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Council ponders street closure request
By Jim Cornelius

Sisters artist Richard Esterman wants to stage a Sisters Arts & Crafts Show on a closed-off Oak Street during Rodeo Weekend and the Quilt Show next year (2003).

Esterman believes the show would benefit surrounding business and clean up a problem the city has with vendors -- legal and illegal -- scattered around Sisters by giving them a specified location.

The council expressed some concerns about the proposal at a workshop on Thursday, June 27.

"I don't think we need to close off streets if we have parks available," said councilor Deb Kollodge. "I don't think we should give up parking spaces, especially for quilt show."

Public works director Gary Frazee said the closure of Oak Street would eliminate 34 parking spaces. It would also block access to the east driveway of the Chevron station and the alley that services Depot Deli.

Councilor Dave Elliott said he would not approve such a plan without letters from all the affected businesses signing off on the closure.

Mayor Steve Wilson -- who owns a business on the corner of Oak Street and Cascade Avenue -- urged the council to set a broader policy covering such requests.

Wilson noted that street closures have been granted to non-profit organizations such as the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce for special events, but he does not recall closing city streets at the request of a single individual operating a for-profit event.

"Are we going to close public streets for private individuals?" Wilson asked.

The council agreed to develop a policy that would apply to requests such as Esterman's.

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