[Vision2020] RE: Downtown Zoning Games

[Mark Seman]

Paul,
Zoning issues go way beyond just the CBD.  Moscow's entire zoning ordinance
is out of date and is based on a model from the post WWII era.  The City is
currently trying to revise the Comp Plan and will tackle the Zoning
Ordinances afterwards.  This will take quite some time though.
Unfortunately, there are citizens that are using the current ordinance as a
weapon of community destruction and because it is in-place, it is the "law
of the land."   I would much prefer a zoning model that provides for greater
discretionary power for P&Z and BOA.  The written ordinance cannot
anticipate enough detail without being overly cumbersome in text.  It should
be broad stroked with fine-tuning done with public hearings, board decisions
and city council review.

There have been (and are) communities w/o our type of zoning model and they
operate quite well.  It does take a strong, grounded sense of community for
this to happen.  Moscow continues to struggle with this because of many
citizens', business leaders' and development organizations' mis-conceptions
of what constitutes "community development."  It will take a centered group
to take the concept forward - towards real understanding and direction.  I
have yet to observe many of our community leaders comprehending anything
outside of their own cliques and addressing the real issues this community
needs to be looking at.

I'm not convinced the Chambers' CDC can apply the leverage needed to get
Moscow to face itself head-on.  Until our own lead-izens can start to look
beyond their noses and see a world outside of themselves, I don't see much
progress being made.  I applaud your sensitivities and I will continue to do
what I can to work towards finding the light switch, but I'm not sure the
bulb is even screwed in.

Still mildly optimistic,
Mark

Mark Seman, Architect
Heather Seman, Landscape Architect
1404 East 'F' Street  Moscow, Idaho 83843
v 208-883-3276 / f 208-883-0112


>  -----Original Message-----
> From: 	Paul J. Kimmell [mailto:pjk at moscowchamber.com] 
> Sent:	Thursday, May 19, 2005 8:28 PM
> To:	Mark Seman; 'Jon Kimberling'
> Cc:	Bob Hieronymus; Candis Donicht; darren malm; David Leach; Dustin
> Weitz; Jack Hill; Janice McMillan; Jeff Martin; Jennifer O'Brien; John
> Grauke; Kelly Armstrong; Mark Boehne; Mark Boehne; patrick cummings; phil
> mack; Rhonda Comstock; Susan Fagan; Tom McGann; Chamber Admin; Kristen
> Hagen; Naomi Lewis; Paul Kimmell
> Subject:	Downtown Zoning Games
> 
> Janice, Mark, Jon and Mark:
> 
> Okay.  I’m ready call a truce on the silliness that is presently occurring
> in downtown Moscow.  This has gone far enough and I want all of you to
> consider the following proposal.
> 
> As your Executive Director, I would like to see the Community Development
> Committee of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce formally request the City of
> Moscow deal with the CDB zone now.  Clear off their P&Z schedule of work
> and deal with it.  We obviously have a problem with an out-dated ordinance
> for a new economy here.  Downtown land uses have changed all over the
> country and we’ll never see a return to a large retail segment in these
> old downtown boxes.  Before we spend another ounce of taxpayer funded
> energy on zoning complaints, public hearings and possible court actions,
> we all need to come to the table and deal with the present downtown land
> uses.  
> 
> I see absolutely no down side to this and the sooner we get the City to
> rethink downtown zoning, the better.  I think the CDC is a good committee
> to bring this forward on behalf of entire business community.
> 
> I am not happy with the way anyone is acting in this new sport of zoning
> wars.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.
> 
> Paul J. Kimmell
> Executive Director
> Moscow Chamber of Commerce
> 411 S. Main Street
> Moscow, ID   83843
> HYPERLINK "mailto:pjk at moscowchamber.com"pjk at moscowchamber.com
> HYPERLINK "http://www.moscowchamber.com"www.moscowchamber.com
> 208-882-1800; 800-380-1801
>  
> The attached email does not necessarily represent the views of the Moscow
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> 
> 
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