[Vision2020] Re: Getting a Community Plan was: Parking Downtown Moscow

[Bruce and Jean Livingston]

Nils, I am not saying that re-zoning the industrial grain elevator land is necessarily wrong.  

What I am saying is that:
  (a) decreasing industrial land is a bad idea -- we need to maintain our industrial land and seek light industry and the jobs those bring with them.  If this land is to be re-zoned, (and you failed to note that I said that redevelopment of this land was not the issue) then industrial land ought to be sought in an area that is suited to it, so that we do not decrease our industrial land. 

  (b) that eliminating a parking requirement by  magically transforming your land into the one category that does not require parking is a means of eliminating costs from the project -- and that is a developer idea to increase profitability of the project at the expense of neighbors who bear the brunt of the unallocated parking spillover.
To eliminate industrial land without anticipating and finding replacement industrial land is short sighted, bad planning and contrary to the needs of the community's need to diversify the job base.

And clearly, the request to eliminate the parking requirement is a developer-pushed idea to maximize his project's profitability, quite possibly at the expense of his neighbors and the community at large.

I stand by my statements.  

The P&Z was right to ask the parking questions, and before such a major step as re-designating the land to Central Business District should be taken, the developer should allay the fears of the neighbors who would bear the brunt of the project by explaining how and why their concerns are misplaced -- if indeed they are.

Bruce Livingston

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nils Peterson" <nils_peterson at wsu.edu>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>; "Bruce and Jean Livingston" <jeanlivingston at turbonet.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 9:44 PM
Subject: Getting a Community Plan was: Parking Downtown Moscow


| Bruce said:
| "This re-designation of land to other uses from its zoned or planned
| designation as industrial and motor business land is a typical,
| short-sighted, developer-pushed project to maximize short-term profits
| notwithstanding the existing plan."
| 
| And 
| 
| " It is time to get ahead of the curve. Engage the community in the process
| and get support for a proposal before seeking special treatment at the
| expense of the citizenry."
| 
| Bruce, there was discussion that night at P&Z about converting industrial
| land and several members pointed out that the Comprehensive Plan anticipates
| the vacation of the railroads and the transition of that land to other uses.
| 
| I don't recall this concern about re-designation of industrial land at the
| NewCities meeting at University Inn, where they gave a final(?) report and
| advocated Moscow grow inward, upward, and that new mixed use development
| take place between downtown and university.
| 
| So, I'm not sure I could agree with your assertion in the opening paragraph
| about "developer-pushed, short-sighted..."
| 
|
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