I like both Bob Greene and John Dickinson, but I am happy with the City's decision. It was fair.<br> <br> -DJA<br> <br> <br> Stolen from Dale's Blog, that was stolen from the Daily<br> <br> As reported in today's edition of the <em>Moscow-Pullman Daily News</em>: <blockquote> <div><strong>Bob Greene vented his frustration Monday night when a much anticipated law regarding school facilities in Moscow was approved by the City Council without an out-of-zone parking requirement for educational institutions downtown.</strong> </div> <div><strong>“What a travesty,” he said as he walked out of the council chambers following the document’s approval.</strong> Greene has long argued parking is needed for businesses downtown to help boost economy throughout the yearlong discussion on revisions to the zoning code regarding schools in nonresidential zones. </div><div><strong>Councilman John Dickinson made an attempt to return the out-of-zone parking requirement into the !
code
Monday. That failed, as did his attempt to continue discussion on the issue. He asked the council to reconsider its decision about an hour and a half after the document was approved.</strong> </div><div>A number of points brought up in previous public hearings, including questions regarding when the comprehensive plan or zoning code revisions should be made were not discussed within the council, he argued. </div><div>There were times when debate was cut off, he said. </div><div><strong>Dickinson stood alone on the council. </strong> </div><div><strong>Council members had every opportunity to raise issues, said Councilwoman Linda Pall. </strong> </div><div><strong>“This is something we’ve been working on for a long time and I think we have a responsibility to see it through,” said Councilwoman Peg Hamlett. </strong> </div><div>If the discussion had continued through the next council meeting in January, the issue would have been inherited by the newly elected !
council.
</div><div><strong>“My preference would be to bring some closure to this,” Councilman Jon Kimberling said during the Monday discussion.</strong> </div><div>A complaint about New Saint Andrews College operating in the downtown district spurred the debate over a zoning code revision one year ago. Subsequent questions were raised and complaints filed against Paradise Creek Regional High School, Atlas School and Moscow High School. </div><div><strong>The new law will require New Saint Andrews to apply for a conditional-use permit.</strong> </div><div>Roy Atwood, president of NSA, is grateful for conclusion. He hopes it will end divisiveness in the community exacerbated by the zoning issue. </div><div><strong>The college will work with the city through the conditional-use permit process, but it will reserve the right to appeal in district court, Atwood said. The educational institution would prefer to be allowed by right rather than need the CUP process.</strong>
</div><div><strong>The zoning complaints led the City Council to ask the Planning and Zoning Commission to revise the city’s zoning code.</strong> </div><div>The regulations were sent back and forth from the City Council to P&Z, which held its own public hearing in November. The council’s public hearing on the document was Dec. 5. </div><div><strong>The new law regarding schools in nonresidential zones was designed by P&Z with special attention given to parking requirements and use. </strong> </div><div><strong>It requires schools, commercial schools and educational institutions to apply for a conditional-use permit in most nonresidential zones.</strong> </div><div><strong>All school facilities are permitted with a conditional-use permit to operate in the neighborhood business, general business and motor business zoning districts. Commercial schools and educational institutions may be conditionally permitted in the central business zoning district. On!
ly
commercial schools may be conditionally permitted in the research, technology and office zoning district. </strong> </div><div>It was decided <strong>parking would be discussed later. </strong> </div><div><strong>“I think that should be looked at by the new council as a separate issue,” Hamlett said. She hopes a study will be completed so everyone understands what is causing parking concerns. </strong> </div><div><strong>“It was discriminatory the way it was proposed,” Atwood said</strong></div></blockquote> <div> </div> <div class="postfoot"> </div> <!-- <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:trackback="http://madskills.com/public/xml/rss/module/trackback/"> <rdf:Description rdf:about="http://right-mind.us/blogs/blog_0/archive/2005/12/20/39833.aspx"
dc:identifier="http://right-mind.us/blogs/blog_0/archive/2005/12/20/39833.aspx" dc:title="Downtown Zoning Law Approved; A Year Of Official Debate Ends; Parking Requirement Not Part Of Decision Concerning Schools" trackback:ping="http://right-mind.us/blogs/trackback.aspx?PostID=39833" /> </rdf:RDF> --> <div id="footer"><div class="txt4" align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.communityserver.org/"><br> </a></div> </div> <p>__________________________________________________<br>Do You Yahoo!?<br>Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around <br>http://mail.yahoo.com