[Vision2020] Arboretum Update?

Thu Oct 6 15:18:02 PDT 2005

Tim,

I think a little history is in order that may shed some light on the work
conducted to provide adequate field space in Moscow.  First, however, it
needs be mentioned that the inadequacy of recreation field space and green
space has been a major issue for at least 20 years.  It may be longer than
20 years but the people I have talked to could speak only to their
involvement. The need for field space comes from many different areas of our
community including recreational sports for youth and adult (soccer,
baseball, softball, football, lacrosse, ultimate Frisbee, and others), hobby
activities such as radio controlled aircraft, and more green space.  The
development of the Mountain View Fields many years ago helped ease some of
the demand, but those fields are insufficient and wholly inadequate for the
needs of the greater community. Indeed, the development of the Clyde
property will only meet the immediate demand on the City to provide
programming and activities.

In 1999 the City responded to the constant requests for developing field
space by purchasing the Clyde property expressly and very publicly for the
purpose of a sports field complex.

The development of fields was dormant for a few years until a new Director
of the Parks and Recreation Department was hired and was told point blank to
get moving on solving the lack-of-fields problem.  So, in early Spring of
2003, the new Director, Dwight Curtis, assembled a Fields Planning Committee
that was publicized to encourage involvement from the greater community.
The intent of encouraging wide participation on the planning committee was
to get as complete a picture as possible on information necessary for good
planning.  About 30 people on the Fields committee met periodically to
explore options and develop plans.  (Two members of that committee, by the
way, were from the neighborhood adjacent to the Clyde property.)  One of the
first things the committee did was to develop a needs assessment.  And, one
of the things the needs assessment revealed was that even the Clyde property
will not be sufficient.  The community needs a few field complexes located
around the City.

There were only two possibilities at that time for locating the needed
fields.  The most optimal and desirable site was the Joseph Street property
on Mountain View and Joseph Street.  The property is owned by the school
district who were unwilling (and remain so) to discuss the future of the
site for field space because it was involved in its own facilities planning.
That left only one option, the Clyde Property on West Palouse River Drive.
And, seven years after it was purchased for field space it remains the only
adequate option for fields.

The fields committee then accepted an offer from a UI architectural class to
take the needs assessment data and render the needs data into conceptual
drawings for the development of the Clyde property.  The conceptual drawings
were put on public display at Eggan Youth Center and again notice was put
out in the news media inviting the public to review and provide comment.

In early 2004, the Parks and Recreation Department was invited to sit in on
a UI master planning session that involved planning and issues pertaining to
the UI arboretum and so included many people involved with the arboretum. In
that meeting, Dwight Curtis presented the conceptual designs for the Clyde
Property including the field layout and the necessary space for parking.  I
want to repeat that people concerned about the arboretum were in that
meeting.  Only two substantive comments were made about the fields
development.  The first comment was an expression of a desire that the
landscaping would flow with that of the arboretum.  The second comment was a
concern about water for the fields.  Regarding the water needs issue, there
was some discussion on how to optimize the effluent water to meet the needs
of both the arboretum and the city fields.  No other concerns were raised.
Indeed, in later meetings, others expressed that the fields development may
make the arboretum more accessible.

With all this input, encouragement to proceed, and no opposition, the plans
for the Clyde property were presented to City Council in their June 14, 2004
meeting.  The City Council approved the concept as presented and encouraged
progress.  At this time the planning included field space for an airstrip
for model, radio controlled aircraft.  Some neighbors expressed strong
disapproval of the airstrip or the model airplane activities on the
property.  Ballfields were ok, but not motorized aircraft.  Another location
was found for this group and the plans for the airstrip were removed.  

In April, 2005 at a City Council meeting, an update on the fields planning
was presented.  At that meeting, water for the fields was discussed and Mr.
Curtis again presented the idea to use effluent water.  His ideas were seen
as a solution and approved by the Council.

Now, of course, there is the question of how to pay for it.  This has been
incredibly exciting.  Several firms have begun lining up to offer free
services to develop the fields.  Some of these offerings have been very
public.  For instance, JUB Engineering out of Lewiston has offered to
provide free engineering services.  There was an article in the newspaper
about this not too long ago.  That firm has already provided surveys and
preliminary drawings free of charge.  Another person who owns and operates
earth moving equipment offered his services and a lighting engineered
offered to solve any lighting issues.  Hodges and Associates offered
landscaping design work.  There are many other offers of services and many
offers for providing labor.  If ever there was a new cities project, this is
it.

There is more to tell about this exciting project, but this email message
has already become too long.  I encourage productive participation in the
Oct. 18th meeting.  And I mean productive.  In recent criticism toward the
ball fields a complaint was made in opposition because, "ball fields attract
child molesters."  Another was that "aerial crop spraying will cause
cancer."  And now, some are claiming that the fields will destroy the
arboretum.  Not one comment has been supported by any sort of evidence.  The
only reasonable complaint against the fields has been by one gentleman who
simply stated that he doesn't want it in his back yard.

Lastly, the proposal to swap land with the University on near the water
treatment plant is not a solution.  Let the wind shift just once out there
during a game and we will be left with a chunk of property to maintain that
no one will use.

Tim Ewers
Parks and Recreation Commission Member
Youth Soccer/Hockey/Baseball Coach

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Tim Lohrmann
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 10:17 AM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Arboretum Update?

Visionaries,
     What's the latest news on the city plan to build
an extravagant softball field megaplex with a huge,
Rosauer's sized parking lot right next door to the UI
Arboretum?

     I understand that those in charge of the
arboretum, members of the Board of Directors of UI
Arboretum Associates, stewards of UI Arboretum and
Botanical Garden, have written a letter opposing
it(see http://www.uidaho.edu/arboretum/ ) and that the
vast majority of neighborhood residents around the
arboretum oppose this plan.
(http://savethearboretum.org/)

     Also, many residents say that while they were not
adequately notified about the plan as it was being
developed, they were told to "just move on" and "deal
with it" by some city decisionmakers.  Others have
raised questions about how the fields will be
irrigated because getting reclaimed water to the
proposed site is not economically feasible.

      But what's happening now?
      Are the elected officials just waiting until
after the election to make a decision?
      Anyone know?
        TL

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