News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The rules are pretty restrictive in the City of Sisters when it comes to "formula food." The city planning commission will revisit the language of the city code on Thursday to decide if changes ought to be made.
No final decisions will be made at the January 16 planning commission meeting, according to planner Eric Porter. Instead, the meeting will start a conversation that will include the citizens of the community.
"We're trying to take the pulse of the city and find out what the city wants," Porter said.
Current rules restrict restaurants that offer standardized menus and décor. Code states that a formula food establishment is one that "adopts a name, appearance or food presentation format that causes it to be substantially identical to three or more other establishments regardless of ownership or location."
Under those restrictions, establishments such as Deschutes Brewery or Black Bear Diner could not be sited in the highway commercial zone.
Regulations are different in the downtown core.
"We do not regulate formula food establishments in the downtown commercial zoning district," Porter said. "So ... if an existing restaurant moved out, and a national chain wanted to move in to the downtown, then we would allow it, provided they met all other applicable criteria. Dutch Brothers is an example of this."
Porter said that the purpose of Thursday's discussion and those to follow are to determine if the community's intent is to exclude those types of regional restaurants.
Planning staff has proposed alternative code language, but Porter emphasized that the language is a starting point for discussion.
"We're not necessarily sold on it," he said. "We're not trying to push our language by any means."
The alternative language expands the allowed number of "substantially identical" establishments from three to 10, which would allow a larger "chain" to be eligible.
Porter said there are a variety of ways in which the city could ease the rules while continuing to maintain restrictions, particularly on huge national chains. The city could cap the overall number of establishments that meet the criteria; define eligible restaurants as being headquartered in Central Oregon; limit eligible establishments to a two-state reach.
Porter said that regional restaurants currently defined as formula food have made inquiries in Sisters.
"We get them all the time," he said.
Porter envisions a town hall meeting in the wake of Thursday's planning commission public hearing. The meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Ave.
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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