Park closure raises housing concerns

Developers will unveil plans this week for the site of Sisters Mobile Home and RV Park at the east end of town.

A public hearing is scheduled for this Thursday, July 19, at 6:30 p.m., at City Hall to consider a development plan for the property located on Highway 20 across from the FivePine campus.

The park's closure, which is currently scheduled for October, is a cause of concern for those who are trying to increase the amount of available affordable housing in Sisters. There are currently 31 spaces in the park, and the majority are used by permanent residents.

The zoning of the park is residential and has been since the property was brought into the city. The current RV use of the park is not an appropriate use of residential zoning, according to the city planner, but the use was grandfathered in when the park was originally brought into the city.

The looming closure has raised concerns about the fate of the residents there.

"There are 24 families that will be evicted when the park closes. These people work in Sisters, and some have students in the Sisters school system. Where are they going to go?" said city councilor Sharlene Weed, who is also the executive director of Sisters Habitat for Humanity.

"There are waiting lists at the three apartment complexes in Sisters. These people may have no choice other than to leave the area. They have roots here and children in school. I worry about them," said city councilor and Family Access Network (FAN) advocate Shawna Bell.

There have been some changes in the plan for the property since it was purchased in 2002 and the then new owner Scott McCleery stated he wanted to bring in some mobile homes to use as lower cost rentals: "It's part of a gradual plan to change the makeup of the park. What was once a place for out-of-town contractors or vacationers to park a recreational vehicle for a long or a short-term stay will make way for a more permanent residential community."

Now, the newest change is to do away with everything currently there and create a residential development.

"The same people own this property as own the mobile home parks in Bend that shut down. They were very accommodating to the people that were being displaced in Bend, and we can only hope that they will do the same thing here," said Bell.

The original design proposed by the developer of the property did not include affordable housing. However, the city council encouraged the developer to include some affordable housing in the design, although it was not required. Attempting to comply with the request, the developer returned to the city with two plans that included affordable housing.

The developer was later told that these plans would not pass through the planning commission. The developer then reverted to the original plan.