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--></style><title>Re: [Vision2020] Objections to Big-Box Stores Under
Review</title></head><body>
<div>For those who may be curious as to the content of my comments,
see below.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Mark</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><tt><font size="-2" color="#000000">Mark Bordsen<br>
Whitman County Planner<br>
Colfax, WA<br>
<br>
December 28, 2006<br>
<br>
Please accept the following as my comments on the Hawkins Companies
Mitigated DNS:<br>
<br>
I strongly support the M-DNS determination that no building permit(s)
will be issued until water rights have been secured and approved by
the WA DOE. However, I urge inclusion of the specific amount of water
necessary as included in the application - 40 acre feet per year -
with the provision (as also included in the application) that none of
that water will be utilized for landscape irrigation.<br>
<br>
Leaving aside the issue of whether Whitman County's M-DNS or WA DOE
must make a determination that pumping groundwater from the underlying
aquifers at the proposed site would or would not have a deleterious
effect on the environment, the existing pumping burden on the aquifers
has been clearly demonstrated to be unsustainable. (PBAC 2005 Annual
report) As such, appropriate mitigation of this development must
include utilizing groundwater for only the highest and best beneficial
uses on site. Watering outdoor landscaping does not rise to that
level.<br>
<br>
<br>
Sincerely,<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Mark Solomon<br>
PO Box 8145</font></tt></div>
<div><tt><font size="-2" color="#000000">Moscow, ID
83843</font></tt><br>
<tt><font size="-2" color="#000000"></font></tt></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>At 8:28 AM -0800 1/6/07, Tom Hansen wrote:</div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Rom today's (January 6, 2007) Lewiston
Tribune with thanks to David Johnson<br>
of the Lewiston Tribune and Moscow mayor Nancy Chaney -<br>
<br>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<br
>
<br>
Objections to big-box stores under review<br>
<br>
By DAVID JOHNSON<br>
of the Tribune<br>
Whitman County Planner Mark Bordsen said Friday that he may complete
by next<br>
week his review of comments, including those of Moscow Mayor Nancy
Chaney,<br>
regarding proposed development of a shopping center on the eastern
edge of<br>
the Moscow-Pullman corridor.<br>
<br>
The comments, offered in separate letters by Chaney and Latah
County<br>
resident Mark Solomon, raise concerns about Bordsen's earlier decision
that<br>
impacts from the development would not be significant.<br>
<br>
Among other things, Chaney wrote that "several issues of concern
to the city<br>
of Moscow have not been adequately addressed." She listed water
use,<br>
groundwater protection, traffic congestion, air quality and the
availability<br>
of emergency services.<br>
<br>
Chaney and other Moscow officials have been criticized by people who
say<br>
they're trying to stand in the way of the development when they should
be<br>
tapping into the potential economic boom.<br>
<br>
Bordsen said Friday that he's giving all comments serious
consideration. "I<br>
want to be careful and make sure," he said of a pending decision.
If Bordsen<br>
stands by his original mitigated determination of nonsignificance,
the<br>
Hawkins Companies development proposal would go to the county's Board
of<br>
Adjustment for a conditional-use public hearing.<br>
<br>
If his affirmation is appealed, both the appeal and the
conditional-use<br>
hearing would be before the board at the same time, Bordsen said.<br>
<br>
The Hawkins proposal calls for a shopping center of more than 600,000
square<br>
feet of retail store space on 110 acres. A Lowe's home improvement
center<br>
and other potential big-box stores could be located at the site that
abuts<br>
Moscow's western edge at the state line.<br>
<br>
Last spring, Moscow officials voiced similar concerns in an appeal to
the<br>
Whitman County commissioners. But Bordsen said Hawkins withdrew its
original<br>
request after the county's appeal process was found to be at odds with
state<br>
law. The Board of Adjustment, not the commission, is the proper place
for<br>
appeals to be heard, Bordsen said.<br>
<br>
"Urban developments require urban services such as water
provision,<br>
wastewater treatment, public street maintenance, sanitation services,
snow<br>
removal and police, fire and emergency medical services," Chaney
wrote, "few<br>
of which are readily available to the proposed development."<br>
<br>
At one point, there was talk of the potential for Moscow to provide
water</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>across the state line for the
development. But it now appears that a well is<br>
proposed for the development. "The city of Moscow is concerned
with this<br>
proposed well location," Chaney wrote, "due to its
proximity" to a planned<br>
new Moscow well.<br>
<br>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<br
>
<br>
Seeya round town, Moscow.<br>
<br>
Tom Hansen<br>
Moscow, Idaho<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
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