UPDATED 9/26/24
At the September 25, 2024 meeting, the City Council approved Ordinance No. 540 by a 3-1 vote. The approved amendments to the Short-Term Rental regulations in Sisters Development Code Section 2.15.2700 will be effective on October 25, 2024. The adopted ordinance is below under "Supporting Documents."
EVALUATION BACKGROUND:
For the 2023-24 fiscal year, the City Council (Council) adopted several goals to accomplish in the coming year. One of those goals is to “evaluate Short-Term Rental Code language to mitigate adverse impacts on the community.” The Council identified this as a priority based on community input and Councilor concerns regarding the impacts of Short-Term Rentals. Specifically, the Council identified concerns with the availability of housing units for long-term occupancy and nuisances created by Short-Term Rentals.
The City Council and Planning Commission conducted a series of workshops to evaluate the current short-term rental program (Click here for summary of workshops). As a result of the evaluation, the City Council directed staff to initiate the formal review process for proposed text amendments to the short-term rental regulations in the Sisters Development Code.
PROPOSAL SUMMARY:
FILE #: TA 24-02
APPLICANT: City of Sisters
REQUEST: Text Amendments to the Sisters Development Code Section 2.15.2700, Special Provisions for Short-Term Rentals (STR), including:
- Expansion of the STR concentration limit from 250 feet to 500 feet.
- Applying STR concentration limit to dwelling units within a condominium.
- Applying STR concentration limit to dwelling units in the Downtown Commercial District that are part of a residential only development. This is not applicable to dwelling units in commercial or mixed-use buildings.
- Prohibition of STRs in Urban Growth Boundary expansion/annexation areas.
APPLICABLE CRITERIA:
- Sisters Development Code
- Chapter 2.15 – Special Provisions
- Chapter 4.1 – Types of Applications and Review Procedures
- Chapter 4.7 – Land Use District Map and Text Amendments
- City of Sisters Urban Area Comprehensive Plan
- Oregon’s Statewide Land Use Goals
REVIEW PROCESS:
Pursuant to SDC 4.1, the proposed legislative amendments are subject to a Type IV review process. The Type IV review process requires a public hearing before the Sisters Urban Area Planning Commission. Following the public hearing, the Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the City Council. A subsequent public hearing is required before the City Council. Following the public hearing, the City Council rendered a final decision via adoption of an ordinance.
SCHEDULE:
- June 20, 2024: The Planning Commission held a public hearing to receive testimony and evaluate the project record. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the amendments via a 4-1 vote on Resolution PC 2024-02. Resolution PC 2024-2 is below under "Supporting Documents"
- September 11, 2024: The City Council approved the text amendments via adoption of Ordinance No. 540 by a 2-1 vote. The ordinance was approved with a revision that does not provide the option to allow short-term rentals in areas annexed into the city limits via an annexation agreement approval by City Council. Because the decision was not unanimous, a second reading of Ordinance No. 540 was scheduled for September 25, 2024.
- September 25, 2024: The City Council City Council approved Ordinance No. 540 by a 3-1 vote. The adopted ordinance is below under "Supporting Documents."
The associated Planning Commission and City Council meeting agendas and materials will be posted on the City Calendar.
PROJECT RECORD:
The project record can be found HERE.
All evidence and materials submitted into the record are accessible at the Project Record link above. The printed record is also available for inspection at Sisters City Hall. Copies of all materials are available on request at a reasonable cost.
STAFF CONTACT:
For project information, please contact Matthew Martin, Principal Planner at mmartin [at] ci.sisters.or.us (mmartin@ci.sisters.or.us). or (541) 323-5208.
Click here for more information about the current Short-Term Rental Program