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Wednesday, January 7, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
LETTERS
Continued from page 16
To the Editor:
As owner of the former Wild Mountain roadside
market and plaintiff in the $2.5 million discrimina-
tion lawsuit filed in federal court against the city of
Sisters, it never ceases to amaze me how the City
continues with business-as-usual politics of disre-
garding concerns of the community. The apparent
policy of special dispensation given to the well-
connected and businesses which matter personally
to some seated on the planning commission and city
council demonstrate that not only has no one within
city government learned from past mistakes, but in
fact affirms they’re not even listening to the grow-
ing voice of concern among the citizenry.
The latest controversy over the food carts per-
mitted for outgoing Mayor Boyd’s property has
me scratching my head over how what is happen-
ing there differs from what Celia Hung and Richard
Esterman want to do on their leased property?
During my quest for code amendment to help Wild
Mountain survive by allowing it to operate year-
round there were many comments by commission-
ers and councilors that my business model unfairly
competed with brick-and-mortar businesses in town
when my request was denied. The outcry from busi-
ness owners over the special events of Hung and
Esterman is now strangely silent over the food
carts on Mayor Boyd’s property. Yet from Melvin’s
Market’s popular deli case and soup counter across
the street from Eurosports, to the many restaurants
within walking distance, nobody has raised a voice
of concern even though these low-overhead year-
round food carts will clearly impact trade at all of
these businesses. Is fear of retaliation the reason for
the silence?
Ky Karnecki
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To the Editor:
I would like to provide some context and back-
ground information for the Sisters community
regarding the recent food cart decision by city staff:
Yes; it is true that the Sisters Planning
Commission was not copied on the site plan review
for this application.
This was a simple mistake by a planning depart-
ment employee and we all need to acknowledge
that mistake and move on appropriately to make
sure similar errors do not occur. From talking to the
employee and other city staff, it is clear that this
was an oversight and not malicious or subversive in
any way. There was certainly no attempt to hide the
decision or circumvent proper process. Mistakes do
happen, have happened in the past and will likely
happen again.
To date it has been an informal policy that site
plan reviews were copied as an FYI item to the
planning commission. This was done properly most
of the time but not every time.
At a minimum, every single site-plan review
“must and should” be sent to every planning com-
missioner “as an FYI copy.” I was very unhappy that
this particular site-plan review was not sent to me and
have strongly recommended to city council and staff
that this permanent change be put in place ASAP.
Site-plan reviews are not automatically put on
the planning commission agenda for a public hear-
ing. The commission can, with the request of three
or more commissioners, “call up” a site plan deci-
sion for full. This is meant as a “check and balance”
and is typically a very rare event.
In my own personal opinion as chairman of the
planning commission and as one commissioner, I
would not have asked to call up this decision. The
application completely and totally followed current
city code, did not request any variances and had no
unusual circumstances.
While we definitely should have been copied on
the original city staff decision, that does not mean
that this site-plan review or any other site-plan
review will automatically come before the planning
commission as a formal agenda item.
Any business owner in Sisters is eligible to sub-
mit an application, but significant site improvements
and upgrades will be necessary prior to approval
even on those lots where there is sufficient room.
This is not an insignificant business cost, hence we
are not likely to be inundated with hundreds or even
dozens of food carts now or in the future.
Alan Holzman
Chairman, Sisters Planning Commission
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To the Editor:
Hood Avenue Art is working on a project with
OTE and ODOT to establish Hood Avenue as an
Arts Destination within the state of Oregon. This
designation will possibly allow signs to by put up on
Highway 20 coming into town from both directions,
directing traffic onto Hood Avenue.
We qualify for this designation because we have
five galleries within a six-block area. The origi-
nal galleries that met the qualification were Hood
Avenue Art; Gary Cooley; Clearwater Gallery
and Open Door; Ken Scott’s Imagination Gallery;
Sisters Gallery and Frame. But now, in addition
to those we have added Cha for the Finest gallery;
Redfield’s Gallery; Things, Etc. Gallery; Heritage
USA; Old West Antiques; Cowgirls and Indians
Artifacts; Beacham’s Clock Co. and Bedouin.
There will be a meeting at the Chamber of
Commerce, 291 E. Main Ave., on January 15, 4 to 6
p.m. to discuss and inform interested parties about
future plans and ideas. All business owners on Hood
Avenue will benefit and are encouraged to attend.
Actually, the whole town will benefit and all are
welcome.
Our thoughts are to establish an arts association
(or to work in conjunction with the established art
association) and an arts council to work with the
City and help manage and direct our group in events
planning, marketing and future public arts exhibi-
tion. You do not have to be a member of the cham-
ber of commerce to attend or participate.
This is an independent group of merchants that
see the vision of a working group of professionals
to bring Hood Avenue together as a vibrant market-
place. The City has offered to meet with us, listen to
our ideas. But this is a state-level project. The mon-
etary investment is minimal; the signs are approxi-
mately $300 split between all of us. Future invest-
ment is optional.
We realize that there have been many issues that
have separated business and people in this small
community; it is normal. We would like you to
bring an open mind and put the past behind you. We
will all raise up together and hopefully heal some of
what has gone before us. There are many possibili-
ties: new hotels; restaurants; entrepreneurs looking
for investment opportunities right now. Together we
can create a thriving arts/cultural district.
We will all need to write letters of support. There
will be a sample letter at the meeting you can take
with you to help frame your own. Then we will
bring these together with photographs and our logo,
which is underway, with the application to be sub-
mitted to he state. The process takes about 90 to 120
days. Hope to see you all there.
Tina Brockway and Michelle Deaderick
Hood Avenue Art
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