[Vision2020] Living on the Border

Wed Mar 15 15:42:22 PST 2006

Ms. Opyr, Would you please provide some example of how you, Mayor Chaney, and your band of economic stalwarts on the council would bring about the "targeting of development to support existing business while growing new opportunities."  Just a brief sketch or outline would be terrific, or is this just a different flavor of the"buy local" panacea.  We don't need no stinking growth, just "buy local." We don't need any of those newfangled businesses, just "buy local." By golly, if ya say it often enough it almost sounds like you've got a plan.

G. Crabtree
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Joan Opyr 
  To: Area Man 
  Cc: aaronament at moscow.com ; jweber at ci.moscow.id.us ; 'Nancy Chaney' ; 'John Dickinson' ; blambert at ci.moscow.id.us ; vision2020 at moscow.com ; lpall at moscow.com ; bstout at ci.moscow.id.us 
  Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 11:13 AM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Living on the Border

  On 15 Mar 2006, at 10:20, Area Man wrote:

    Vision people (and illustrious City people),

    After reading the articles in last night's Daily News (March 14) and this morning's Lewiston Trib (March 15), it got me thinking (dangerous prospect, I know).

    There was some talk about how there is the "physical" (but not necessarily "legal" or "desirable") ability to connect water and sewer to the proposed shopping center across the border (http://www.hawkinscompanies.com/fliers/WA_Pullman_Hwy270_AirportRd_F.pdf -- for those who haven't seen it), and also talk of how allowing such a hookup would be a "momentous decision."  There are questions as to whether the city of Moscow can even collect fees for allowing such a hookup.

    I wonder how other places do it.  The first place that popped into my head was Kansas City Missouri/Kansas, which obviously straddles the border between those two states.  Then I started thinking about places in Idaho, and two jump out at me:  Oldtown ID/Newport WA up North, and Fruitland ID/Ontario OR to the South.  Lewiston/Clarkston would be a good example as well, but I don't believe there is much sharing of infrastructure due to the geographic seperation by the Snake River.

    Anyhow, these are probably only a miniscule few of such communities.  I think the City of Moscow should look at how things are done in such cases to help guide them in making this work the best for everyone, especially for Moscow.  I hate to say it, but I think this development across the border is inevitable, due to the Whitman County Commission's recent turn toward retail development in the county.  None of us have to like it, but wouldn't it behoove the City of Moscow to do all they can to make it benefit us as much as possible over here on the east side of the border? 

    Starting to hear a sucking sound from the west . . .

    Dan Carscallen

  Just a question -- can we (Moscow) supply water and sewer services to Pullman without upgrading our systems to meet Washington standards? Don't know where I heard this (perhaps it came to me in a dream), but I believe that our neighboring state has more stringent requirements for such things than laissez-faire Idaho. Are we up to snuff? And, if not, what would it take to get us there, and would it, in the end, be worth?

  Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
  www.joanopyr.com

  PS: On a related note, I'm really puzzled by the Daily News and the Lewiston Tribune's coordinated and concerted effort to portray the new Moscow City Council as anti-growth. Rubbish! What we have in place now is a majority of pro-business, smart growth liberals; they have no interest in stifling the economy. Far from it. Our present city council is more far-sighted than its predecessor, and consequently recognizes that not all development is good. It's best to target development to support existing business while growing new opportunities. This is a new economy council, not an old boys network, thank God. I'm looking forward to what Mayor Chaney and the council will accomplish in the next few years. Just for a start, we, the citizens, are talking to one another about exactly what kind of Moscow we want rather than sitting on our complacent backsides and allowing city development to be dictated by the wants and (monetary) needs of real estate agents and developers.

  BTW, Tom and Virginia Henderson -- of the Trib and the Daily News, respectively -- need to get out more. Tell you what, let's have a few of us pro-business liberals (yes, I am one) offer to meet them on Turkey Tuesday at Moscow's Subway. I'll treat them to buy-one-get-one-free foot longs with the works. While they're chewing, they won't be writing. It'll be a lovely chance for them to be quiet and listen.

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