A plan that will chart the next decade of development in and around Sisters is slowly coming into focus.

The team behind Sisters Country Horizons, a visioning project that will address economic and social changes in Sisters and the surrounding area, posted a second online survey earlier this week. The survey is designed to zero in on tangible objectives within four major areas — livability, prosperity, resilience and community engagement — as a way to shape change in the area known as Sisters Country.

“I think there’s an acknowledgment that the community is going to change; residents just want to be very active in managing that change,” said Nick Lelack, community development director for Deschutes County.

Early areas of focus run the gamut, from building more affordable housing to establishing a museum on the edge of town to marketing the area as “the artisanal capital of Oregon.”

“We have a bit of a budding artisanal community here,” said Patrick Davenport, community development director for the city of Sisters. “That’s an interesting part of the economy here that we really want to nourish.”

Sisters Country, an approximately 8-square-mile section of Deschutes County that roughly spans the Sisters School District boundaries, went through a similar visioning process about a decade prior, but the community’s growth over the past 10 years warranted another planning effort, Davenport said.

While the Sisters Country boundaries include the entire city, Davenport said the city is hindered by its size and a limited amount of space when adding affordable housing or new businesses.

“We’re a little bit challenged in the city in terms of geography,” he said.

Because of that, partnering with Deschutes County and the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council on a wider-scale project made sense, Davenport said.

Sisters County Horizon has held several public meetings and posted two surveys. The second survey, which will be accessible on the organization’s website until Aug. 17, asks respondents to identify their top five projects for each of the four large-scale categories.

The suggestions range from broad focuses on accountability and transparency, to focuses on specific industries, including outdoor recreation and artisanal crafts.

Davenport said art is a growing part of the city’s economy, with painters, sculptors and other artisans moving into the city’s core.

While some of the development is happening organically, Davenport said the city can help facilitate more growth by adjusting zoning and development standards to better accommodate the industry.

Outside of the city, Lelack said the priorities include focusing on agriculture and agriculture-related tourism, and improving public transit and trails throughout the region.

Davenport said the organization is planning to host one or more community forums in October to go over the plan before it’s finalized. A final draft could be available by late November or early December, according to Davenport.

“Kind of like a little Thanksgiving present,” he said.

—Reporter: 541-617-7818, shamway@bendbulletin.com