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The development of 50 acres of the Pine Meadow Ranch moved closer to reality
last week with the approval of a zone change and comprehensive plan amendment
by Deschutes County Hearings Officer Karen Green.
The land lies just outside the west city limits of Sisters on the south side of
McKenzie Highway. Pine Meadow Ranch Development Co. requested the zone be
changed from UAR-10 (urban area reserve) to RS (residential standard) and RH
(residential high density).
The company plans to build between 150 to 200 dwellings eventually -- some in
single-family homes, others in apartment or condominium type buildings.
Green's approval was contained in a 29-page report that addressed arguments for
and against the zone change that were presented in two hearings held in March
and in April.
Sisters area citizens challenged PMR Development's application on several
points.
Considerable discussion centered on a 1979 Sisters comprehensive plan policy
which would permit taking the land out of "reserve" when 75 percent of the land
inside the 1979 city limits was developed.
Opponents argued that the 75 percent level has not been reached. The hearings
officer said she concurs with PMR Development that the Sisters plan "does not
provide an explicit methodology for determining whether the 75 percent
developed requirement has been met," but, she "finds that the information and
methodology used by the applicant is appropriate."
She said PMR Development took "a conservative approach to its developed lands
study," electing to include land within a flood plain in its inventory of
undeveloped lands, while "plan language would warrant exclusion of this land."
Green said, "The applicant also did not exclude lands that are unsuitable for
development due to the presence of easements and septic permit denials."
PMR's study indicated more than 81 percent of the 1979 city limits is presently
developed.
Opponents also argued that there are several large parcels of non-agricultural
land available for development within the Sisters Urban Growth Boundary that
should be developed before the Pine Meadow Ranch property.
PMR Development's argument was that those lands are in the same category as
Pine Meadow Ranch and therefore have no greater priority for development. Green
said "there are some lands in the city that have priority for development," but
"their capacity for residential development is questionable" due mainly to the
absence of a city sewer system.
"Public need" also was challenged by opponents, but Green's findings stated,
"...the applicant has demonstrated a public need for residential
development..."
She said, "...the evidence clearly indicates that the Sisters area has grown
both by build-out of developable lands in the city limits -- as documented in
the applicant's developed land study -- and by development in the outlying
rural areas due to constraints on buildable residential-zoned land within the
city limits."
