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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 2015)
20 Wednesday, August 12, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon HouSinG: City is working on data on needs, availability Continued from page 1 Central Oregon Builders Association to look at all available options for encour- aging builders and develop- ers to build affordable hous- ing in Sisters. Concurrently, Davenport and his staff are conducting a thorough needs assessment and inventory of housing in Sisters to collect the neces- sary data that will inform the discussions and decisions of the planning commission and City Council as they address plans for housing in Sisters. In order to quantify the need for affordable hous- ing in Sisters, data is being collected and analyzed. What affordable housing is already in place? How much is expected to be built based on current approv- als? What will be the total number at build-out of the current urban growth bound- ary (UGB)? What are the ages and incomes of city residents? At this point in time, Gorayeb expects to have a formal presenta- tion with recommendations ready to present to council in 30-45 days. The term “affordable housing” usually refers to housing that is deed- restricted for a particular period of time, meaning it cannot be sold at market rate for so many years, thus main- taining its affordable status. The current ratio in Sisters when a builder starts a new development is that 10 per- cent of the houses must be affordable. But that specific class of housing is only one compo- nent in solving Sisters’ hous- ing problem. The other is the need for “housing that is afford- able” — more manufac- tured homes, multifam- ily structures (apartments, duplexes and triplexes), and moderately priced homes in the $200,000-$300,000 range — for people needing smaller down payments and/ or lower mortgage payments. Availability of rentals is also considered crucial right now. A variety of finan - cial programs and instru- ments are being investi- gated: block grants, public/ private partnerships, tax credits, and grants for sys- tem development charges to name a few. These kinds of programs make building lower-cost housing in Sisters economically viable for builders. Sisters salutes... Rosie Horton and Myrna Dow, co-chairs of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Board of Directors wrote: We wish to thank the community of Sisters and all of Central Oregon for help- ing Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show celebrate our 40th annual event. By all mea- sures, this year’s event was another fabulous success. Sisters enjoyed visitors from all 50 U.S. states, as well as visitors from 25 different countries. Many of those for- eign visitors told us they had been to Sisters once in the past 10 years and had made it a “bucket list” item to have their own quilt hung in our show — and they came back to have that experience. Since 1975, we have enjoyed the support of the many quilters and quilt guilds both from Central Oregon and throughout the state and the Pacific North- west. We couldn’t possi- bly take on an event this size without the help of our more than 550 volunteers who donate more than 3,800 hours throughout the year. Special thanks for the safety and comfort of every- one in Sisters goes to the staff, interns, and volunteers of the Oregon Department of Transportation, the City of Sisters, Sisters Camp Sher- man Fire & EMT services, Deschutes County Sheriff, Certified Flaggers Person- nel, and volunteers Ross Kennedy, John Keenan, Gary Frazee, Marcus Peck, and Malcolm Murphy. Our deepest gratitude to our community sponsors whose funding enables us to produce an event of this magnitude. It is not insignificant that more than 100 local busi- nesses have supported the quilt show for decades. Finally, without the vision, dedication, and inspi- ration of our founder, Jean Wells Keenan, we could not have 40 years of amazing events to celebrate! While we are proud of the fact that the Quilt Show brings a $2.7-million eco- nomic impact on all of Cen- tral Oregon, nothing makes our hearts swell more than to witness the many partners come together on the day of the event to make this a true community collaboration. On behalf of the board, the staff, and the volunteers, our heartfelt gratitude to the entire community! Bike thefts hit Sisters Bicycle theft is not just a problem in the “big city” down the road (see related story, page 21). Theft hits here in Sisters, too. Peggy Dorsett saw her bike and her son’s bike stolen last week. “They abandoned mine about a half-block away,” Dorsett said. “We found it leaning up against the wall at the old El Caporal building. But they kept my son’s.” The bicycle was her son’s primary mode of transporta- tion because his car had died. There have been other recent reports of bicycle thefts in the area. “Just lock them up, you know,” Dorsett advises. That seems a shame in a small town where people leave the windows down on their car and their doors unlocked. But bicycles have a good resale market and are thus tempting targets for thieves. If your bike is stolen, check pawn shops and Craigslist. The best defense, though, is buying a good quality lock (a cable lock is easy to cut) and using it every time you leave your two-wheeler alone. Prevent a Litter, Fix Your Critter! FURRY FRIEND S FOUNDATION 501 ( c )( 3 ) www.furryfriendsfoundation.org 541-549-9941 501(c)(3) nonprofi t organization Spay/Neuter Sponsorships - Easy as 1-2-3 1 Stop by The Nugget offi ce to fi ll out a short form 2 Call Bend Spay & Neuter for the appointment 3 Take your pet — Furry Friends pays. Done!