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Wednesday, June 22, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
HOuSINg: Hearing
was continued to
Wednesday, June 29
Continued from page 1
it was re-zoned residential
multi-family.
In 2005, Hayden Homes
received approval of their
master plan for 408 residential
units on 43.46 gross acres to
be built in seven phases. The
original master plan included
multiple apartment buildings,
but Hayden chose to put all
single-family homes and some
townhomes in those first three
phases.
The 2005 Master Plan
came in under the old density
requirement of a minimum of
nine units per acre. The three
completed phases average 4.4
units per acre. Hayden’s origi-
nal intent was to build enough
density on the other 18-plus
acres to bring the overall aver-
age to nine units per acre for
the entire development.
When the time came to
build the apartments and
townhomes, Hayden said they
couldn’t do it on that land and
that they aren’t apartment
builders. The land has been
for sale for several years, with
no takers.
Hayden is now offering to
build apartments, townhomes,
and single-family homes on
the property, provided the
request for separating the two
parcels is granted.
The Community Planning
Department (CDD) has been
struggling with which devel-
opment code should be used
if the property stays under the
2005 Master Plan — the one
in force when the plan was
approved in 2005 or the one
currently in place. Which pro-
cesses and standards should be
applied? Which public works
standards should be used?
Allowing Hayden to mod-
ify their 2005 Master Plan by
withdrawing the 18-plus acres
and then submitting a new
master plan for that property,
and developing it under all the
current codes, seems on the
surface like a simple solution.
However, that would be
granting a special exemption
for completed phases one,
two, and four, with a density
of only 4.4 units per acre,
which doesn’t meet the cur-
rent density standard of at
least seven units per acre. It
does meet all other standards.
During the hearing, the
concern was voiced that if
the Planning Commission
approves the modification
request, there is no guarantee
that Hayden will build apart-
ments and affordable housing.
Could that be a condition of
approval? The City attorney
stated that any conditions
need to be tied to a reason the
proposal before the Planning
Commission could be denied.
Hayden Homes had four
representatives at the hearing.
Attorney Tia Lewis stated up
front that Hayden admits their
original plans for the 18 acres
was a bad design.
the old plans are
not supportable from
either a density or
compatibility standpoint.
— tia lewis
“The old plans are not sup-
portable from either a density
or compatibility standpoint,”
Lewis said.
Now they say they want to
find a project that works for
the community. Hayden’s new
plan, which was on display
last Thursday evening, meets
all the current codes and pro-
vides 15 percent open space
with amenities like a three-
quarter-acre park with picnic
areas and a sport court.
The plan calls for four
three-story apartment build-
ings with 10-12 units each,
accounting for 30 percent of
the housing. The plan also
includes 18 attached town-
homes for 10 percent and 70
single-family homes for 60
percent of the housing units.
The total housing units at
completion would be 128-136
with a density per acre of 7.4-
7.8, which meets City require-
ments. The 2005 Master Plan
would result in 297 total units
on the 18 acres.
“We believe this is a
great plan and blends in with
what’s already out there,” said
Hayden engineer April Pust.
Citizens testified both for
and against the modification,
which would separate the two
parcels. One of the major con-
cerns for residents of the area
is the increased traffic volume
that would attend develop-
ment of the land. Others urged
the Planning Commission to
hold Hayden Homes to their
original agreement.
The density issue is of par-
ticular concern to the neigh-
bors in the first three com-
pleted phases.
A number of citizens spoke
to the lack of affordable hous-
ing and apartments in Sisters.
They believe that if Hayden is
allowed to build fewer apart-
ments and townhomes than
included in the 2005 Master
Plan, and more single-fam-
ily homes that will sell for
$275,000-$365,000, that the
affordable housing issue will
not be sufficiently impacted.
They argued for increased
density with more apartments
and townhomes.
“I’m concerned with sin-
gle-family housing being
built in areas zoned for multi-
family housing,” said Cort
Horner.
When the word compro-
mise surfaced during the dis-
cussion, the rest of the eve-
ning became a numbers game
with all kinds of different pos-
sibilities tossed around.
Commissioner Jeff
Seymour said he would like
to see Hayden Homes develop
the 18 acres in some way.
“We need to have com-
promise. I would like to hold
their (Hayden’s) feet to the
fire to get what the city needs,
but give them a way to do it,”
said Seymour.
He proposed 100 apart-
ments; 50 designated as
“affordable” and 50 market
rate, with 50 built in the first
phase. He upped the town-
homes to 30 and kept the sin-
gle-family homes at 70.
At one point in the hear-
ing a motion was made
to approve the requested
modification to remove the
18.37 acres from the 2005
Master Plan (the only actual
request before the Planning
Commission). But tagged
onto the motion was the draft
condition that Hayden would
have to develop the 18 acres
with enough density to put
the entire 43 acres at a density
of seven units per acre. That
would mean 195 new units
total.
The Planning Commission
passed the motion by a 4-2
vote and the public hear-
ing was closed, only to be
reopened almost immediately
due to confusion on the part of
multiple parties as to what had
just been approved.
The hearing closed and
opened several more times
during which Hayden offered
a number of possible compro-
mises and the Commission
rescinded the approved
motion. As the density issue
took precedence, figures of
7, 6.5, and 6.75 units per acre
were batted back and forth
and negotiations seemed to
stall.
City Manager Rick Allen
reminded the Planning
Commission that a situa-
tion like this always requires
give-and-take. He pointed out
that the standards in the 2005
Master Plan go back to 1979
and 1999. He said that a new
master plan would involve
2016 public works standards,
which would solve a lot of
problems for the Community
Development Department.
Allen suggested that giv-
ing a little would “cure a lot of
problems and make the entire
situation more palatable.” He
was accused of arguing for the
applicant by Sharlene Weed,
Habitat for Humanity execu-
tive director.
Hayden Homes closed
by reminding the Planning
Commission that Hayden
wants to provide a project that
will benefit the city and meet
a need that isn’t being met
now.
When asked to comment
on Thursday evening’s hear-
ing, Allen said, “The Planning
Commission is working hard
to work with the developers to
find that middle ground that
will allow the project to move
forward while at the same
time assure that apartments
and townhouses are built to
help with our current rental-
housing shortage. It is my
belief the two sides can find a
solution. They are not too far
apart.”
Community Development
Director Patrick Davenport
told The Nugget, “The City
is desperate for this project
to get underway. Hayden had
been ready to file a new mas-
ter plan the next day had their
modification request been
approved.”