person committee, said it is unlikely the Forest Service would approve the use of the property.

"We want to do things that would be win-win for the Forest Service and the community," Anthony said. "It would be undesirable to have the office severed by the highway."

The construction of the highway would bump the station's parking to the opposite side of the road, which would cause safety hazards, according to Anthony.

The Forest Service office accommodates about 35 employees in the winter and 90 in the summer, Anthony said.

Eric Dolson, publisher of The Nugget, suggested the Forest Service relocate the building north of the highway near the parking, but Anthony said there would be too many costs and complications.

There was some controversy over the costs of the project, but Anthony told The Nugget it is too early to estimate the costs to rebuild because there has been no site planning on the building.

The proposed couplet route would also impact two other Forest Service buildings northwest of the ranger station, Anthony said.

Other route options including curving Main Avenue upward or downward beginning near the Oak Street intersection so the road would travel around the ranger station.

The upward curve would travel near the car wash and would still impact Forest Service property, but Anthony said the route would leave more land and thus more space for parking.

Traffic officials said the downward curve, which is termed an "S" curve because of its shape, could create mobility hazards on a major highway. Matt Hasting, team leader and Cogan Owens Cogan consultant, said his team would gather information on the impacts of such an "S" curve and present it at the next meeting.

"I don't think it would be a severe 'S' curve at a speed of 20 miles per hour," Anthony told The Nugget.

The Hood/Main couplet, as planned, would be marked at 25 mph.

The committee's input on the design of the couplet will be forwarded to the Sisters City Council after the committee's last meeting in May. Input from the CAC will also go to the Oregon Department of Transportation, which will develop the Special Transportation Area (STA) plan for Sisters.

According to a CAC report, "the intent of an STA is to provide more flexibility in street design, access and other requirements in comparison to typical state highway standards."

If funding is given for the estimated $2 million couplet, it will be included in the plan.

The next CAC meeting is scheduled for January 26 and is open to the public.