City/County look to a populous future

Managing growth that could double the size of Sisters and more than double the population of Deschutes County was on the table at a joint Sisters City Council/Deschutes County Commissioners meeting held at City Hall on February 13.

The Sisters Horizon Visioning Project was lauded as the first major joint plan undertaken by the City and County with funds and staff of each entity involved in the process.

The Visioning Project is now transitioning into the implementation phase. City Manager Cory Misley reported he is currently in the process of reaching out to suggested lead partners in the community for endorsements of the strategies and action items that came out of the year-long process.

Community Development Director Patrick Davenport shared with those assembled the recently completed Buildable Lands Inventory that outlines the status of where Sisters is in terms of lands currently built out or entitled (approved to build), and those available for building, both residential and employment (commercial/industrial) lands. At this point in time, two-thirds of residential lands are developed or entitled.

By 2040, the population of Sisters is projected to be 4,867, just about double the current number of residents. The Projected Required Lands study calculates the need for 1,100 new housing units. The city is currently projected to be short 338 units for a 20-year supply. To meet that number, the city needs 40 gross acres for more housing, and that is the number if the density were 10 units per acre, which is higher than the current density in much of Sisters.

In order to enlarge the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), the City needs to complete an update of the community's Comprehensive Plan, which requires State approval to begin.

County Commission Chairman Phil Henderson said the County is taking a look at resource lands within Deschutes County that aren't currently being used for the designated purpose, such as forest and farm land, with the possibility of reserving those lands for future

expansion.

Davenport reported that in 2018, 77 new single-family building permits were issued, out of a total 427 permits of all types issued. There was $36.7 million in added valuation in the city for 2018. At the same time, a number of demolition permits continue to come into the City.

Timm Schimke, Deschutes County Director of Solid Waste, announced that the Knott Landfill in Bend has only about 10 years left before it reaches capacity. He said the Negus transfer station is at capacity now. It would take about 10 years to bring a new landfill online, with seven years to find a site, hold public hearings, secure necessary permits, and draw up plans, and three years to build.

A new landfill is estimated to have a price tag of $20 to $30 million. The County would need to locate a 500-acre site, including buffer acreage, to build a landfill with a 100-year capacity. Schimke said the current Deschutes County population of 188,000 is projected to reach 432,000 by

2060.

The County is looking at a number of ways to reduce the impact of garbage. The possible use of technology could greatly increase their ability to sort recycling materials, including construction debris, by using robotics. They are encouraging more participation in recycling, especially of food waste (yard-waste collection is being upgraded to include meat and dairy waste for composting). Schimke would like to see expansion of business programs and management so that programs and containers are uniform and identifiable from city to city.

There are seven different technologies that can be used to extract energy from waste materials before they go in the landfill. The main barrier to utilizing them is the cost involved.

The big question for the County right now is to decide whether to site a new 100-year landfill somewhere in Deschutes County or haul the county's garbage out of the area 135-185 miles up to the Columbia Gorge. There is an evaluation of disposal options on the Deschutes County website that explains the pros and cons of each option. There are also two surveys that can be taken: Landfill Longevity Feedback and Solid Waste Recycling/Composting Survey. Within two months a plan may possibly be adopted. Schimke indicated there are seven criteria to consider when determining what to do.

One factor is cost. With a new local landfill, garbage rates would probably increase five to 10 percent. If garbage gets hauled out of the area, the increase would be closer to 25 percent. The current county tipping fee is $55 per ton, which is lower than a big share of the rest of the country.