Who's Anti-Business? (was RE: [Vision2020] Understanding Alturas)
Mark Solomon
msolomon at moscow.com
Mon Mar 20 19:44:39 PST 2006
Right on, Kit!
I've been arguing with the city for decades
(literally) that their actions to rezone land in
the core of Moscow from Industrial/Light
Industrial to Motor Business or some type of
residential was acting against the economic
health of the city. Some of you may remember the
huge sign I painted on the side of my
blacksmith/welding shop at the corner of Main St
and Sweet Avenue the night after the council
rezoned the industrial lands along north Almon
(past Rosauer's) and the Moscow-Pullman Hiway
(the site of Adelphia):
"Moscow Industrial Ghetto". Said it all to me.
Then the UI bought all the industrial land along
Sweet Avenue, the DOT bulldozed the ghetto, etc...
Mark Solomon
At 2:20 PM -0800 3/19/06, Craine Kit wrote:
>The "problem" with Potting Shed Creations
>relocating in Moscow was a lack of parking for
>their employees. Although the Latah
>Distributer's building was advertised as having
>ten onsite places, in reality those only
>existed if the loading docks were blocked.
>
>The "solution" was to have the City vacate a the
>West end of West Morton--something that would
>have provided (if I recall correctly) parking
>for 17 employees. In return, the neighboring
>business would have lost the public
>right-of-way needed so that trucks delivering to
>their premisis could turn around, then back into
>their loading dock. The City would also have
>lost any future opportunity to connect Morton
>to North Almon. To top that off, it would have
>been giving away public rights to
>$50,000-$60,000 of real property.
>
>The real problem is that Moscow does not have
>enough Industrial zoned land to accommodate
>this type of wealth-producing business. The best
>place Potting Sheds Creations could find in
>Moscow was an old beer distributer at the
>bottom of a steep hill on a dead-end street
>which did not have adequate parking. Perhaps
>that's one of the reasons Moscow is seen as
>"anti-business". The lack of appropriated zoned
>land and rezoning on demand--if you can afford
>the time an money--are things that have been
>going on for years.
>
>Perhaps the need for industrial space should be
>addressed in the upcoming revision of the
>comprehensive plan.
>
>Kit Craine
>
>On Mar 18, 2006, at 3:03 PM, Saundra Lund wrote:
>
>>I'd like to thank Robin Woods, LEDC President for bringing up the following:
>>"The LEDC assists businesses in all of Latah County. A huge success story
>>is Potting Shed Creations, LTD., in Troy. It moved to Troy in 2004 with 12
>>jobs. It now employs over 40 and has recently broken into European
>>markets."
>>
>>I'm hoping someone with a better memory or more information than mine will
>>help out.
>>
>>As I recall, Potting Shed Creations was interested in moving to Moscow. How
>>did this wonderful & thriving *local* business wind up moving from Pullman
>>to Troy instead of to Moscow? It seems to me there was some kind of zoning
>>problem, but all I can find on the City Web site is:
>>http://www.ci.moscow.id.us/cityclerk/council/2003/Council% 2010-20-03.pdf
>>
>>I guess I'm bringing this up because there have been a few shrill
>>accusations that the current City Council is anti-business, yet Moscow's
>>most unfortunate loss of Potting Shed Creations happened under the previous
>>council. For those of you so quick to accuse the current Council (seated
>>for all of less than three months!) of being anti-business, is that a label
>>you think applies to the previous Council? If so, where were your
>>criticisms then?
>>
>>
>>Saundra Lund
>>Moscow, ID
>>
>>The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
>>nothing.
>>- Edmund Burke
>>
>>***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2005, Saundra Lund.
>>Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the Vision 2020 forum
>>without the express written permission of the author.*****
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020- bounces at moscow.com]
>>On Behalf Of Robin Woods
>>Sent: Saturday, March 18, 2006 2:14 PM
>>To: Vision2020 Moscow; Joan Opyr
>>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Understanding Alturas
>>
>>Visionaries,
>>
>>
>>
>>Thanks for all of the recent discussion regarding Alturas Technology Park
>>and the businesses located there. Allow me to weigh in with my perspective
>>on a few of the discussion items:
>>
>>
>>
>>The Latah Economic Development Council is in the process of surveying
>>Alturas Park tenants and will be putting together an economic impact study
>>of Alturas Park and presenting it at an upcoming public economic forum.
>>Just off the top of my head, I think Joan's numbers of about 70+ jobs at an
>>average annual salary of $55,000 is pretty close.
>>
>>
>>
>>Alturas Technology Park is zoned RTO (Research Technology Office) which
>>allows for a limited number of supporting businesses such as an attorney,
>>accountant, or day care to be located within Alturas. The zoning will not
>>allow multiple businesses of the same type to locate within the Park.
