<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1479" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>When New St. Andrews college moved into downtown
Moscow two years ago, that use of downtown space was a violation of the city
zoning ordinance. In the city code for the zoning of the central business
area, schools are not a permitted use. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"Commercial schools" like Leon's hairdresser school
are permitted, but educational institutions are not permitted. You can
read the code (see section 3.5) at:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="http://www.ci.moscow.id.us/citycode/TITLE04/chapter3.pdf">http://www.ci.moscow.id.us/citycode/TITLE04/chapter3.pdf</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Daily News (Saturday, 1/22/05, page 3A)
included an article (see below) about 3 residents who filed a complaint with the
city about this mistake.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Coupled with the NSA/Christ Church property tax
scam, this seems to show a pattern:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1. incompetent legal advice to NSA/Christ Church
leadership -- or -- a knowing violation of the law by the NSA/Christ Church
officials</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2. public-minded citizens forced to take their own
time and resources to force the NSA/Christ Church to follow the law</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>3. lack of oversight by city and county staff
as well as Moscow City Council and Latah County officials.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>BL</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>----</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Daily News, January 22, 2005
<H2>Complaint alleges New St. Andrews not permitted downtown by city
code</H2><BR>
<ADDRESS>Alexis Bacharach</ADDRESS><BR>A complaint was filed with the city of
Moscow on Friday requesting operations at New St. Andrews College be
discontinued in the downtown business district.
<P>Attorney Mike Curley, who represents plaintiffs Joseph Hansen, Dustin Bauer
and Charles Nolan, said Moscow code prohibits public and private colleges in the
central business zone. The private Christian college purchased the former
Verizon building in 2002 and moved into the facility in 2003. It is located at
405 S. Main St., on Friendship Square.
<P>"I suppose some people realized the operation of a college in the central
business district was illegal and they wanted to stop it," Curley said about his
clients' motivations in filing the complaint. "
<P>I expect the zoning administrator, as requested in the complaint, will
investigate and take some action."
<P>Greg Dickison, attorney for New St. Andrews, said the complaint is baseless.
<P>"The college is not doing anything illegal," he said. "The college has been
in touch with the city since it opened up there. To say we're violating the
zoning code is absolutely silly."
<P>Hansen, a former student at New St. Andrews, said he has nothing against the
school but believes its use is prohibited downtown.
<P>"I want (New St. Andrews) to stay in Moscow. I was a student there for two
years, and I like (New St. Andrews) very much," he said. "It's just not supposed
be in the central business zone."
<P>Moscow Community Development Director and Zoning Administrator Joel Plaskon
confirmed he received the complaint on Friday, but refused to comment further
<P>Curley provided the Daily News a copy of the complaint, signed by Hansen,
Bauer and Nolan.
<P>"New Saint Andrews College is expressly prohibited from conducting business
at its current location in downtown Moscow," the complaint reads. "
<P>We respectfully request that, as provided by Moscow City Code, you prevent
and restrain the continued illegal use of their building."
<P>According to Moscow City Code, central business zones are supposed to provide
a 'location for groups of compatible commercial uses ..."
<P>Permitted uses in the central business district include trade schools,
churches, museums, libraries, police and fire stations and other public and
private institutions.
<P>"New Saint Andrews College (NSA) is a private college defined as 'an
educational institution' in Moscow City Code ...Educational institutions are not
allowed in the Central Business District under any circumstances,"
<P>the complaint cites from Moscow City Code. "Therefore, NSA operates a
prohibited illegal business at its current location."
<P>Dickison is not sure what the next step will be for New St. Andrews.
<P>
<P>"We're exploring our options and we'll see what the proper response is," he
said.
<P>
<P>* Staff writer Megan Doyle contributed to this story.
<P>
<P><B>Alexis Bacharach</B> can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 234, or by
e-mail at abacharach@dnews.com.
<P>
<P><B>Megan Doyle</B> can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 237, or by e-mail
at mdoyle@dnews.com. </FONT></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>