Formula food battle will shape Sisters’ future

“There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’. It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls…”

These lines, written by Bob Dylan more than 40 years ago, very much describe the current events in Sisters. The battle in this case is the future of our community.

The planning commission for the City of Sisters has been working to propose a new ordinance, with a recommendation to the city council that it be adopted into the Comprehensive Plan. The primary purpose of this ordinance is to control and limit the future development of “formula food” restaurants.

And the real question at hand, the battle outside that’s ragin’, is whether or not a community like Sisters has the right to determine its own future. The alternative is to leave it to the market forces of “free enterprise.”

Make no mistake; the issue is not signage, nor the exterior appearance of the buildings these businesses occupy. The issue is whether Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Time, McDonalds, Starbucks, or any type of “formula food” company has the right to determine when and if it opens for business in Sisters, or you, the members of this community, have the right to determine how Sisters looks tomorrow.

The purpose of government is to represent the will of the people, but unless you make your feelings known, the only voices that will be heard are the voices now speaking.

These voices are just a few, but they represent the singular interests of a limited group of land owners, developers, and even their legal representatives who all have a personal financial interest in the outcome of this ordinance.

Right now this voice is loud and constant and it is all about fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD). If you do not speak up, and do so now, the majority of the input will be theirs. “And keep your eyes wide the chance won’t come again…”

The goal of the planning commission is to limit the future number of formula food restaurants. Their goal is to limit them to the number that now exists in Sisters, plus the new McDonald’s that is coming. This ordinance prevents the future uncontrolled entry of these huge national and international corporations. This ordinance is NOT directed at existing businesses in Sisters.

This type of limitation favors local, home-grown, community-based businesses. There is a wealth of recent research and information that shows how this type of business is so important to the economic wealth and health of a community.

Nationwide, there are many communities that have successfully made this choice and either banned or limited the number of formula food businesses. They have done so in large part to maintain a vibrant local economy and the look and feel of their city.

I urge every concerned member of this community to visit the internet site http://www.newrules.org and see for yourself why and how these communities made this choice.

Do not be dissuaded by the FUD.

It has been done all over this country and it can be done here.

If you do not speak up now, in another five or 10 years Sisters could look just like most other towns in America, and be struggling with the hidden costs of “free enterprise.”

Visit the web site, think about what you want for your community and come to the next planning commission and city council meetings.

Make your voice and your concerns heard.

Ed Protas is a Sisters resident.