>>
>>
>>
>>Part of our mission at the LEDC is to recruit and retain technology and
>>commercial businesses that pay living wages and compliment the quality of
>>life in Latah County. For example, one area the LEDC focuses on is
>>technology transfer out of the University of Idaho. Our idea is to assist
>>start-up businesses in the U-I Incubator, help them grow for 3-5 years until
>>the businesses are strong and able to move out and hopefully locate in
>>Moscow -- possibly to Alturas Technology Park.
>>
>>
>>
>>For the retail side of things, the Moscow Chamber has been working hard
>>recruiting and retaining those types of businesses to Moscow. The LEDC and
>>Moscow Chamber work together in some areas such as marketing and
>>advertising, and actively support each other.
>>
>>
>>
>>The LEDC assists businesses in all of Latah County. A huge success story is
>>Potting Shed Creations, LTD., in Troy. It moved to Troy in 2004 with 12
>>jobs. It now employs over 40 and has recently broken into European markets.
>>
>>Other successes are Alpine Trailer Manufacturing in Deary and Kendrick Ag &
>>Supply in Kendrick.
>>
>>
>>
>>The LEDC began in 1987. We have limited resources and only one full time
>>employee - our executive director, Margaret Howlett. We have no funds to
>>pay incentives to recruit and retain businesses like neighboring states, but
>>still have many success stories and work continually with many partners to
>>bring living wage jobs and quality of life to our communities.
>>
>>
>>
>>Robin Woods
>>
>>President
>>
>>Latah Economic Development Council
>>
>>121 Sweet Avenue
>>
>>Moscow ID 83843
>>
>>208-885-3883
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Joan Opyr" <joanopyr at moscow.com>
>>To: "Vision2020 Moscow" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>>Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 4:59 PM
>>Subject: [Vision2020] Understanding Alturas
>>
>>>>>---- "g. crabtree" <jampot at adelphia.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>=============
>>>>>It looks like Mr. Hansen would have us believe that the answer to all
>>>>>of this communities problems is to expand Alturas. As is, the park is
>>>>>as much a home for lawyers and child care centers as it is a home to
>>>>>high tech companies. I seriously doubt that expanding it to the size
>>>>>of the proposed super center will result in any significant gains and
>>>>>to put my money where my mouth is, Tom, I'll bet you $100.00 that
>>>>>after five years the park will not have filled it's current expansion
>>>>>with "high tech" businesses much less be in need of additional space.
>>>>>wa da ya say? I'd love to lose this bet almost as much as I'd love to
>>>>>take your cash.
>>>>>
>>>>>gc
>>>
>>>
>>>Alturas is home to one lawyer and one child care center. The child care
>>>center is not an independent entity but directly related to an existing
>>>Alturas business. It operates as a benefit to employees; it's a
>>>perquisite, an inducement, a means of employee retention, like vacation
>>>days or life insurance.
>>>
>>>I do hate to see people running down the technology park when they are not
>>
>>>in full possession of the facts, Gary. You want to talk about Alturas?
>>>Then get your shiny hiney out there and talk to someone like Robin Woods,
>>>President of Alturas Analytics and Anatek Labs, and also President of the
>>>Latah Economic Development Council. I'm sure she'd be happy to answer
>>>your questions, or you might talk to Comtech-AHA, or Siemens, or EMSI, or
>>>CC Benefits. Alturas will soon be home to another company that I hear has
>>
>>>made an offer on one of the new lots. What's more, I understand that
>>>there are about 72 jobs out there -- jobs that weren't there (or in
>>>Moscow, period) ten years ago. Has your business expanded that much in
>>>the past decade? What have you done lately to contribute to the growth of
>>
>>>Moscow's economy?
>>>
>>>To be fair, I must admit that I have not done my part to help The Lock
>>>Shop's business. Alas, I can't be locked out of my 1976 Chevy Suburban;
>>>it's so old, it starts without a key. I believe the ignition lock is
>>>stripped. And this is why I need a 1968 Mustang Fastback Church of Auntie
>>
>>>Establishment love gift. Please, dear parishoners, give generously. Give
>>
>>>often. Give money that's not even yours. I don't mind and, what's more,
>>>I offer you complete and utter absolution, no questions asked.
>>>Remember,
>>>if you're stealing in the name of religion, it's not really stealing.
>>>It's more like indefinite borrowing at zero interest.
>>>
>>>The Reverend Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
>>>www.joanopyr.com
>>>
>>>PS: I know; I'm way over my posting limit. Sorry about that. But it's
>>>okay -- I've forgiven me.
>>>
>>>_____________________________________________________
>>>List services made available by First Step Internet, serving the
>>>communities of the Palouse since 1994. http://www.fsr.net
>>>mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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>>>
>>
>>
>>_____________________________________________________
>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>> http://www.fsr.net
>> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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>>
>>
>>
>>_____________________________________________________
>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>> http://www.fsr.net
>> mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
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