Council clears way for cell tower
By Jim Cornelius

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The Sisters City Council has cleared the way to site cell phone towers and other "public facilities" near the city's sewer treatment facility on Section 9 at the south end of town.

The council unanimously approved an amendment to state land use requirements at its Thursday, January 25, meeting, which would allow structures other than the treatment plant on the land. The city has long desired to put city maintenance shops on Section 9.

The move was a win for Spectracite, a cell phone tower builder working with Sprint. The company won approval in November to site a tower of undetermined height on Section 9, subject to a development agreement being signed with the county.

The county insisted on the Goal 14 exception amendment before signing off on a new development agreement. Spectracite withdrew an appeal challenging the requirement for a new development agreement after the council's decision.

Howard Paine of the Alliance for Responsible Land Use in Deschutes County (ARLU DeCo.) opposed the amendment. Paine said the move is contrary to the basis on which the city acquired Section 9 from the U.S. Forest Service.

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"In your January 26, 1999, letter to Bill Anthony, Sisters District Ranger, where you made application to purchase the subject land in Section 9, you indicated the usage was for a sewer treatment plant only," Paine testified. "Nowhere is any other use mentioned."

According to city planner Neil Thompson, Lazy Z Partners, who have opposed the siting of the tower, filed an appeal of the planning commission approval, but failed to pay required filing fees or specify the grounds of the appeal.

The council declined to hear the appeal on January 25.

There are still questions to be resolved before a cell phone tower could be placed on the site. Although the Sisters planning commission gave its land use approval, the city council must agree to a lease.

The council, at its Thursday meeting, agreed to select Kreines & Kreines, a consulting firm from Tiburon, California, to guide the city through the technical and legal details of wireless telecommunications.

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The firm, recommended by the League of Oregon Cities, offers a variety of services, including reviews of lease agreements, technical analysis and safety analysis.

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