News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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The parking lot at the Sisters School District’s new administration building on the corner of Locust Street and Highway 20 remains blocked off — and it is unclear whether school district employees will be able to park there this winter.
The lot could not be paved in time to beat the winter cold and so it remains a wide expanse of gravel. According to City of Sisters Public Works Director Gary Frazee, the city won’t open the lot until it is determined who will be responsible for re-grading the lot after use chews up the gravel.
School Superintendent Ted Thonstad said, “My feeling is the contractor (Cisneros Construction) should be responsible for regrading and doing the necessary surface preparation prior to paving.”
City Manager Eileen Stein said that at this time she concurs with Thonstad.
However, Library Director Michael Gaston said he needs to consult with the library architect to discuss the matter and thinks it’s premature to decide who pays.
“I guess we need to talk,” Stein said.
None of the parties involved wants a fight over the re-grading bill.
Frazee said Monday that he planned to snow-stake the lot and cone off the new Sisters Library’s portion for the winter. The library has substantial parking on Cedar Street.
Frazee said the city will plow half of the school district’s side of the lot, freeing up at least 24 spaces.
The lot will be accessible only from Cedar Street.
“Even when this parking lot is open you will not be able to access Locust Street from that parking lot until there’s street improvements at Locust Street and Highway 20,” Frazee said.
But for now, nobody is parking there at all.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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