Work crew demolishes pavilion

The pavilion at Sisters Inn & RV park was demolished on Monday, April 24, after the city’s plans to move it to Cliff Clemens Park met stiff opposition from neighbors.

According to City Manager Eileen Stein, neighbors did not like the idea of a large permanent structure in the park, even if the city spruced up its appearance.

“It really was about the structure,” Stein said. “An event park can have a tent that’s constructed and then can be taken down.”

Mayor Dave Elliott, who manages Sisters Inn, had hoped to save the structure, which has been used as a venue for the Sisters Jazz Festival and for Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce auctions and other events.

The city had allocated $30,000 to move the pavilion, based on the understanding that it would cost more than twice that to build a new one at Clemens Park.

But the city backed off quickly when complaints from neighbors grew fierce.

“What made us back off is we were told there would be TV cameras and blockades,” Stein said. “(The city council) didn’t want to put the community through that.”

The owners decided to demolish the building instead of trying to find a new location. They are on a tight timeline to construct a frontage road and develop four commercial lots on the Sisters Inn & RV Park property along the highway.