Wednesday, June 27, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
RENTALS:
Planners wrestle with
spacing versus cap
Continued from page 1
additional changes to the
short-term rental (STR)
regulations being pro-
posed for adoption as part
of a larger package of text
amendments.
At the June 21 Planning
Commission meeting, staff
sought input from the com-
missioners on two changes
Council would like to see.
Staff was directed to include
spacing/buffering require-
ments for STRs and to
review “transferability” of
STR land-use approvals and
operator’s licenses. Council
was concerned that without
spacing requirements, con-
centration of STRs in any
one area would create nega-
tive impacts on residential
neighborhoods.
Staff presented to the
Planning Commission sev-
eral scenarios regarding 150-
foot and 250-foot buffers
between STRs and the pos-
sible ramifications regard-
ing the number of additional
STRs.
Chairman Tim Klem indi-
cated, “If we have to have
spacing, I don’t want the
eight percent cap.”
Commissioners Jeff
Seymour and Roger
Detweiler don’t favor spac-
ing requirements and Jack
Nagel does. Nagel pointed
to the impact of a concen-
tration of STRs in a single
neighborhood.
In counterpoint, Detweiler
asserted, “The town is
too small to use spacing
requirements.”
The apparent frustra-
tion on the part of some of
the commissioners seemed
to come from the fact that
they have spent a number
of months addressing the
issues involved with STRs
before making their recom-
mendation to the Council.
Several voiced that perhaps
City Council was consider-
ing changes to what commis-
sioners had recommended
without being fully informed
of all the information the
Planning Commission had
considered.
A decision was made to
seek a joint meeting of the
Planning Commission and
the City Council to discuss
all the factors involved when
considering STRs.
With a steady influx
of applications for STRs
to the City, the Planning
Commission is concerned
that a delay in approving
STR regulations will result in
a continuing increase in the
number and concentration of
STRs. BreAnne McConkie,
senior planner, reported
that of 20 current land-use
applications, 10 are for
STRs.
In other business, the
commissioners considered
prioritization of proposed
new text amendments they
will be considering. They
will be looking at regulations
for cutting trees, amenities
requirements in master plans
for subdivisions, annexa-
tion requirements related
to affordable housing, tiny
homes, mobile food units,
and several factors involving
planned unit developments.
The upcoming treescape
design for Adams Avenue,
funded by a Transportation
Growth Management
grant, will require a review
of the code for multiuse
development and require-
ments regarding curbs,
sidewalks, and parking on
Adams.
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PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
Paddleboarders celebrated the advent of summer at Suttle Lake last
weekend. Next weekend is shaping up sunny and mild.
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