[Vision2020] Complaints Filed Against Boarding Houses

[Joan Opyr]

On Apr 12, 2006, at 4:10 PM, Gabriel Rench wrote:

>
> Again: What about U of I students who board with families, foreign 
> exchange students, Mormons who come up here for their mission and 
> according to you Moscow is the only city in the whole united states 
> that would not allow boarding?  Moscow is elite.  Also as my friend 
> Deacon put it:
> “·  Why is a group of three or four roommates, one of whom owns the 
> house, a violation?
> ·  Why are people in Potlatch or on the Troy highway in violation of 
> Moscow city code?
> ·  Why are people who rent a separate apartment in a house that is 
> zoned for such a purpose considered boarders?”
>  
> I understand that following an argument has never been you or Wayne 
> Art Deco Fox’s strong suite, but we have been prejudicially targeted 
> for this… and this is why you blend weed and zoning all into one 
> basket.  Cheers!
> Gabriel Rench
>

First, where did I claim that Moscow is "the only city in the whole 
united states [sic] that would not allow boarding?"  What I said was 
that the only zoning laws relevant to Moscow are the zoning laws of 
Moscow.  Do you follow this?  (I'm typing slowly as I know you don't 
read fast.)  In answer to your friend Deacon's questions, the people of 
Potlatch are not the people of Moscow.  Moscow and Potlatch are 
different towns.  There are also different zoning rules for those who 
live outside the Moscow city limits.  The county is not the same as the 
city.  Is this really so hard to grasp?

Also, apartments are apartments; renting multiple rooms within a 
single-family dwelling is a boarding house.  Look up the word 
"borstal."  That might help you out.  Similarly, if you have an 
apartment in your house, and you rent that apartment, then you'd better 
make certain that you are in compliance with city ordinance.  If you 
own a house, and you rent space to three or four roommates, you'd also 
better make certain that you are in compliance.  I've known many people 
with fully fitted apartments in their basements or up in their attics, 
and they have checked into the zoning ordinances, brought their 
apartments into compliance, or have ceased to rent those apartments.  
Why?  Because they give a rip about the law.  They want to be in 
compliance.  Fancy that!

While you've been chewing the fat with Deacon James, I've been 
corresponding with a friend who knows Moscow zoning ordinance inside 
out.  This is what she has to say:

"Personally, I think Wilson's boarding houses really fall under the 
heading of 'Fraternity, Sorority Or Student Cooperative,' i.e., a 
building occupied by and maintained exclusively for students affiliated 
with an academic or professional college or university, or other 
recognized institution of higher learning and regulated by such 
institution.  Those are only allowed in R-4, and they are only allowed 
with a conditional use permit."

Ponder that.  As for the ability to follow an argument not being my or 
Wayne's strong "suite," I would agree.  I don't have suite; I just have 
a bedroom.  If you meant to say that it's not my strong sweet, I would 
agree with that, too.  I prefer savories.  Following a well-reasoned, 
rational, clear argument is, however, one of my strong suits.  That 
said, following your arguments, Gabe, is a bit tricky.  Your claims are 
inconsistent and/or irrelevant, and you evince no apparent logical 
trajectory.  Do they not teach rhetoric at New St. Andrews?  Or was 
NSA's rhetorician hired on the strength of his DNA rather than the 
quality of his MA?

Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
www.joanopyr.com

PS: If Toe-Knee thinks this is patronizing and condescending, he ain't 
seen nothing yet.  I love a good argument, and thus I hate sloppy 
thinking.  I'll echo what Nick Gier said earlier: I really miss my 
friend Phil Nisbet.  He might have made a cogent argument on behalf of 
NSA boarding houses.  Then again, he might have slammed you, too.  That 
was a great thing about Phil -- you never knew where he might fall in 
an argument, but you always knew he'd give it a genuine college try.



-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 4876 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20060412/45abcdc4/attachment.bin