Citizen involvement shapes development code

The City of Sisters development code, which has gone through three years of review and proposed changes, has finally been adopted.

Its acceptance on May 13 was preceded by what some in sports would call a come-from-behind victory for the Sisters business owners in the light industrial (LI) zone. Few on the Sisters City Council believed the LI could form a group and create a proposal in time for what turned out to be the last public hearing on May 13. Kris Calvin of Earthwood Timber Frame Homes, a business located in the LI zone, did not know if it was a realistic possibility, either.

Calvin, who has been a persistent voice for the LI, decided to organize businesspeople in the industrial zone so the city could hear their wants and needs as one voice rather than several individual and conflicting opinions.

"Prior to the meeting of the 13th, the council had accepted all my proposals, and I was happy," Calvin stated. "I put together the advisory group because I felt we could find common ground on some of the more contentious issues. I purposely invited people upset with screening and paving."

Part of his motivation, as one who had never hesitated to speak out at city council meetings, was that business owners would hear input from members of the LI community other than himself. He also firmly believed that the debate process would bring forth compromise. Common ground could not be accomplished, he said, in the three-minute time slot allowed at the public hearings.Calvin's plan worked.

"Basically, we accepted all of the Sisters Light Industrial Park's proposals as amendments," said Senior Planner Pauline Hardie.

Planning Director Eric Porter sat in on the SLIP (Sisters Light Industrial Park) meetings providing suggested language for their proposals.

Special wording was added to the code allowing flexibility through the use of "should" and "may" in many cases rather than "shall" and "will."

Screening has been a contentious issue, sparking years of debate. The current code, as adopted, only requires screening for certain items and even for those businesses may propose alternate screening methods which the community development director may or may not accept. If the applicant is not happy with the decision, they can request a hearing.

Similar allowances were made regarding paving, stating that a hearings body may allow compacted gravel as an alternative to paving. Exceptions are certain areas which must be paved, specifically driveway aprons.

"We came out of those two meetings with everything we hoped for," said Calvin, "and we weren't all on the same side of the tracks."

"It was great to be able to get together," said Phil Rerat, owner of Swiss Mountain Log Homes, "and they listened to us."

The LI advocates were only one group bringing concerns to the table. Councilors have been weighed down with decisions regarding fast food establishments in the highway commercial zone, if and how many drive-thrus should be allowed, and buffer zones.

The main focus of the drive-thru debate was the West Rail Way and Highway 20 corner of the highway commercial zone west of Sisters.

Included in this debate were decisions about the buffer zone and maintaining the pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly ruling.

"We decided on a 30-foot landscape buffer," Hardie said, "and to be a formula food you must have at least 10 in a chain. Formula foods must be 400 feet apart."

Drive-thrus are now allowed on all lots in the highway commercial district, Hardie said.

"Susan Springer and Paul Alan Bennett proposed additional styles of art other than just the Western theme be allowed in the City of Sisters," Hardie said, "and we accepted their proposal."

The development code was put into immediate effect.