<DIV>Mr, London makes the following arguments against a new shopping center on the edge of town:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"If the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1200215836_1 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Moscow</SPAN> council ships utilities across the state line to enable this strip mall, <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1200215836_2 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Moscow</SPAN> will face a series of problems, including:</DIV> <DIV>--depletion of the aquifer that supplies this town with most of its water</DIV> <DIV>--massive sprawl that will further uglify the Palouse and ravage existing downtown vitality</DIV> <DIV>--bankruptcy of <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1200215836_3 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Moscow</SPAN> businesses unable to compete with this new shopping mall </DIV> <DIV>--continuing future upgrades of <SPAN
class=yshortcuts id=lw_1200215836_4 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Moscow</SPAN> infrastructure to cover the demands made by this extension of services, upgrades that will be paid for by <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1200215836_5 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Moscow</SPAN> taxpayers</DIV> <DIV>Is this what Moscow residents really want?"</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>As I understand it, Mr. London strongly supported the expansion of the Co-Op, not once, but twice to larger buildings that further deplete the town's water aquifers, increased sprawl of other businesses to the outside of town, created more competition with other businesses in the area, and forcing future upgrades of Moscow's infrastructure to be paid for by Moscow taxpayers. So I would argue what is good for goose must also be for the gander. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"Is this what Moscow wants?" I bet it is. If it isn't, then we will have a vacant
building on the edge of town. I willing to venture out on a limb, and say those that putting millions into a building of new shopping center aren't doing it on a guess, but in fact put as much research into it as Mr. London did for the expansions of his Co-Op grocery store. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I think it would be a significant advantage to have a mall on the western edge of Moscow accepts and competes with the big chain only stores in the Palouse Empire Mall that prohibits local businesses from leasing there. I also think it would allow other chains in Spokane to locate here, and provide jobs to local students and residents, increasing wages and competition for quality laborers rather than providing them to people in Spokane. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Donovan</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><BR><BR><B><I>Bill London <london@moscow.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE
class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16587" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <DIV minmax_bound="true">Won't it be grand? The Moscow-Pullman Highway turned into one long strip mall.....</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">And you can read in today's Lewiston Tribune (below) that the first big step in that direction will likely soon be taken. The new Moscow City Council is under pressure to sell use of Moscow utilities (like sewage and water, and possibly police/fire protection) to the planned Hawkins shopping center located in Washington state on the Moscow-Pullman Highway. The new council members (pragmatic politicians that they are) seem to be willing to ignore the real issues and fall for a cheap payoff.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">If the Moscow council ships utilities across the state line to enable this strip mall,
Moscow will face a series of problems, including:</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">--depletion of the aquifer that supplies this town with most of its water</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">--massive sprawl that will further uglify the Palouse and ravage existing downtown vitality</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">--bankruptcy of Moscow businesses unable to compete with this new shopping mall </DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">--continuing future upgrades of Moscow infrastructure to cover the demands made by this extension of services, upgrades that will be paid for by Moscow taxpayers</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">Is this what Moscow residents really want?</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">BL</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true"> </DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">----------------------------------------- </DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">LEWISTON TRIBUNE</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">Council shift changes outlook for proposed Hawkins
development</DIV> <DIV class=byline minmax_bound="true">By David Johnson </DIV> <DIV class=date minmax_bound="true">Saturday, January 12, 2008</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true"><BR minmax_bound="true">MOSCOW - Politics here may have shifted enough after the November election to trigger talks about the city providing water and sewer services across the state line for the proposed Hawkins Co. shopping center.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">A majority of Moscow city councilors, Whitman County commissioners and a spokesman for Hawkins told the Lewiston Tribune there's renewed potential for cooperation.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">This despite Moscow's continued legal challenge of Hawkins' attempts to secure water rights to drill its own wells for the 700,000-square-foot shopping mall.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">The situation comes as the first of two public comment meetings has been scheduled in Colfax on Monday. The county commissioners will take comments, beginning
at 1:30 p.m., regarding Hawkins' recent request for Whitman County to float revenue bonds of more than $10 million to help fund infrastructure (including water and sewer) for the development.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">A Whitman County pro-business citizens group, meanwhile, Friday endorsed the proposed bond issue and called on Moscow officials to drop their water rights appeal against Hawkins.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">"It's clear Moscow's appeals are not about water but about keeping out particular kinds of businesses," April Coggins, spokeswoman for Businesses and Residents for Economic Opportunity wrote in a news release. "That attitude was rejected by Moscow voters in November and it is our hope that the new Moscow city council will see things differently and seek to cooperate with their neighbors."</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">Moscow's waterlines extend right up to the Hawkins property, and the sewage treatment plant is located nearby.</DIV> <DIV
