[Vision2020] Cutting the Gordian Knot

[joanopyr at earthlink.net]

Cutting the Gordian Knot, or A Simple Solution for New St. Andrews
 
City Council members JoAnn Mack and Peg Hamlett bent over backwards last night in their attempt to find a way around what is a very clear city zoning ordinance – universities and colleges are not permitted in Moscow’s downtown Central Business District.  And today, in the QuickRead section of The Daily News, under the heading “What it means,” Alexis Bacharach writes that “the zoning code will have to be amended, or the college [NSA] may be forced to cease operations.”  
 
NSA has 28 days to appeal the City’s zoning decision in district court.  But why bother?  There’s a simple and elegant solution to Doug Wilson’s and New St. Andrews’ woes: why not turn the Skattaboe Building (NSA's current location) into Doug's long-desired downtown cathedral?  Churches, mosques, and synagogues are specifically permitted uses in the Central Business District.  Doug wanted the Gart’s building for his cathedral, but the Moscow Food Co-Op beat him to the punch.  If he were to turn NSA's building into his church instead, would that not immediately solve his zoning problem?
 
True, Doug would have to find another location for New St. Andrews College, but that is not the City of Moscow’s problem.  The Skattaboe Building would still be of use to Doug as a cathedral, so he would lose nothing to speak of financially.  The city, on the other hand, would gain a good deal as parking for downtown businesses would no longer be a problem.  (Most are closed on Sunday.)  Doug could then locate his college legally in an area zoned for educational institutions.  I would suggest that since Christ Church now meets in the Logos Field House that Doug might use that location for New St. Andrews.  There's nothing I know of to stop NSA from sharing space with Logos K-12; in fact, it might be advantageous for upper division juniors and seniors at the high school to take NSA's college-level courses.  

What I am proposing is a simple swap.  The city need not rewrite the whole of its zoning ordinance for the benefit of one entity (or, for that matter, one man), and council members won't be tempted to "spot zone" through the use of Conditional Use Permits, the worst of all possible solutions.  No district court.  No legal entanglements.  Just a couple of U-Hauls -- for which the city, in all fairness, should perhaps contribute.

Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
www.auntie-establishment.com

PS: You think I'm being facetious, but I'm not.  I like my idea.  I like it a lot.     
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