Forest Service proposes bigger Sisters land sale

The Forest Service could add extra acreage to the 67-acre parcel in Sisters that it’s been trying to sell for more than a year.

The current district headquarters is about 60 years old and is clearly showing its age. District Ranger Ian Reid said Wednesday there are deferred maintenance needs and heating and cooling issues, and the phone systems go down frequently.

The Forest Service has been trying to sell the land since July of 2016 to fund a new office. The $8 million price tag would cover the cost of a brand-new facility. The original proposal withheld part of the 80-acre property, where the new building would be located, but the Forest Service is now proposing to sell the entire lot.

“We have changed the proposal to include an additional 13 acres north of Barclay Street inside the Sisters city limits,” Reid said.

The additional acreage is not officially part of the deal yet, because the district is still fielding public comments.

The property is sold as is, and is currently split into three zones. One parcel is zoned open space, so its the main use would be for something such as a public park. The biggest chunk of land is marked public facility, which means it could be for something such as a college campus, public school or government facility. The last area, urban area reserve, is a holding district with limited use, meant to be rezoned in the future.

Patrick Davenport, the city’s community development director, said a buyer would need a comprehensive plan amendment to make changes in the land’s use.

“We have some comprehensive plan text that suggests some appropriate development patterns –commercial along the highway, some residential components and some light industrial components,” Davenport said.

He said if a developer wants to do something else, the city would help them make amendments. He said whatever a developer pursues ultimately has to fit with the city’s vision.