minmax_bound="true">"Hawkins is always open to talking to the city of Moscow," said Jeff De Voe, project manager for the proposed shopping center. He declined further comment because of the pending legal appeal.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">It remains unclear how much money Moscow might make (through fees) or Hawkins might save if the two entities can reach an agreement about water and sewer services. But City Attorney Randy Fife and Public Works Director Les McDonald confirmed that a hookup of services is both legal and technically possible.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">Whitman County Commissioners Jerry Finch and Greg Partch, who continue to champion the Hawkins project as the beginning of retail development between here and Pullman, said it's time for Moscow to either join ranks or get out of the way.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">"Moscow didn't say no, they said hell no," Finch said about the city's refusal to cooperate with development of the mall. "Before the
election, it's pretty obvious the door had been slammed."</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">Three new Moscow councilors were elected in November and appear to have become part of a five-member, pro-business majority. The three, Walter Steed, Dan Carscallen and Wayne Krauss, along with council President Bill Lambert, all said they are willing to talk with Hawkins and Whitman County officials about water and sewer services. Councilor John Weber couldn't be reached for comment, but indicated in the past he favors cooperation.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">Only Councilor Tom Lamar, who has gone on record opposing retail development in the corridor, balked at renewed talks. "I think the best way for Hawkins to tap into our sewer and water is to locate in Moscow," Lamar said.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney, who's been accused of spearheading efforts to thwart the Hawkins project, said her intentions are rooted in environmental and groundwater concerns.
That was confirmed by McDonald. "The mayor's driving concern," he said, "is the water resource that the whole region relies upon.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">"Moscow has always been open to talking," said Chaney, adding that the table for such discussion has already been set through the water rights appeal. She said the city has proposed mediation as a means of settling the issue.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">But Partch said talks, if they happen, shouldn't happen in a legal arena. Withdrawal of the appeal, he said, would be the best way for Moscow to show good faith. "That would be a huge gesture on their part," he said, "and we would certainly like to work with them."</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">The water rights appeal hearings are scheduled to begin in March.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">"You can't build without water," Finch said, adding that many people think Chaney is simply using the water issue as the only legal lever available to stop retail
development in the corridor. "She's the one who seems to be dead set against it."</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">A shopping center, said Finch and Partch, is not necessarily a big water consumer. But it would surely be a big revenue producer for the county.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">According to county records, the undeveloped Hawkins acreage, which abuts the Moscow city limits and the Washington-Idaho state line, currently generates about $1,400 in annual tax revenue. If the mall is developed to full capacity, it could produce nearly $1.8 million in annual property and sales taxes for the county, De Voe told the commissioners when making his pitch for the $10 million in infrastructure bonds.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">While Moscow couldn't directly tap into those tax dollars, councilors here said the city might be able to negotiate a fee for water and sewer services that translates into a profit.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">"If it's going to happen and we
can sell them something," Lambert said, "why not?"</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">"I'm very anxious to get together with entities across the border," said Krauss.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">"I would be interested in talking about the possibility of extending services to Hawkins," Steed said.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">"I think that I would," Carscallen said about talking. Whether Hawkins connects to Moscow or drills its own wells, he said, doesn't seem to make a lot of difference. "They're going to get it out of the same tub we're getting ours."</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">Researchers have said the underground aquifers on the Palouse have been steadily dropping. But, lacking data about just how much water is available, the same scientists have said a water management challenge is at hand, not a crisis.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">Finch suggested its up to Moscow officials, since they've filed the appeal against Hawkins, to propose new talks. "If they
send us a letter, I would find it more receptive," he said.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">But Lambert said the catalyst for talks might have to come from elsewhere. "I don't see why it would hurt for these people to approach us. Somebody has to generate it, but it wouldn't be something generated by the council, per se."</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">Moscow City Supervisor Gary Riedner said the city might reach out. "I will do what we can to facilitate it at the mayor's direction."</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">"I know lots of people are talking about talking," Fife said.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">De Voe, meanwhile, told Whitman County officials that his company wants to begin construction this summer. As proposed, the shopping complex would be anchored by a Lowe's home improvement center.</DIV> <DIV minmax_bound="true">---</DIV></FONT></DIV>=======================================================<BR>List services made available by First Step Internet,
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