DNews Series on Regional Growth
There are four articles in the weekend paper, the one with news is on the Hawkins development.
Growth’s great divide; Most Moscow residents have a vision for the city’s future; agreeing on that vision is where things get blurry
By Omie Drawhorn, Daily News staff writer
Published: 05-27-2006
Most people in Moscow would like to see the city blossom and thrive. They just disagree on how to make that happen.
The possible development of a Wal-Mart Supercenter in east Moscow has revealed significant divisions in the community. One side wants to see the community profit and expand with the addition of large-scale retail development. The other side clings to the Moscow they have grown to love and thinks the character of Moscow would be threatened by the addition of “big-box” stores.
The City Council rejected a rezone request that would have allowed the development of a super center to begin, but different views on development in Moscow persist.
Nils Peterson, a Moscow resident and member of the grassroots group No Super Wal-Mart, said a Moscow without additional large-scale retail is more in tune with his vision of the town.
“I would like to see the kind of development that produces a community with an interesting texture,” he said.
This includes small block sizes and a mixture of businesses and residential development in the same neighborhood, much like Gritman Medical Center and its offices.
Peterson said he would like to see “the integration of offices into neighborhoods as opposed to a section of town designated for a single kind of development.”
Mark Solomon, a member of No Super Wal-Mart, said he would like to see Moscow grow from its core. The city could do that through creative reuse of the land between downtown and the University of Idaho, preserving Moscow’s character.
Peterson said people from outlying areas come to shop in Moscow because it offers a different kind of shopping, dining and entertainment mix. A super center does not figure into the equation.
Former City Councilwoman JoAnn Mack said Moscow doesn’t have to sacrifice its livability in favor of sprawl or development.
“Moscow can have both, but in trying to get one, we aren’t going to get anything,” she said. “If Moscow doesn’t grow, you’re going to see it die.”
Keeping Moscow unique comes with a cost, she said, and people need to be able to strike a balance between growth and the character of the city.
“I don’t think Moscow will turn into Coeur d’Alene or Boise,” Mack said.
Her comments were echoed by local Realtor Bill Morscheck, who said he doesn’t believe large-scale development would negatively affect Moscow residents’ way of life.
“I don’t see where responsible economic development threatens the community,” he said.
Mack and Morscheck are active in the recently formed Greater Moscow Alliance, which announced plans to be active in community discussions on growth.
Bill Parks said the debate over growth provides an opportunity for people from all sides to come together. The owner of Northwest River Supplies doesn’t support a super center in east Moscow, but he would like to see more light industrial zoning that could draw more high-tech business and people to the area.
“This is a chance for those of us seen as anti-growth to support some development,” he said. “Moscow is in danger of getting a reputation for being anti-development.”
Development of high-tech businesses appeals to Dan Carscallen, who says he’d like to see more businesses that fit into the Alturas Technology Park along the Troy Highway.
“But part of drawing in those types of businesses is to increase the retail base,” said Carscallen, who also serves on the board of the Greater Moscow Alliance. That means bringing in large-scale retail development.
“I’m not a big fan of Wal-Mart, but I don’t think it will hurt the town,” he said.
He said most of the downtown businesses are so specialized a Wal-Mart Supercenter would not affect them.
Location, location, location
For many Moscow residents, the location of development also comes into play.
Solomon said the west side of town is a better location for large-scale retail development if Moscow is trying to attract Pullman shoppers.
Parks agreed and said building on the west side would draw people to existing businesses, making them less likely to go dark.
Moscow resident Joann Muneta said the west side of town is more equipped to handle the increased traffic large-scale retail development would generate.
She said east Moscow already has a traffic problem, and shifting Pullman traffic through town would only make it worse.
But Carscallen said the Troy Highway is capable of handling high volumes of traffic. In addition, if a development went in, the developer would have to pay to upgrade the surrounding roads.
Most of the city’s residential development is occurring on the east side, Mack said. Providing more services on that side of town means less traffic going through Moscow’s downtown.
Carscallen, who lives on the east side of town, said he would rather bike to a store nearby for errands than drive to the other side of Moscow.
It’s the water
Some say the declining Grande Ronde aquifer could deter large-scale development anywhere in town. A recent study indicated that retail development of the size proposed for east Moscow would increase water use in Moscow by about 7.6 percent, a violation of the 1 percent annual growth limit put in place by members of the Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee.
But Mack said nobody really knows what the water situation is.
“Motor business uses less water than residential areas,” she said. “We need to stop using it as a no-growth excuse.”
She maintained the issue is whether businesses will have a place to expand.
With 15 acres of land zoned for motor business spread throughout town, 60 acres annexed into the city behind the Palouse Mall, and a 2 percent annual growth rate, some argue Moscow has more than enough land for businesses.
Solomon said additional land already is available in town.
Parks said increasing Moscow’s “retail footprint” won’t necessarily make it grow.
“The only way to do that is to take business from Pullman and surrounding areas,” he said.
But Morscheck said to let the businesses in question make that decision.
“I’m the kind of guy that likes to let the market scale determine what the community needs,” he said.
Property rights
Some people maintain that the Thompsons, who own the land that was proposed for the Wal-Mart Supercenter, should be able to do what they want with their land. Others say private property rights don’t come at the expense of the rest of the community.
Steve Busch, a local businessman and former city councilman, said he underwent a similar public hearing process when he developed his property.
“In our case, (the process) worked,” said Busch, chairman of the Greater Moscow Alliance. If the day comes when the council decides the Thompsons can’t do anything with the land, “then you are looking at a violation of private property rights.”
For now, Busch is looking forward to seeing what the next round brings.
Solomon said the Thompsons have every right to develop their property, but it should be done in a way that benefits Moscow.
“The effect on Moscow could be severe,” Parks said. “The good of the community sometimes has to trump the needs of an individual.”
Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney said in the midst of these differing opinions, receiving public input is a vital part of helping the City Council make its decision and different commissions make recommendations.
“I think we can find common ground,” she said. “We are all saying we want a certain quality of life here. I don’t think anyone is anti-growth.”
Omie Drawhorn can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 234, or by e-mail at odrawhorn@dnews.com.