Hayden Homes revising development plans

Hayden Homes Developers are revising their application for a housing development on the west side of Sisters under the direction of the Sisters Planning Commission.

The developers will come back to the planning commission on August 18, with fewer requests for exceptions to the city’s building and zoning guidelines.

Hayden Homes has drastically changed its approach in creating a planned unit development of 400 homes. The proposed development near Sisters Middle School lies in an area of the city that is zoned as a multi-family sub-district.

Previously, Hayden developers, in order to get near the density requirement of nine units per acre, proposed predominantly single-family homes with unattached garages on relatively small lots.

The commission was not in favor of this plan. In the last public hearing on June 16, developers proposed some modifications and asked for an exception to height restrictions.

By allowing an exception for the height restriction, going from two stories to three stories along the development’s proposed main thoroughfare, the developers would achieve the density standards for the multi-family sub-district and retain more trees, said Sisters’ Planning and Community Development Director Bill Adams.

Commissioner John Rahm said these proposals were “more palatable” due to the requests for fewer exceptions to the Sisters Development Code.

“It’s a significant change to have met the requirements as far as the density,” said Adams. “They have met this with a mix of housing. They’re proposing a nice little area of single-family lots with town homes to the east. They have more row-house and attached units with condos or apartment along the main thoroughfare and they’re doing less single-family attached homes.”

Initially Hayden developers were proposing nearly 190 single-family units with unattached garages. Hayden is now proposing 93 single-family homes.

“They’re asking for substantially less exceptions. They have put together a better design and layout that provides for more pedestrian-friendly, natural features,” said Adams. “Staff is pleased, but I wouldn’t say at this point we’re ready to conclusively say, ‘Yes, it meets all code requirements.’ But we’re headed in that direction.”