[Vision2020] Dispel the anti-growth myth

[g. crabtree]

The problem with Ms. Sullivan's letter is its backhanded attempt to give 
credit to the incumbent candidate's for the emergence of all these "new 
businesses." In practically all of the cases cited the city had no say in 
whether the establishment opened its doors or not. The locations were 
properly zoned and no variance was required nor any change made to the 
comprehensive plan. The only exceptions to this might be Nectar and San 
Miguel's as the city would have had to approve their beer and wine license. 
In all the other cases since the city was not asked to make any 
accommodation for the new enterprise they effectively had no say in whether 
they opened their doors or not. We are fortunate in that a person does not 
have to go and genuflect before city government and obtain a blessing to 
start a perfectly legal biz in a properly zoned commercial space, at least 
for now.

I believe that in the majority of the instances where entrepreneurs did need 
to go before the council and our illustrious mayor to obtain some sort of 
dispensation they were roundly turned down.

To say Moscow is anti-growth is almost certainly incorrect but to say that 
the MCA endorsed incumbent candidates are anti-growth is to strike much 
closer to the mark. Support for Dan Carscallen, Walter Steed, and Wayne 
Krauss will go along way toward improving our business climate as well as 
peoples negative perceptions.

g
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "April Fingerlos" <aprilf at fingerlos.net>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 8:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Dispel the anti-growth myth


>A perspective from Lurkerville...
>
> The only problem with Brandy's interesting list is that nearly every one 
> of them is a replacement business, not a new one. That's not 
> growth--that's maintenance. Don't forget Winger's doubled in size by 
> reworking the old Bonanza building, and Tucci's took their old building. 
> But, again, both are replacement businesses, not new ones. VJ's BBQ and 
> Loco Grindz are more replacement business. Fastenal moved into a bigger 
> building, and Animal House slowly moved into their old building (returning 
> the building to a pet business). The Inland Blood Center is yet another 
> replacement business, as is the list-beloved Moscow Food Co-Op. I'm 
> admittedly not one that puts the magnifying glass to the council's meeting 
> agendas, but offhand, I don't know that the city council had much 
> influence on any of these, nor any of the additional replacements Brandy 
> lists.
>
> What about totally new construction for a totally new business to Moscow? 
> PAWS is one I can think of right off--it was neat to see an Arxx building 
> go up from bare ground. The small malls (Rodeo Mall and Village Center) 
> are businesses in their own respect, but at the same time, aren't really 
> in this context. It's kind of like calling a condo complex a business--it 
> sort of is, but I'm referring primarily to general public-interacting 
> businesses in this context.
>
> If that's all the real growth there has been, I can see the support for 
> the anti-growth perception.
>
> As for future replacement predictions, I already miss Stookey's for my 
> show gelding's Purina Strategy supply, but I would guess that the building 
> will be leveled and replaced by a recycling center expansion. And, of 
> course, there's the URA ground, but who knows what will ultimately wind up 
> there.
>
> April
>
> April Fingerlos
> Moscow, ID
>
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