[Vision2020] Paul Kimmell and zoning games

[joanopyr at earthlink.net]

Dear Visionaries:

In Paul Kimmell's letter to part (but not all) of the Moscow Chamber of
Commerce and some (but not all) of Moscow's City Council members, he
writes: 

"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."

Okay.  Who empowered Paul to call a truce to the silliness?  And to what
silliness does he refer?  Nathan Wilson's and Aaron Rench's?  They admit to
being silly.  In fact, they're reveling in their frivolity.  Does Paul have
some power over their actions?  Is he aware of their plans?  What is Paul's
connection re: zoning complaints to Wilson and Rench?

Now, if Paul believes that Mike Curley and his complainants are being
"silly," then what does he plan to do about it?  Does he plan to use his
position as a Latah County Commisioner and/or as Executive Director of the
Moscow Chamber of Commerce to somehow influence the process when the NSA
complaint makes its way to the latter body for consideration?  If so, how?

Paul concludes: 

"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."

I'm glad that Paul is not happy.  I'm not happy, either.  Every time Nate
Wilson opens his mouth, I have an irresistable urge to strike a match.  (If
it turns blue, Nate, it was you.)  But seriously, how are current zoning
ordinances outdated for the new economy?  What new economy?  What is the
primary engine of economic growth in Moscow, Idaho?  Is it not still the
University of Idaho?  It sure as hell isn't Schweitzer.  We lost them to
Pullman.  More's the pity.

Last but not least, who says that we will never again see a revitalized and
retail-oriented downtown?  I should hope that neither the City Council nor
P & Z are prepared to kill downtown Moscow as a retail district in the same
way that, say, downtown Tacoma was killed.  Anything and everything was
allowed into downtown Tacoma, and now it's a dead zone.  Is that what we
want for Moscow?  It seems to me that with the Farmer's Market, the Food
Co-Op, Hodgins, Wild Woman Traders, Gem State, Bookpeople, Goodwill, and
several restaurants and coffee shops, all on Main Street and all hopping
like mad whenever I go in them, that we have a good base for building a
very strong retail corridor in the Central Business District.  We should be
encouraging that, not writing it off.  

I recently paid a visit to Missoula.  Their downtown is entirely
retail-oriented; it's big and it's busy.  Consequently, they don't have
lots of nasty little strip malls springing up on their fringes.  There's
plenty to do in the center of town, and plenty of people happily doing it. 
I don't think it's outrageous or unreasonable to compare Moscow to Missoula
-- we have much in common, one college to another.  I like Missoula for the
same reasons that I like Moscow, and I'd like to see our City Council and
our Chamber of Commerce pursuing a course of action with regard to zoning
ordinances that would encourage retail growth on Main Street, Washington
and Jackson.  

Before we make any changes in zoning, perhaps we should consider making a
few changes in personnel.  Let's start with the City Council and the
Chamber of Commerce.  We can use Paul Kimmell's handy-dandy mailing list.

Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
You want fries with that novel, Mr. Arnold?
www.joanopyr.com