An Intentional Approach to Growth in Sisters
By Kristin Reidelberger, Cities and Towns Associate Program Manager
The City of Sisters from above.
The City and residents of Sisters have been hard at work planning to accommodate a 20-year supply of needed housing and employment lands (as well as parks, schools, and infrastructure), and thanks to their thoughtful approach, they are poised to preserve and enhance the attributes that make Sisters the distinctive town it is today.
A recent cover story from The Nugget Newspaper asked, How will Sisters grow?, and invited area residents to attend an open house for the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) amendment process that is reaching its final stages. LandWatch has been involved since the early days — advocating for intentional growth and Complete Communities.
A Good Process
The City’s process up to this point exemplifies the valuable analyses, actions, and public engagement necessary to be responsible stewards of the land, to build and deepen community understanding and buy-in for the city’s approach to growth, and to plan for an equitable and sustainable future for all residents.
2019—2021: The City began analyzing their current and future growth, their housing and economic needs, and engaging the community to build a shared vision for the future of the city. This resulted in a Comprehensive Plan to guide Sisters to 2040. Then, further analysis and updates to housing and economic land needs and a full inventory of buildable lands within the city led to a hard look at Sisters’ current UGB — and the available land therein — to accommodate the next 20 years of future growth.
2022—2023: The City embarked on a process aimed at using the land within the UGB more efficiently, by taking “efficiency measures” — actions that retool the zoning and development code to allow more affordable and middle housing inside Sisters’ boundary. (Think: allowing duplexes outright and reducing minimum lot sizes in the Residential zone, etc.) The City made some positive moves on this front — but there’s more the City could do to build more types of housing throughout Sisters. LandWatch encouraged the City to implement more measures than were ultimately taken, and moving forward, we will continue to advocate for bigger, bolder actions to support a more Complete Community in Sisters.
2024—2025: With the new efficiencies in place and updated growth projections from Portland State University’s Population Research Center, a final land analysis estimated Sisters needed 227 to 264 gross acres of additional land to grow to 2040. Thus began the current UGB amendment process. LandWatch is an ex-officio member of the locals-led UGB Steering Committee, and, over the past six months, this group has been a sounding board for the process and a valuable community liaison.
Five Alternatives Under Consideration
On December 9, 2024, the City of Sisters hosted a Community Open House and shared the results of the UGB Steering Committee’s first phase of work, with five alternatives (or options) for where the city could grow. We’re glad to see these alternatives limited to “Priority 1” land, meaning it is “non-resource” or “exception” land – in other words, land that is best-suited for future development that limits impacts to surrounding farms and forests.
In this case, these Priority 1 Deschutes County lands are zoned Rural Residential. So, by prioritizing developing Priority 1 lands, Sisters would be preserving much of what makes Sisters so special — the surrounding farms, forests, waters, and wildlife habitat.
Sisters UGB Study Area: Priority 1 lands studied within 1 mile of the current city boundary; Priority 3 and 4 lands studied within ½ mile of the current city boundary.
Sisters’ initial options for UGB expansion to be shared and discussed at the open house. These will be narrowed down in the coming months, and the final amendment to the UGB will be adopted in 2025.
Our Preference: Concept 5
Of the five alternatives, LandWatch is in support of Sisters moving forward with Concept 5. We support Concept 5 because it would
Support Complete Communities. It’s compact, and shares much of the existing city boundary, so development could seamlessly blend with the existing city — providing walkable, bikable, and rollable access to downtown amenities and jobs.
Avoid Indian Ford Creek and its floodplain, wildlife corridor, and areas recommended for conservation efforts by ODFW.
Include 250 developable acres — the most appropriate size for the estimated land need.
Be the easiest, least expensive area to service with public infrastructure like sewer, water, and roads.
Redevelop more quickly and efficiently, due to larger lot sizes and lower property values.
Have more flexibility. Compared to other Concepts, less land is tied up in restrictive covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs), so there’s more flexibility to plan for and build needed housing and employment uses.
Strong Need for Affordable Housing
One of the main drivers leading to this UGB expansion is needed housing. Sisters is the fastest-growing city in Deschutes County, and this has resulted in acute housing pressures. There are many reasons why Sisters and other cities facing a severe housing shortage should address this issue from all angles. Adequate housing ensures that current residents aren’t burdened by housing costs, and that their kids can grow up and afford to live in their hometown in the future if they choose to. When housing is attainable: there are more families, more young adults, new entrepreneurs, and people from diverse walks of life contributing to the culture and economy. Businesses have an easier time finding and keeping employees when those employees can afford housing nearby, and don’t need to commute from a distance. And when fewer residents are burdened by housing costs, they have more financial stability, and flexibility to contribute to the local economy and support, or start their own, local businesses.
New Oregon Housing Needs Analysis projections show that Sisters should be planning for about 1,670 new housing units by 2045. Fortunately, this number is about 300 units lower than what the City was expecting. However, the sobering reality of the needed affordability levels present a daunting challenge. Over a third of these units are projected to be needed for households making 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) or less ($83,750 or less for a 4-person household;$67,000 or less for a 2-person household). Another quarter of the new housing units will be needed for households making between 80% and 120% AMI (less than $125,640 for a 4-person household, and less than $100,560 for a 2-person household).
The City has taken several actions to bring more affordable housing to Sisters. They set up an Affordable Housing Grant Fund Program and Urban Renewal Agency Workforce Housing Grant Fund Program, a public-private partnership to construct affordable housing, and implemented efficiency measures to increase housing capacity and more housing types within the city.
The real challenge will be to ramp up and sustain these efforts for the long haul, so that truly needed housing can be delivered. LandWatch is encouraging the City to keep these affordability needs top of mind when planning for the new UGB expansion lands. Sisters has great potential to grow as a Complete Community, with housing options for all, mixed-uses, nature nearby, and the ability to walk, bike, and roll to destinations — and LandWatch will continue to advocate for this equitable and sustainable future for Sisters on the road ahead.
RECENT UPDATES
