County approves emergency ordinance rezoning Mackenzie Meadow Village site; declares Goal 4 exception
Loading...
Summary
The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 1 adopted an emergency ordinance approving a comprehensive plan amendment, rezone and Goal 4 exception for roughly 58 acres adjacent to the City of Sisters for the Mackenzie Meadow Village project.
Deschutes County commissioners on Oct. 1 adopted an emergency ordinance approving a comprehensive plan amendment, zone change and a Goal 4 exception for the Mackenzie Meadow Village project, reclassifying approximately 58 acres adjacent to the City of Sisters from forest to rural residential exception area and rezoning the parcels to multiple‑use agriculture.
Jacob Ripper, principal planner at the county’s Community Development Department, said the application includes a request for a Goal 4 exception and that staff returned a final decision document reflecting the board’s unanimous vote on two specific conditions related to riparian, wildlife and scenic corridor protections. The board chose the version of the decision that included those conditions after deliberations on Sept. 17 and returned with the final ordinance for adoption.
The board conducted first and second readings and moved to adopt the ordinance by emergency; the motion was seconded and approved with Commissioner Dyer, Commissioner Chang and the chair recorded as voting yes. Staff said adopting by emergency advances the ordinance’s effective date by 104 days compared with the normal timeline.
Applicant representatives in the hearing — including William Willets, identified as managing partner of Mackenzie Meadow Village, and other local families — made on‑the‑record commitments to community benefits. Willets stated the development team would “deliver 36 lots to Habitat” and that 12 units would be set aside for mothers with developmentally disabled children. He also described partnerships to provide teacher housing and vocational apprenticeship opportunities with local schools.
County staff cautioned that the county’s decision does not decide the City of Sisters’ urban growth boundary (UGB) process; Will Groves, the county planning manager, told commissioners that the City of Sisters was scheduling a UGB workshop on Oct. 22 and a council decision on Nov. 5 and that an appeal to the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) would likely affect the timeline.
Staff confirmed the appeal period for the county’s decision remains the standard 21 days. The county recorded the ordinance adoption and noted the possible next steps in the city’s UGB process and the potential for appeal to LUBA, which could affect the property’s ultimate development timeline.
