Wednesday, August 24, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
HAYDEN: Some
housing advocates
are dissatisfied
Continued from page 1
they proposed.” Nagel, who
told The Nugget he doesn’t
recall making that statement,
recused himself from the
hearing and sat in the audi-
ence during the proceedings.
With Commissioner Daryl
Tewalt not in attendance, that
left five commissioners to
hear the testimony and delib-
erate on their decision.
Battle lines were drawn
before the hearing began. Six
residents of the completed
part of single-family homes at
Village at Cold Springs spoke
strongly in favor of Hayden’s
latest request for modification
to the original master plan,
which called for a total of 297
housing units and included
195 apartments.
The modification calls
for a total of 138 residential
units to be completed in four
phases. When completed, the
now-vacant 18 acres would
be built out with 69 single-
family detached homes, 21
single-family attached homes
(townhouses), and 48 multi-
family apartments located on
three separate sites.
Residents of the Village
at Cold Springs had origi-
nally opposed Hayden’s
completion of the subdivision
according to the initial master
plan. Those who spoke up last
week are fully in support of
the proposed modifications.
On the other side of the
fence are some residents of
Sisters, represented by Habitat
for Humanity Executive
Director Sharlene Weed and
longtime Sisters resident
Roger Engstrom. They urged
the Planning Commission to
either hold Hayden Homes
to the original master plan
Lazy
or at least require a much
larger number of apartments,
somewhere in the range of
100-150.
The City staff report con-
tends that the Hayden pro-
posal meets criteria in the
Development Code and the
Comprehensive Plan and
recommended conditional
approval of Hayden’s modifi-
cation application.
When the Village at Cold
Springs was approved in
2005, the entire parcel was
zoned high-density residential
and the City density require-
ment for that property was
nine units per acre. In 2010,
the property was rezoned
multifamily residential and
the density requirement was
reduced to seven units per
acre.
Hayden completed Phases
1, 2, and 4 with a density of
four-plus units per acre, say-
ing they would end up with
the required overall density
by building high-density units
(297) on the remaining 18
acres.
Hayden is not a builder of
apartments, and they had the
18 acres for sale for several
years, hoping an apartment-
builder would buy it and fin-
ish the master plan, but there
were no takers.
With their latest modi-
fication request, Hayden
said they are meeting the
7:1 density requirements
for the entire development.
However, Commissioner Tim
Clem questioned the validity
of that claim. His calculations
showed it was closer to five-
plus units per acre.
With a break in the hear-
ing, Hayden representa-
tives showed commission-
ers how they calculated the
density. They did not use the
gross number of acres as the
base, but rather the net after
subtracting rights-of-way,
open space, and recreational
amenities.
Commissioners were split,
with Roger Detweiler asking,
“How can we be sure we will
get what we approve?”
Tia Lewis, attorney
for Hayden, Community
Development Director Patrick
Davenport, and the commis-
sioners reworked the section
titled Review of Conditions to
ensure that Hayden would be
held accountable for complet-
ing what they are proposing.
The clause stating that
“certificate of occupancy
shall be issued for all mul-
tifamily units within each
phase as applicable, prior to
the issuance of certificates
of occupancy for any single-
family unit in any subsequent
phase,” guarantees Hayden’s
performance.
If there is sufficient
demand for the apartments,
they may be constructed ahead
of the phasing as described
in the proposed master plan.
Therefore, construction of the
apartments could rely on sup-
ply and demand.
Hayden also had to agree
that they will pay a portion of
the cost for improvements to
the Rail Way and Highway 20
intersection, as requested by
ODOT; they would like the
timing of the improvements
to coincide with their 2018
pavement preservation project
on Highway 20.
There were discussions of
lessons learned and personal
philosophies and the final
vote was a long time coming.
It took several motions, fur-
ther discussion, and the den-
sity calculation explanation
before a final vote. That vote
reflected the split between
those who wanted to hold
the line on density require-
ments in multifamily zoned
areas and those who believed
Hayden was making a good-
faith effort to provide housing
that is badly needed by the
community.
Additionally, those sup-
porting Hayden’s applica-
tion questioned the quality
of life offered by a subdivi-
sion required to meet the 7:1
density requirement on a rela-
tively small parcel of land.
Clem voted no, saying
Hayden needed to be held to
the seven-units-per-acre den-
sity, which would result in
185 dwelling units rather than
138.
“Approving it won’t meet
the density goals of the City,”
Clem argued.
Detweiler said he voted no
as a matter of conscience.
“If we continue to allow
lower-density housing in
high-density zones, we will
have to enlarge the Urban
Growth Boundary. Hayden
hasn’t made a good-faith
effort to provide what we
need,” he said.
Commissioner Jeff
Seymour said the modifica-
tion didn’t have as much den-
sity as he would like but he
appreciated “the effort and
thoughtfulness Hayden has
put in.”
He said, “It’s clear to me
what the public wants. The
residents of Cold Springs
have spoken. It’s not ideal for
the city but the residents have
spoken. We have something
29
tangible and I vote we
approve it.”
Commissioner Bob Wright
told Hayden, “The market’s
going to determine what
you will end up building.
You’ve done a credible job in
designing a livable commu-
nity. Quality of life and built
environment are important
factors.”
Chairman David Gentry,
who has been on the Planning
Commission for 12 years,
said that back in 2005 when
the original master plan was
approved, he doesn’t think
the commissioners thought
through their approval
carefully.
“I’m frustrated. I want to
see progress and I think this
is a good plan that will pro-
vide needed apartments. At
least with this plan we’re get-
ting something done,” Gentry
remarked.
“I’d like to see this thing
go. It’s more reasonable than
what we had before.”
With a quorum of five
commissioners voting, the
majority of those present
(3) approved the motion to
modify the master plan as
requested by Hayden Homes.
Hayden would like to have
Phase 3 completed by the end
of spring or early summer of
2017. They project that the
entire 18 acres will be built
out by 2019.
The decision of the plan-
ning commission could be
called up by or appealed to
Sisters City Council.
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