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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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Oregon couple fined for weddings on agricultural land

The Columbian
Published:

SISTERS, Ore. — A Central Oregon couple has been fined more than $2,000 for hosting weddings on their property near Sisters, where they’ve held about 18 weddings this summer in violation of the zoning code.

Their land is zoned exclusively for agricultural uses — a significant designation in Oregon, where the land-use laws are designed to protect farm and ranch land from encroachment.

Weddings and commercial events on agricultural land have been a frequent issue for Deschutes County in recent years. Some landowners have given up trying to hold them.

John and Stephanie Shepherd first held weddings on their property in 2011 for members of the church congregation that meets in their home with John Shepherd as pastor.

Today, he officiates at about half of the weddings on his property. Wedding parties pay about $1,500 to use the property.

The couple has been trying since 2012 to get county approval for the events, and most recently applied to have two of their 216 acres designated as a private park so they can hold weddings, The Bulletin newspaper reports.

The application was initially rejected because weddings weren’t considered recreational. The Shepherds say they’ve spent about $15,000 and reworked the application in hopes of gaining approval.

The Shepherds have submitted additional requested materials since August. A wildlife biologist with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is scheduled to inspect the site as well.

With wedding contracts established far in advance, the Shepherds continued to have events on their property while their application is in front of county officials. Five citations have been issued this summer, and the county has gone to court to ask for an injunction against weddings. The Shepherds said they stopped advertising for 2015 weddings.

County officials said they’re trying to reach a resolution, but they have to respond when they get complaints about violations.

“We’re putting a lot of resources in cooperation with Mr. Shepherd and working on his application,” said Nick Lelack, the county’s community development director. “We’re hopeful that all the issues can be addressed and then we can move forward.”

The couple has court dates scheduled in October for the citations.

“We’re doing everything we can to comply,” said John Shepherd. “We are waiting for them. They are taking a long time doing this. While they are dragging their feet, we are being issued citations. That’s just not fair.”

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