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<P>Bill London has speculated on the motives of the individuals who recently
filed a complaint against the Moscow Food Co-op for violating Moscow's zoning
code. He said nothing about the merits of the request. No one attempted to
judge the motives of the Co-op's agents who bypass city code as they attempt
to occupy the old Garts building in downtown Moscow, because while the reason
they are violating the ordinance is irrelevant, that they are indeed violating
the ordinance is **not**. </P>
<P>The Comprehensive Plan says that the success of the Central Business
District can be attributed to "compactness." Indeed, the compactness and
"variety of businesses" in downtown, as opposed to one-stop shopping under
one-roof, encourage people to make the trip, rather than to a large
supermarket or shopping mall in the Motor Business District. </P>
<P>According to the Comprehensive Plan, reduction in auto movement is
absolutely necessary for the continued viability of the Central Business
District (CBD). There is already considerable auto movement, and "this traffic
represents a danger to shoppers crossing Main Street within the downtown
area." As the focus for the CBD is pedestrian-orientation, any business that
locates downtown should not significantly attract additional motor traffic.
</P>
<P>Moscow's Zoning Code defines different types of retail establishments:
those "dispensing food or commodities including on-premise sales, sales
requiring delivery of goods, and drive-up facilities such as shopping centers
and malls, **grocery stores**, gasoline service stations" MCC 4.3.7.B(1).
Grocery stores have been defined differently from other retail establishments
due to their nature as a drive-up facility--where a vehicle is required for
most people in order to transport back to home their weekly shopping. </P>
<P>Perhaps Moscow's city planners understood the dynamics of retail
growth--that what once was a corner Green Grocer yesterday, will be the new
full-service supermarket tomorrow, complete with deli, bakery, and all the
other components for convenient one-stop shopping. That is why they expressly
forbid the establishment of grocery stores in the CBD. MCC 3.3.5.B. Grocery
stores are distinctly defined in the Code, and those uses which are not
expressly permitted, are therefore prohibited. </P>
<P>To preserve the downtown core, it makes sense to prohibit grocery stores
and other drive-up facilities that are much better suited for the Motor
Business District. The increased vehicular traffic poses an inherent risk to
pedestrians. Moscow's downtown core is best served by a wide array and
collection of small shops and business that lend themselves to a "boutique"
atmosphere. When considered together these enhance the pedestrian foot traffic
throughout the CBD. One-stop shopping and supermarkets would not only take
away from this atmosphere by discouraging pedestrian traffic within the
downtown core, but by also directly competing with a host of existing downtown
businesses. It's simple economic logic. </P>
<P>One permitted use that might be incompatible with downtown zoning
objectives should not suggest expanding those incompatible uses. Rather, it
suggests the City should consider restricting the expansion of all other
potentially incompatible uses. Regardless of other future changes, we are
confident that if the City Council wants Moscow's primary pedestrian, open-air
mall opened to uses currently inconsistent with the intended use of the
Downtown area, such as a grocery store, then they will follow due process by
amending the Comprehensive Plan and the Zoning Code, both of which would
require extensive public hearings, impact-analysis reports, traffic
analysis--foot, and especially auto and parking, and a discussion of the
cultural effects on the community. Nevertheless, until the Co-op complies with
the current zoning ordinance, the law clearly states that their activities are
illegal and must be discontinued. </P>
<P>I am surprised by the Co-op's apparent unwillingness to **voluntarily**
relocate to the Motor Business District in Moscow where they can operate
legally. The Co-op is valued by a number of Moscow citizens, and in answer to
the question of whether I want the Co-op in Moscow, a resounding: Yes, But Not
Downtown!</P></BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><SPAN class=423520515-21052005><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dedicated to Mike
Curley, <FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>who recently wrote an op-ed entitled
<EM>NSA: Yes, But Not Downtown</EM>.</FONT></P>
<P>Written by <A
href="http://right-mind.us/archive/2005/05/18/3949.aspx#3961">Don#2</A>. <A
href="http://right-mind.us/archive/2005/05/20/4055.aspx">http://right-mind.us/archive/2005/05/20/4055.aspx</A></FONT></SPAN></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>