[Vision2020] RE: The Key to Helping Downtown Moscow Thrive

[Art Deco]

Barbara, et al,

I guess I'm not very bright.

I still do not see the reason for a three year delay by the city council to begin to revise the comp plan, New Cities or not.  

Had the council acted in a timely and effective manner, the current zoning issues/fiasco would not be.  And still they do not squarely face the issue in a manner suggested and propelled by law.  I see a lot of hemming and hawing and a great reluctance to do their statutory duties in a prompt and courageous manner.  I am particularly disappointed in those that ran for office on a reform promise.  Where is the reform?  I do not want to hear that it takes time.  Time has already passed with little or no results!  Where is the community leadership they should be eagerly supplying?


With regard to the BID:

[1]    There has been a lot of negative comment about the goals and effects of the proposed BID by several downtown businesspersons.  They do not believe that it really will return a viable cost benefit to their businesses.  Some of that comment has appeared here on Vision 2020.

[2]    The last organization I would trust to implement any kind of more than a very elementary plan is the Moscow Chamber of Commerce.  During the just previous years they have exhibited grossly inept financial management, extraordinary insensitivity to community values, and a close-mindedness, secretness that rivals the most dogmatic religious leader/organization.

[3]    The city council cannot delegate its responsibility to govern!!!  They are in charge of producing the comprehensive plan, the resulting zoning ordinance, and the other various elements of insuring the opportunity for a viable downtown core.

Perhaps, the city has poured $50,000 and a lot of well-intended citizen effort down a rathole.  Perhaps they need to start over again or at least public review the $50,000 masterpiece and try to determine if it has any useful parts.

As V 2020er Pat Kraut asked:  Why did they need to spend the $50,000 on outside consultants in the first place?  Why are we paying elected officials and city staff if not to tackle problems like these?   

I may be in error, but between the elected officials, the city staff, and a wealth of community expertise that could be had on a voluntary basis just for a polite, open invitation, I should think that in a fairly short time, a downtown vision/plan could be generated.  However, it won't be if the city council continues to act like sluggish, snaffled, prideful, frightened snails.


Wayne A. Fox
1009 Karen Lane
PO Box 9421
Moscow, ID  83843

(208) 882-7975
waf at moscow.com

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Barbara Richardson Crouch 
  To: Art Deco 
  Cc: Vision2020 at Moscow. Com 
  Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 9:30 AM
  Subject: RE: [Vision2020] RE: The Key to Helping Downtown Moscow Thrive


  Wayne,

  The City has begun the Comprehensive Planning process by utilizing the New Cities Initative.  I'll try an answer your questions.

  Originally, the Comprehensive Plan was going to be worked on in sections - Downtown, Economic Development, etc.  It was decided by Council and agreed to by many groups interested in the Comprehensive Plan that first the City needed to find a way to engage all stakeholders.  This lack of engagement was made clear during the formulation of the Downtown Plan.  Action has been taken on the Downtown Plan, the Chamber was selected to implement the Downtown Plan and has been working with the merchants association to do some things - BID, Parking Survey, etc.

  As far as the information being "stale", many of the suggestions made in the plan  are being implemented - the use of CDBG funds to improve Friendship Square

  The LEDC agrees that the focus should be on completing a Comprehensive Plan update that contains the following:  a clear vision for Moscow's future; sufficient public input to validate the vision; a buy-in from the decision makers and citizens. I know that the City Council, MCA, LEDC, Chamber, etc. all want to ensure that the planning process is open, fair and respects the needs of all citizens and other stakeholders.

  Barbara


  -----Original Message-----
  From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]On Behalf Of Art Deco
  Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 7:49 AM
  To: Vision 2020
  Cc: JoAnn Mack; Nancy Chaney; Peg Hamlett; Linda Pall; Marshall Comstock; John Dickinson; Jon Kimberling
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] RE: The Key to Helping Downtown Moscow Thrive


  Barbara,

  Thank you for the information about previous work on a downtown Moscow plan.  It was most informative.  Perhaps you can post a précis of the major elements and goals of that plan.

  Perhaps also you and/or some open-minded city council members (not an oxymoron, I hope) can answer the following questions:

  After spending $50,000 and lots of effort on the part of citizens, businesses, political figures, and governmental staff:

  Why has action been delayed for more than three years after the downtown plan was completed on the city comprehensive plan?

  Has not some of the information gathered and recommendations made in this plan more than 3 years ago become stale?

  Since the issue of allowing educational institutions and other possibly counter-productive uses in the downtown core is one with great consequences for the future of Moscow, shouldn't the current city zoning ordinances be updated only after the comp plan is updated and clear goals are set for the downtown core and its relationship to the rest of the city?

  I am sure there are a large number of citizens (residents, patrons, users, visitors, etc) that want to know why the normal city planning processes are not being followed and what effort, if any, is being made to get them back on track instead of doing planning/zoning business in a crisis driven, piecemeal fashion.


  Wayne A. Fox
  1009 Karen Lane
  PO Box 9421
  Moscow, ID  83843

  (208) 882-7975
  waf at moscow.com


    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Barbara Richardson Crouch 
    To: Art Deco ; Vision 2020 
    Cc: Linda Pall ; Nancy Chaney ; John Dickinson ; Peg Hamlett 
    Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2005 2:05 PM
    Subject: RE: [Vision2020] RE: The Key to Helping Downtown Moscow Thrive


    Everyone,

    If you do not remember, Moscow and the University did complete a Downtown Plan.  The Committee was the CRC and was a part of the LEDC.  We solicited for consultants, hired a group and actually received and the City Council accepted a short term plan from them - they felt the long-range plan was too grandiose.  This plan was the basis of the Downtown Grant and the activities happening in Friendship Square.  The plan cost a minimum of $50,000 and the LEDC/Chamber used the plan to receive a grant from Verizon to hire an interim Downtown Coordinator until a BID could be done.  The implementation of the Plan was left to the Chamber.  The LEDC's participation ended after we supervised the interim Coordinator.  In fact, First Step was kind enough to give the Downtown Association a website and free hosting.  This all happened in the last three years (3).  There is also a section that talks about zoning changes in the Downtown.  If you would like this section (it is about 40 pages) just e-mail me and I will send it to you.

    There was lots of public input sought, including a tenant at the Ren Fair and a table at the Latah County fair.  The General Public Input was solicited in 2001 and 2002.  Downtown Property owners and Business people met for almost a year before public input.

    Moscow plans to start the public process for the Comprehensive Plan re-write this fall as part of the New Cities Initative.  I would like to see the community focus on writing a good solid, 20-30 year Comprehensive Plan.

    Barbara Crouch



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