Unmanaged growth is the real issue in Sisters

Judging from recent letters to the editor, the possibility of having a rational discussion about the future of formula restaurants in Sisters may well have gone up in smoke with the infuriating act of senseless destruction that shook our town three weeks ago.

And there may or may not be an initiative on the ballot to address the issue, widely regarded as a legitimate concern, depending on the initiative process itself and the eventual outcome of an ongoing conversation between the various involved parties and the Mayor. If an initiative ultimately is there, it’s there not as a done deal but as an option requiring the approval of the citizens…democracy in action, up or down vote.

As for all the brouhaha over Friends of Sisters, certainly no group presumes to speak for the town. I expect everyone who reads this paper considers themselves a friend of Sisters in the general sense, and rightly so, otherwise why bother? And what that means for each is a very individual thing, as we have seen here in the pages of The Nugget. I also know that if concerned citizens didn’t get together from time to time to discuss what needs doing, we’d still be a British colony.

Regardless, the larger issue confronting the town of which this is but a small piece is not going to go away and the sooner we can address it as a community, the better. The issue of course is unmanaged growth, growth happening so fast that it cannot be contained, growth that wave by wave washes away the endearing essence of what has slowly evolved here over the past few decades…Sisters’ “not just anywhere” character.

Is this not our most valuable asset, apart from the beauty around us?

Last January a “City Summit” took place at the high school, a gathering of various community leaders that attempted to look to the future and identify challenges and opportunities on the town’s horizon. Another such meeting is in the works. Great idea, many sensible, pragmatic, forward-thinking, and even wise things were said, and no doubt will be said again. However, the hard work of taking all those wise words and translating them into action has barely begun.

No offense intended to anyone involved; the city is blessed with a talented and hard-working staff and council. But at the level of city government the involved parties are primarily occupied with a nuts-and-bolts effort to keep up with urgent city business. Never mind undertaking a concerted and comprehensive pro-active effort to anticipate and creatively manage what’s coming.

The effort that many at the first City Summit believed was needed was some sort of consensus building process within the community-at-large, amongst the citizens themselves. What do WE want? When we look around in 20 or 40 or 60 years, what do we hope to see? What are our dreams for our children? What do we want the city council and staff to undertake on our behalf? This is a remarkable place and a charming town, and more importantly a town with a very strong sense of community, all of which many fear are unhappily at risk.

I personally don’t know anyone who is altogether anti-growth, nor do I know anyone who is not concerned with the changes unfolding around us. There are now developments on the drawing board that will effectively triple the size of the town, and with it the size of the business community, the schools, etc. How can we make sure this happens in a way that works for US, the people who live and work and do business here now?

City planning is the process of designing the built environment. If we take a “whatever” attitude, that is exactly what we will get…whatever.

Folks, we need to talk…

Former city councilor John Rahm is a member of Sisters Planning Commission and helped draft a forumla food ordinance that was rejected by a 3-2 vote by the city council earlier this year.