New planning director discusses a vision for Sisters

When Brian Rankin became the new planning director for the City of Sisters earlier this year, he took over at a pivotal time in the city’s growth. Rankin is familiar with the issues facing Sisters having worked with the department for five years before taking the leadership position.

Rankin was involved in creating the Sisters Area Comprehensive Plan which is designed to guide the future development of the greater Sisters area. Rankin began working on the Comprehensive Plan in 1999 when he was hired as a consultant to prepare the Residential Land Supply and Demand Analysis. The plan was drafted with community input and adopted in 2005.

Rankin talked with The Nugget about his vision for the growing Sisters community:

Question: The Comprehensive Plan contains “characteristics to retain” including controlled growth, clean air and water, and Western Frontier theme. The plan also lists “opportunities for improvement” including traffic flow and affordable housing. What is the Planning Department’s role in supporting these goals?

Rankin: “The ‘characteristics to retain’ are accomplished by implementing policies and doing tasks. The Planning Department’s primary mission is to help the City Council achieve the tasks set out in the plan and rise to new challenges. The Councilors prioritize the goals and budgets to reach the goals, and it is the Department’s job to accomplish the goals. Our department must balance our day-to-day responsibilities while also looking ahead.”

With population, home prices, and commercial development on the rise, how do you maintain livability while planning for growth?

“Livability starts with the way we treat each other in our social interactions. Pretty streets and parks filled with grumpy people will not create livability.

“I believe that livability in Sisters means community spirit, cooperation, friendliness, small town feel, big trees, quiet roads, clean air, good schools, mountain views, and many others. I believe that if growth is responsible, attractive, pays its way, and attracts healthy and positive people insisting on making this a better place, then growth can expand livability. My job is to make sure that the city’s built environment reflects the community’s spirit and goals as it grows.”

The new McDonald’s in Sisters was a polarizing issue. Were there any lessons learned from that experience to help the community better deal with other potentially controversial businesses?

“I learned we are lucky to have one of our most controversial issues be the construction of a new McDonald’s. The community should pat itself on the back for being passionate about this issue, getting involved and speaking their minds. A silent community is a community with real problems and the debate shows that people care.

“One lesson was for the city to have clearer development standards to reduce confusion and disagreement as much as possible. As a result, a citizen’s advisory committee will help the city amend the Development Code provisions regarding drive-thru restaurants. I hope the result is a compromise the community accepts.”

What should citizens know about their role in the planning process?

“Citizen voices matter and can influence decisions. The city will work better if more people get involved in decisions. People shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions, give opinions, get facts, and challenge assumptions. City staff are accessible and friendly and will try and help as much as we can to facilitate your involvement.

Any predictions on what Sisters will look like 10 years from now?

“The city will have many new faces and energetic people. The downtown will look similar, but have more businesses, vitality and variety. There will be more employers and small businesses to provide higher-end jobs, but the economy will be predominately service- and construction-based.

“There will be a stoplight or two along the highway and more commercial development as you enter the town. The city will still feel small and well-connected and have better sidewalks and bike paths. There will still be a tremendous community spirit that really makes us unique.”