— INSIDE —
FOoCn US
Health — — PAGES 10-15
The Nugget
POSTAL CUSTOMER PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Vol. XLVI No. 5
www.NuggetNews.com
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Affordable housing project slated
Breaking ground…
By Sue Stafford Correspondent
PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
Three families will break ground on their future Sisters Habitat for Humanity homes in the Village Meadows neighborhood on Monday, January 23. Molly McShane and her children (pictured); Elia and Holly Mapusaga; and Julie Glanz completed hours of sweat equity to achieve this milestone. Construction will begin in February with completion anticipated in late-summer 2023.
A City Council goal for 2022/23 is to identify land in the city and find a development partner(s) for a future multi-family workforce housing rental project. By December 2026 Sisters hopes to meet that goal. The City received a proposal in August 2022 from NW Housing Alternatives (NHA) headquartered in Milwaukie, Oregon. Founded in 1982, NHA is a leading not-for-profit developer of affordable and workforce housing throughout Oregon. Their mission is to create individual opportunity through housing. The organization develops, See HOUSING on page 31
Wildfire risk map put on hold
Changes coming to Cascade Avenue
A wildfire risk map that was rolled out last year, and quickly withdrawn in the face of significant backlash over concerns about insurance coverage, has been placed on hold again. According to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), the Oregon
The face of a portion of West Cascade Avenue is in for a big change. The current Space Age gas station at 411 W. Cascade Ave. is slated to be replaced by a much larger station and convenience store. The Community Development Department has received an application from Stephen Williams for a site plan review and minor conditional use permit to replace the existing Space Age station with an approximately 3,500sq.-ft. convenience store, a canopied fuel island with 16 gas pumps (eight towers), and related site improvements. Pliska Investments LLC owns the subject property, which sits between West Cascade and West Hood Avenues and South Pine Street and a vacant lot. Pliska Investments in Clackamas, Oregon, owns or has owned numerous gas stations, a golf course, and a hotel. Currently occupying the back portion of the property
Legislature will be considering a number of recommendations for changes to the statewide wildfire risk map during the 2023 session, some of which would substantively change the map itself. In a news release, ODF See RISK MAP on page 23
Young drivers have license restrictions By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief
It’s often overlooked or ignored, but new young drivers operate with restrictions on their license. Those restrictions are designed to minimize distractions while new drivers learn how to drive on their own. Under Oregon law, new drivers are provided with a
Inside...
provisional license, which restricts the number of passengers allowed in a vehicle — no passengers under 20 (unless family members) or driving between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. for the first six months; no more than three passengers under 20 years old (unless family) or midnight to 5 a.m. driving See LICENSE on page 31
By Sue Stafford Correspondent
PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS
Space Age Gas will see a major expansion if approved by city planners. are the two summer businesses, Richard’s Produce and C & C Nursery. From the site plan, it appears that they would no longer be in their current locations. The 16-pump fuel island will sit on the front one-quarter of the property adjacent to Cascade, with the convenience store and parking areas covering the remaining three-quarters of the property.
The decision issued will be a Type II administrative decision, made by the Community Development staff. There will be no public hearing unless the Planning Commission or City Council decides to call it up. For more information, contact Matthew Martin, principal planner, at 541-3235208 or mmartin@ci.sisters. or.us.
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Obituaries .....................4-5 Entertainment ................. 11 Fun & Games ................... 20 Classifieds.................28-30 Meetings .......................... 3 Announcements...............10 Focus on Health ......... 13-20 Crossword .......................27 Real Estate ................ 30-32